Experiencing Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (Mar. 19, 2020)

This interactive workshop is designed to improve students’ understanding of concepts related to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and, through group discussion, guide students’ translation of these concepts into their day-to-day work experiences. Alumni participants will share their experiences with and approach to supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Register here. Contact Liz McKee at Lmckee1@niu.edu or 815-753-7400 with any questions.

NIU College of Business Alumni Meet and Greet Tables (Spring)

Expose NIU COB students to a wider range of opportunities in business by hosting an informal meet and greet table. Provide students with the opportunity to practice their networking skills while learning about career paths in your industry/firm in a casual environment. Secondary benefits of participation are meeting students who are perfect fits for current openings and keeping your organization top of mind when students are on the hunt for internships and full-time employment. Alumni Meet and Greet Tables can be scheduled Monday – Thursday during peak traffic times, generally 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Alumni will interact with all business undergraduate, Master of Accounting Science, Master of Management Information Systems, and full-time MBA students. Contact Liz McKee at Lmckee1@niu.edu or 815-753-7400 to begin the application process.

Living-Learning Communities (LLC) Alumni Career Network Series (Ongoing)

Share your professional expertise with students through the Living-Learning Communities (LLC) Alumni Career Network Series at NIU. Through this unique opportunity you can choose to bring LLC students onsite to your company or visit NIU and share your real-world experiences with LLC students. Visit the Living-Learning Communities webpage and learn more about LLC, and apply for the LLC Alumni Career Network Series here! Contact Jeanne Baxter at jbaxter1@niu.edu or call 815-753-5062 with any questions.

Share Your Love of Reading With the Jerry L. Johns Literacy Clinic! (Ongoing)

The Early Literacy Reading Program: Alumni volunteers are needed to guide monthly reading sessions with preschoolers ages 3–5. The parents will remain with their child while listening to the story. Ages and themes will change and creativity is encouraged!

The Boys and Books Club: This program is geared specifically for boys in Grades 5 – 8. Male alumni volunteers who enjoy mentoring in a relaxed reading setting are needed to lead reading and discussion sessions.

 If you would like to learn more, please contact the Director of the Jerry L. Johns Literacy Clinic, Mary Gardner at gardner@niu.edu or phone 815-753-8187.

NIU Esports: Volunteer Coaches and Content Experts Needed (Ongoing)

Get involved in esports at NIU!  Our fast-growing esports club program needs knowledgeable volunteers to support coaching students, presenting in esports classes, and organizing esports tournaments. There are so many opportunities for students, alumni and community members to have fun, play video games and help build our exciting esports program. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Jeannine East or Aline Click at esports@niu.edu.

Department of Accountancy "Helping Huskies" Mentor Program (Ongoing)

"Helping Huskies" connects accountancy alumni with students for one-on-one conversations about careers, academics, business and start-ups. Set your availability and choose the areas you’d like to mentor in. Then you'll be matched with students looking for assistance in those areas. Matches don't always occur instantaneously, but your participation in the mentoring network will greatly enhance the department's ability to provide accountancy students with strong mentors. Click here to join.

Communiversity Gardens (Ongoing)

The NIU Communiversity Gardens are part of a community-wide approach to end food insecurity in DeKalb County by providing access to fresh organic vegetables that are locally grown for anyone in need. Volunteers have the opportunity to plant, weed and harvest for this cause while improving their gardening skills. Volunteers are typically needed for shifts a few days per week. Click here and sign up to volunteer for hours that fit your schedule.

Huskie Food Pantry (Ongoing)

The Huskie Food Pantry is an amazing NIU program that serves students who lack access to adequate food sources. The pantry is a nonprofit organization that relies on the support of generous donors, volunteers, interns and university partners to maintain the program. During the summer months, the pantry is in great need of volunteers to fill the roles left vacant by dedicated student volunteers who have gone home for the summer. Alumni volunteers can help by donating food, stocking shelves or serving on a pantry night. Click here and sign up to volunteer.

Mock Trial Tream Opening Round Championship Tournament (March 6-8, 2020)

See our very talented NIU Mock Trial Team in action at the American Mock Trial Association's Opening Round Championship Tournament in Naperville. They will compete against twenty-four of the top teams in the country for the opportunity to advance to the National Championship Tournament. Volunteers are needed to serve as judges for one or more of the four trials. Lawyers, law students and others with experience in a related legal field are eligible - trial experience is not necessary. Sign up here!

NIU Alumni Association Advocacy Day (April 1, 2020)

Your voice is important to NIU's conversation with state legislators! NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman and the NIU Alumni Association invite you to share your NIU story and NIU's legislative priorities with current legislators during the second annual NIU Advocacy Day. Register today. 

NIU Paws with a Purpose (April 18, 2020)

NIU Paws with a Purpose is a nation-wide day of service that runs concurrent to NIU Cares Day, the DeKalb campus day of service. On this day, NIU students, faculty, staff, friends of NIU and alumni gather together to show what it means to have Huskie Spirit by doing service in their community. If you're interested in leading a project in your community, sign up to volunteer as a Team Leader here. Team Leader registration closes on February 18, 2020. Looking to sign-up for a project your area? Team Member registration will open in February 2020. 

Please note that, if you live near campus, our greatest need is for alumni to volunteer alongside students on campus.

Living-Learning Communities (LLC) Alumni Career Network Series (Ongoing)

Share your professional expertise with students through the Living-Learning Communities (LLC) Alumni Career Network Series at NIU. Through this unique opportunity you can choose to bring LLC students onsite to your company or visit NIU and share your real-world experiences with LLC students. Visit the Living-Learning Communities webpage and learn more about LLC, and apply for the LLC Alumni Career Network Series here! Contact Jeanne Baxter at jbaxter1@niu.edu or call 815-753-5062 with any questions.

Become a volunteer advocate for NIU! (Ongoing)

Add your voice to the conversation and share NIU's legislative priorities with legislators in your district. Click here to learn more, or register for our advocacy platform and become an advocate!

Jobs PLUS First Impressions Online Workshop (Mar. 2, 2020)

Whether it is meeting someone at an event, a job interview, or interacting with customers at work, both verbal and nonverbal communication play a key part in making a positive first impression. Participants in this online workshop will practice their communication and interpersonal skills while meeting NIU alumni. More details about how to access this online opportunity will be provided prior to the event. Register here. Contact Liz McKee at Lmckee1@niu.edu or 815-753-7400 with any questions.

NIU Day of Giving Ambassador (Apr. 1-2, 2020)

Inspire others to support NIU during our annual day of philanthropy by sharing your NIU story with your networks as an NIU Day of Giving Ambassador! Become an NIU Day of Giving Ambassador and be a digital leader for NIU, sharing messages and creating excitement about the NIU Day of Giving leading up to and during the day. All ambassadors will have access to a toolkit with thematic images and templated messages they can use, although we also encourage them to post from the heart. An online training and preparation session will be held at 12 pm (CST) on March 16, as well. Sign up here to be an NIU Day of Giving Ambassador!

Share your NIU Huskie story! (Ongoing)

Help NIU tell its story by sharing yours. Take 5-10 minutes to record how NIU impacted your life through our online form.

We may utilize your story in quotes in digital, social, and print media, or in a spotlight article. Some participants may be asked to share their story in person at an event, such as a student recruitment event. Please complete this form  to share your NIU story.

Become a volunteer advocate for NIU! (Ongoing)

Add your voice to the conversation and share NIU's legislative priorities with legislators in your district. Click here to register for our advocacy platform and to become an advocate!

Graduate Career and Professional Development Connections (Ongoing)

The NIU Graduate School Career and Professional Development Portal provides professional development programming through use of educational strategies that engage graduate students in job discovery and diverse career opportunities. Alumni are key in helping students gain insight on what their field is demanding and how the job market is changing. To develop connections with alumni, workshops through the program show graduate students how to use LinkedIn as a networking tool to find alumni who have jobs of interest to them. Graduate students are then encouraged to conduct 15- to 20-minute online interviews with these alumni. Program staff seek alumni who are interested in participating in these interviews. Alumni can sign-up here to participate.

NIUniverse: A Social Media Ambassador Program (Ongoing)

Join the NIUniverse to share your Huskie pride through your social networks! NIU social media ambassadors have first-look access to exciting content, can share and recommend stories on behalf of the NIU Alumni Association and can win Huskie swag by participating in contests and challenges. All you have to do is join, take a few moments each week to share our stories with your networks and participate in our contests! The more you participate, the better your chances at winning awesome NIU swag. Sign up here.

Department of Communication Alumni: Share your Success Story! (Ongoing)

The Department of Communication, which includes Communication Studies and Journalism, seeks to celebrate their graduates' career accomplishments by featuring their success stories online. If you are an alumnus of the program who is interested in sharing their story, contact Laura Vazquez at lvazquez@niu.edu to have your profile added to the Department of Communication webpage.

Refer a Huskie (Ongoing)

Remember, you can always use the NIU Alumni Association's online form to refer a student that would make a great Huskie. Students referred this way receive a promotional code, which covers the application cost.