Please email Cindy Ashwill by December 9 to submit items for the next issue of the digest.
ACTION ITEMS
Biennial Inventory: This year, University policy and state regulations require us to complete and certify the School's physical inventory of movable equipment, such as computers, monitors, and furniture. Please refer to instructions emailed on November 17 regarding how to complete the inventory, which involves uploading photo(s) of equipment in your remote location via a webform. All faculty and staff who are using University-owned property are required to complete the inventory process by Friday, December 4, If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk.
Building Usage: All employees should complete the iSchool Return to On-Site Work - Spring 2021 form by Friday, December 18 to allow the Return to On-Site Work Team (RTOW) to plan for the spring semester. If you are a new iSchool employee and haven’t taken the COVID-19 training, you should complete this training by Monday, January 25; this training remains valid indefinitely. Building usage guidelines for the spring are now available in the iSchool Wiki. If you have any questions, email RTOW.
Course Registration: Course Explorer is open for spring semester. Priority registration begins on Monday, November 30, and open registration begins on Thursday, December 10. Classes begin on Monday, January 25. Enrollments can be monitored in the Self-Service/Banner Class Schedule after registration opens. Alternatively, you can use DMI Class Rosters for Instructors. The ATLAS Photo Roster is available for your reference. Cancellation decisions will be made the week of January 10. In order to hold a course, enrollment of at least 10 students is expected, but other factors are also important, including graduation requirements, core topics, and overall student interest.
Course Sites: Request your spring courses now with the ATLAS Course Site Request System. If you have questions, follow the step-by-step documentation and video tutorial. If you need assistance, materials ported over from the retired iSchool Moodle system, or help setting up your site, contact the Help Desk.
End-of-Semester Survey: Please fill out a brief survey by Friday, December 18, to assist ITD and the Help Desk team in providing you with the best support possible.
Grant Proposals: Please connect with Tamara Roosevelt sooner rather than later about any upcoming grant proposals, including those managed by other units on campus. This is especially important for proposals that need support from Research Services.
ORCID Tutorial: NSF and NIH's newly required SciENcv form integrates with ORCID, which makes it easier to update grants and publications. Research Services plans to offer an upcoming tutorial on both of these systems. If you are interested in learning how to manage ORCID and SciENcv profiles, email Research Services.
Payroll Processing: The December pay period will require payroll processing during winter break. Please determine if your hourly employees need to work on December 24-26 and notify iSchool HR. Timesheets for employees who will not work during this time should be submitted immediately after the last day of work prior to winter break.
Spring Appointments: Requests for student appointments (RA, GA, or PGA) are due as soon as possible. Instructions are located in the iSchool Wiki. Please be sure to confirm if the student is working remotely. Questions? Contact iSchool HR.
Student Research Opportunity Portal: Be sure to promote your student projects for the spring semester through this portal as soon as possible. If you need assistance, contact Research Services.
Timesheet Approvals: Please ensure that hours reported accurately reflect the number of hours worked. Non-U.S. citizen employees should not work more than 20 hours per week for all campus jobs, and iSchool HR cannot shift hours to other pay periods. An understanding of employee work schedules is imperative to ensure accurate reporting and compliance. Contact iSchool HR with questions.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
Affinity Groups: Join iSchool faculty and staff for the following group discussions:
- The Eldercare group will meet on December 3 at 11:00 a.m. Please contact Kathryn La Barre for details.
- The LGBTQ+ group will meet on November 18 and December 9 at noon. Please contact Kathryn La Barre for details.
Virtual Coffee Hour: Tuesday, December 8, at 4:00 p.m. Held monthly, these virtual hours for all students provide informal opportunities to meet and connect with one another, discuss classes, and share current joys or concerns. Faculty and staff are asked to encourage students to attend. Questions? Contact Meg Edwards.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Becoming a Trans Inclusive Library: Recordings from this joint program with the University Library Diversity Committee are now available:
Beta Phi Mu: The Alpha Chapter held its annual meeting and initiation via Zoom on Saturday, November 7. Revised by-laws were approved, opening membership to outstanding undergraduates completing the BS in information sciences (BS/IS) as well as those completing the MS/LIS, CAS, or PhD. As a result, Alpha Chapter will shift its annual initiation to spring rather than fall. In spring 2021, faculty will be asked to recommend students for membership from those graduating in December 2020 or May 2021.
Big Sur Update: The new Mac operating system will be released soon (Big Sur 10.11). Do not upgrade right away to give Apple and the University time to work through any incompatibilities. It is best to wait for a few weeks or until version 11.0.1 is available.
Daniel 6 Building Project: Meetings were held to review the physical design of the space, including finishes, flooring, color palette, and audiovisual needs. Next steps include construction documentation for the buildout of the iSchool's two floors, furniture package selection, and audiovisual budget resolution.
Data and Reporting Web Page: An interactive data and reporting dashboard has been added to the iSchool website. This important resource features information for recruitment and reporting, including program enrollment, student demographics, salary information for graduates, and more.
Evolving Cohort Connections: Approximately 120 new students participated in the pilot program of Cohort Connections. Staff facilitated groups of 10-14 students from the same program, which included activities to get to know each other. This spring, Student Affairs plans to expand this program to all students, initiating a process to recruit students to host two meetups that either focus on a certain topic (e.g., cooking) or provide spaces for general conversations.
Gradebook Consultations: The ITD team is happy to schedule a gradebook consultation to help you finalize your gradebook and get ready for submitting grades to Banner. Contact the Help Desk for assistance.
HR Survey: Watch for a survey from iSchool HR to document who will work out of the state and country during spring semester. This information is required for payroll and tax purposes.
ISAA Meeting: The iSchool Alumni Association (ISAA) will hold its COVID-delayed general meeting on Saturday, December 5, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. CST. All iSchool alumni are automatically members of ISAA and eligible to vote on the proposed slate of ISAA Board Members for 2020-2021. Following the vote, an "Evening of iSchool Stories" will be shared by alumni Amy Atkinson (MS '13), Erin O’Neall (MS '17), and Gwenn Weaver (MS '72). Questions? Contact Jill Gengler.
iSchool magazine: The fall issue of Intersections is now available on the Publications web page and also available for download on ISSUU (issuu.com).
iSchool PowerPoints: An iSchool Overview and PowerPoint templates are available in the iSchool Wiki.
ORCID ID: ORCID is a research identifier designed to help connect your work across funding agencies, organizations, and publication platforms. It provides a persistent identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers and offers a mechanism for linking your research outputs and activities to your ID. ORCID is integrated into many systems used by publishers, funders, institutions, and other research-related services. More information and a link to create an ID can be found at ORCID at Illinois.
Tech Time: Recordings are available on the Help Desk's Media Space channel. To receive emails when new recordings are added, subscribe to this channel. You also can access agendas and links to slides and recordings on the iSchool Wiki. Please email Lindsey Sharp with suggestions for topics for future sessions.
Virtual Information Session: On November 11, Enrollment Management hosted an information session via Zoom for 45 prospective students interested in the PhD program. The event consisted of three parts—faculty panel, current student panel, and degree/application overview. The event was recorded and distributed to the attendees as well as all prospective PhD students.
Zoom Reminder: Remember to regularly update your Zoom desktop app to eliminate potential issues. Questions? Contact the Help Desk.