ACTION ITEMS
Canvas transition: The transition to the Canvas learning management system continues with an opt-out in spring 2022 and plans to migrate all courses by summer 2022. If you are teaching in the spring, you should have received an email about accessing your Canvas course or requesting your Moodle course. Please be sure to complete the Spring Course Survey to help ITD plan effectively. More information is available on the Canvas Transition website. Questions? Contact the Help Desk.
Changes in work location: Please notify iSchool HR in advance if one of your employees changes to working outside of Illinois/the U.S. as well as inside the U.S./another state. An incorrect work location may result in incorrect tax withholdings, delayed or misrouted pay, or other difficulties. In addition, individuals arriving to work in the U.S. for the University are required by law (and the terms of their visa) to start an I-9 by the first day of work.
Proposal submissions: Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) will be closed the following dates during fall and winter breaks: November 25-26 and December 23-January 3. These closures will affect proposal deadlines:
- Proposals due November 22-28: Submit to Research Services before November 15 at 5:00 p.m. in order to meet the SPA deadline of November 17 before 5:00 p.m.
- Proposals due December 17-January 3: Submit to Research Services before December 13 at 5:00 p.m. in order to meet the SPA deadline of December 15 before 5:00 p.m.
Spring course scheduling: Course Explorer is open for spring 2022. If you are teaching this spring, please review information regarding course title, date, time, and section. If changes need to be made, please contact Emily Knox as soon as possible.
Students in distress: There has been a noticeable uptick in students in mental distress. Please review the University’s wellness resources and share them with your students. A workshop on responding to students will be held in the near future. If students are not coming to class or have otherwise alerted you, please let advisors know:
Student research group participation opportunity: Research Services and Student Affairs are creating a new group to manage and organize the Student Showcase and the Research Showcase. We are looking for faculty representatives and recommendations for a doctoral student representative. If you would like to be involved or recommend a student, please contact Alaine Martaus and Rebecca Hodson.
Visa code expiration: The visa code that allowed students, postdocs, and other employees to work remotely from abroad is expiring on December 31. After this date, the approval process will be time consuming and require review by University System Legal Counsel, Treasury Operations, and other entities. To avoid significant delays in start dates and violations of visa laws, please be sure to identify anyone who is working from abroad when entering an appointment or reappointment request in the my.ischool application. If you have any reason to believe a student may be planning to work from abroad in spring 2022, please advise iSchool HR at once to assess the circumstances and determine a path forward. Without completing the lengthy review process, the School will be unable to appoint or pay the student.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
iSchool Convocation: The iSchool will host a virtual convocation ceremony to recognize August 2021 and December 2021 graduates on Friday, December 17, from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Academic Support Center: Student Affairs has opened the new iSchool Academic Support Center, which provides one-on-one tutoring to iSchool students and students enrolled in iSchool courses; offers academic success workshops; coordinates with faculty and instructors to provide support for specific courses or exams; and curates and shares academic support resources. Appointments are available online and in person in Room 341 of the main iSchool building with plans to move to space in the new building after it has fully opened to the public.
Building updates:
- 501 E. Daniel: A proposal for furniture, paint and new carpet has been submitted. The majority of furniture is repurposed but in excellent condition and contemporary. It is likely this work will not be completed until next semester.
- 614 E. Daniel: As we spend more time and use the space in the new building, issues common to new facilities will occur. Most of the problems we encounter will fall under warranty and be fixed as they surface. Please understand that we are “working out the kinks” on a day-to-day basis. Thanks for your patience during this time.
Informal Weekly Goal Setting: Join fellow iSchoolers to set informal weekly goals! You can include goals, great or small, and/or encouragement for others. All lists are anonymous. Comments are anonymous unless you’re logged into Padlet. The lists will be wiped weekly. Contact Karla Lucht with questions.
iSchool climate: As noted in a recent climate survey emailed to students, the iSchool strives for a climate in which all members of our community feel safe, respected, and included. This survey should provide insights into how to improve the climate experienced by our students. “Our community” also encompasses faculty and staff. During the remainder of this academic year, the School plans to work with others across campus who can assist in discussions regarding how to build a more inclusive environment for everyone.
New IT ticketing tool: IT switched to the new TDX ticketing tool in late October. TDX emails are generated from servicereplies@uillinois.edu and feature a different layout as well as new graphics and branding. If you have previously set up email rules/filters, you should update them. To obtain support, please continue to contact the Help Desk. Emails sent using addresses ending with “@support.ischool.illinois.edu” will forward to the new system for the immediate future.
PhD program faculty affiliates: Informatics plans to formalize faculty affiliates who contribute to the program by adding 0% appointments. Expect to receive an invitation to formalize your affiliation in the next few weeks. Criteria for formal affiliation includes advising PhD students, serving on committees, teaching INFO courses, or participating in the application selection process.
Processing appointments: iSchool HR currently has 192 appointments awaiting processing and 19 approved searches. To help facilitate the process for these searches, please ensure that requests in the my.ischool appointments application are not retroactive and do not involve someone working from abroad without permission. Please contact iSchool HR if you need assistance.
Reading Day and exams: Remember that classes cannot be held and assignments may not be due on Reading Day (December 9). All final exams should be scheduled during finals week (December 10-17). For more information, refer to the Student Code.
Research Services staffing: Staff will be taking time off during fall break. Please communicate in advance about upcoming proposals to ensure that your support needs are covered. Watch staff email signatures for upcoming vacation announcements.
Work hours for international students: Please remember that our international students are limited to 20 hours/week for all positions at the University. A student cannot shift hours from one timesheet to another or work unpaid to avoid this limit. Questions? Contact iSchool HR.