This year's Benefits Fair will be held on Wednesday, May 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the MLK, Jr. University Union. Representatives from several Health/Vision/Dental Plan vendors will be available to answer questions and provide current information regarding those plans. Please feel free to come check out what's new, ask questions about employee benefits, etc.

Also, representatives from CMS will provide presentations at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the 1895 Room. These presentations re open to all and will include time for questions. Both presentations will cover the same information, so employees are encouraged to attend whichever session best fits their schedule.

This year, SURS has asked if they can come. We are excited for their representative to join us and CMS.

Also this year, Benefits will hold a drawing for those who attend for some EIU swag.
*Do not need to be present to win.

We hope to see you all there! As always, if you have any questions regarding your employee benefits, please call (217) 581-5825 or email benefits@eiu.edu.

Celebrate your hard work and passion for EIU with colleagues at this year's

Employee Appreciation Picnic!

Join us at the Campus Pond Pavilion for a meal and a well-deserved break.

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 12...

On the menu:

• Lawn games!
• Hamburgers / Cheeseburgers / Vegan Burgers!
• Hot Dogs!
• Chips!
• Cookies!
• Soda & Water!

Rain location: Grand Ballroom, MLK Jr. University Union

Commencement could not be made possible without the dedication of volunteers, as they play an essential role in creating a smooth and memorable experience for our graduates and their families! If you are interested in volunteering for this special day for our graduates, please fill out this form. Any assistance is greatly appreciated! 

Saturday, May 9 - Groniger Arena

• 10 a.m. – Undergraduate Degrees in the College of Education and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• 1 p.m. – All Graduate Degrees
• 4 p.m. - Undergraduate Degrees in the Lumpkin College of Business and Technology, College of Health and Human Services, and Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Please contact Megan Morecraft at mamorecraft@eiu.edu with any questions. 

Thank you for your consideration! 

Planning to participate in the Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies? Please complete this form. This will help EIU prepare for seating arrangements and allow for reserved parking. 

Saturday, May 9 - Groniger Arena

We are phasing out use of our helium tank and so as not to send it back to the company with product in it, we are offering it free to the campus community. 

Departments, RSOs, Greeks, retirement parties, award ceremonies, someone is turning 75, you're celebrating your graduating student, or if there is any cause for balloons at all -- come fill them up in biology, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

We do not know how much air remains in the tank and when it's gone it's gone...and we WANT it gone!

First come, first filled.

We will update this announcement when the helium is gone.

The Department of Biological Sciences is located in Room 2070 Life Sciences. The physical address is 1963 7th Street in Charleston. 

Tomorrow, Friday, May 1, marks the start of the Benefits Open Enrollment period.

Employees should have received the FY27 Benefit Choice Booklet via U.S. Mail. If you have not received your booklet, you may log in to your MyBenefits.Illinois.gov account to view it electronically. Employees may also contact or visit the Benefits Office for further assistance.

If you would like to make changes to your benefits, you may do so during the Open Enrollment period from May 1 through June 2.

Please note that there are premium increases, as well as changes to copayments and deductibles. Additionally, a new benefit, Health Advocate, is now available.

And don’t forget, employees can enhance their wellness experience with the Be Well Illinois program!

To wrap up the semester, the Doudna Fine Arts Center will have a free Alumni recital, the EIU Composers Forum, and a fashion show: Runway Reclaim. Also, be sure to explore the Doudna's 2026-27 Premiere Events Season and get your tickets now at eiu.edu/doudnatix.

Haley Harrison: Guest Clarinet Recital
Free for all audiences
Tuesday, April 28
7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall
EIU Alumnus, Haley Harrison, will perform a concert in Doudna's Recital Hall as a part of the New & Emerging Artists Series. There will be works by diverse composers, including David Baker, Todd Cochran, Samuel Akpabot, Jorg Widmann, Michele Mangani, and Fancisco Javier de Alba.

Runway Reclaim
$35 VIP Admission | $10 General Admission
Wednesday, April 29
7 p.m. in the Doudna Concourse, outside Dvorak
Witness the next generation of fashion designers redefine style and sustainability at Runway Reclaim, a dynamic showcase of upcycled fashion designs crafted by talented students. This event highlights the fusion of creativity and eco-consciousness, pushing the boundaries of fashion's future. This fashion show has limited seating available, reserve your seat at eiu.edu/doudnatix.

Composers Forum
Free for all audiences
Thursday, April 30
7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall

Booth Library offers a series of Finals Week activities to provide opportunities for you to rest, relax, recharge & refocus on finishing the semester strong. We hope you'll join us for: 

• Snack Break & Study Tables, May 4, 5 to 7 p.m. on the Atrium Bridge & Collaboration Commons
  Enjoy a lemonade bar and birthday snacks (Happy 75th Birthday, Miss Booth!) and join a group study session in the adjacent Collaboration Commons. Grab a snack and a study spot, and recharge your laser focus to finish the semester strong!
• Therapy Dogs, May 4 & 5, 1 to 3 p.m. in the library's South Lobby
  If you need a nuzzle, stop by Booth's south entry on Monday and Tuesday, May 4 and 5 between 1 and 3 p.m. to cuddle a canine and let the stress drop away.
• Zero Balancing Sessions by appointment, May 4, 9 to11:30 a.m. and May 5, 10 a.m. to noon
  Misty Rhoads, Ph.D., CZB will be offering FREE, brief Zero Balancing sessions by appointment. Zero Balancing produces an experience of deep relaxation while helping reduce stress, promoting structural alignment, an enhancing energy flow. While fully clothed and lying face-up on a massage table, Dr. Rhoads will work with pressure points in your body to help relieve body aches, release unwanted stress, and boost well-being. Treat yourself to fifteen minutes of deep relaxation and stress relief!
• Retro Gaming, May 4-6 in the 4000 Lounge
  Vintage video games, a monster video screen and comfy chairs. Perfect for a quick break from your academic endeavors! Visit our Library Technology Services desk on the 4000 level to get started.
• Send a Postcard Home, all week on the 3000 concourse
  Let your family know you're working hard and will see them soon. You provide the message, we'll provide the postage.
• Games & Puzzles, all week on the 3000 concourse
  Help complete a puzzle, grab some coloring sheets or games & puzzles on paper to tuck into your backpack for later. 

Work hard, practice self-care and finish strong! Booth Librarians are on standby to help you. You've got this!

As part of the upcoming academic reorganization, Marketing & Communications is developing a broader strategy for academic web content, including updates to program pages, site structure, and how information is organized for prospective students.

This work is focused on creating a more consistent, student-centered experience that makes it easier for users to explore programs and find accurate, up-to-date information.

As this planning moves forward, departments are asked to hold on major structural website changes, such as creating new pages or reorganizing navigation, so that future updates can align with this broader approach.

Additional information, guidance, and opportunities for input will be shared in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, routine updates such as correcting outdated information or fixing broken links can continue as usual. (Fill out the Marcom Work Request form for assistance!)

News from WEIU

WEIU is excited to announce that the Illinois News Broadcasters Association has announced the winners of this year’s SINBAs, honoring the best in student journalism. At the Best of Broadcast Awards in Champaign, WEIU-TV Newswatch took home multiple awards for excellence. From standout reporting to top-tier production, the team continues to raise the bar.  Hit-Mix 88.9 WEIU took home an award as well.

News Watch won first place for Outstanding Television Newscast. Olivia Bennett, Junior Broadcast Journalism major from Charleston, won first place for Outstanding Television News Reporting. Matt Williamson, Senior TV and Video Production major from LeRoy, won second place for Outstanding Television News Reporting. Bennett also won first place for Outstanding Television Sports Reporting and first place for Outstanding Television News Photography. Williamson also won second place for Outstanding Television News Photography.

A member of the INBA board announced it was the first time in INBA history that the same person had won all three individual awards for television news.

Andrew Spaid, Senior TV and Video Production major from Lake in the Hills, won second place for Outstanding Radio News Reporting. Spaid also was awarded the INBA Don Brown Scholarship. Bennett was awarded the Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship.

Pictured (L-R: Olivia Bennett, Matt Williamson, Andrew Spaid)

• Olivia Bennett of Charleston is a junior at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism. She has worked as a Gray Television fellow for WOIO-TV in Cleveland; a producer, anchor and investigative reporter for TruBlu Crime Streaming; and managing editor, anchor and reporter for WEIU-TV News Watch. With this year’s award, Benett is now a three-time INBA scholarship winner. She will be taking home INBA Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.
• Andrew Spaid of Lake in the Hills will graduate this spring from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in TV and video production. He has worked as a sports and news anchor, producer and sports director for WEIU-TV and was an on-air DJ for Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU. He also is a host and producer of the Anytime Sports Podcast, worked on the live sports production crew for ESPN+ and was a freelance camera operator for WQAD-TV. Andrew is the winner of the INBA Don Brown Scholarship. Don Brown is the namesake for the INBA’s first-ever scholarship, given in 1963. He worked for radio stations in Iowa and taught at the Universities of Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State and was instrumental in forming the INBA in 1955.

• Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself and INBA board member.
• Jenna Dooley, news director, WNIJ in DeKalb, and INBA past president
• Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio, and INBA past president
• Emily Manley, former Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar and former INBA vice president

A friendly reminder to emplyees to submit their monthly leave reports before noon on the 10th of each month or at the time designated by your department approver. In addition, all approvers must have all time/leave approved prior to noon on the 10th of each month as well. To fill out a leave report, please log-in to PAWS from this link: http://bannerssb.eiu.edu.
 
Log-in using your EIU provided user name and password.

1. Click on the EMPLOYEE tab
2. Select PAWS9 EMPLOYEE DASHBOARD
3. Select ENTER LEAVE REPORT (blue box, right side of screen)
4. Select the correct reporting period
5. Select ADD EARN CODE and enter hours

For additional information concerning Positive Time Reporting/Leave Reporting, please click on the following link to the FAQs:
http://www.eiu.edu/~humanres/payroll/forms/Positive_Time_Reporting_FAQ.pdf and log in using your EIU provided user name and password.

Student Insurance provides the student worldwide protection, 24 hours a day. The Plan has a $100 deductible per diagnosis and pays up to 70% of eligible expenses for physician and hospital expenses, lab and x-ray, surgery, ambulance transport, physical therapy, maternity expenses, mental health and substance abuse issues. The Student Insurance plan also covers prescriptions at the Health and Counseling Services center on campus.

Unlike an HMO or PPO, the Plan does not have a network, giving students a choice in their care and provides coverage for treatment the student receives while they are at home, at school, and wherever they may travel. When you have other insurance, the Plan coordinates with the primary carrier. Student Insurance is an economical way to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses when family health plans do not cover 100% of medical costs because of deductibles, co-payment amounts, limitations on specific benefits, and out-of-network penalties. The Student Insurance Plan complements the family health plan. Most students find it beneficial to carry both, particularly if the family plan has a deductible and/or coinsurance.

You can find more information about the Plan at www.eiu.edu/studentinsurance or by contacting our office at (217) 581-5290. There are two short videos on the website that do a nice job of explaining all about the Plan.

The Summer 2026 Student Insurance fee will be automatically assessed to students enrolled in an on-campus program taking nine or more hours; graduate assistants under contract to the University; and international students enrolled in an on-campus program taking three or more hours. 

Students wishing to waive the Student Insurance Plan must complete the Waiver Form available in their PAWS account, under the MyHealth tab. Student-athletes and members of the Cheer Team are not allowed to waive the Student Insurance. The deadline to waive coverage for the Summer 2026 semester is May 27, 2026. 

Student Insurance is available for the Summer 2026 term. The coverage effective dates are 5/11/2026-8/16/2026. The cost for the coverage is $95.40.

Students who are insured in Spring 2026 who desire Summer coverage and will not be enrolled in the Summer Term, may obtain coverage by submitting the Summer 2026 Enrollment Form available in their PAWS account, under the MyHealth tab prior to 5/11/26.

Students who enroll for five or more hours for the Summer Term may obtain coverage by submitting the Summer 2026  Enrollment Form available in their PAWS account, under the MyHealth tab prior to 5/27/26. Coverage is effective upon receipt of the enrollment form.

Student Insurance provides the student worldwide protection 24 hours a day.  The Plan has a $100 deductible per diagnosis and pays up to 70% of eligible expenses for physician and hospital expenses, lab and x-ray, surgery, ambulance transport, physical therapy, maternity expenses, mental health and substance abuse issues. The Student Insurance Plan also reduces copays for prescription medications at the Health Services on campus. 

Unlike an HMO or PPO, the Plan does not have a network, giving students a choice in their care and provides coverage for treatment the student receives while they are at home, at school, and wherever they may travel. 

Student Insurance is an economical way to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses when family health plans do not cover 100% of medical costs because of deductibles, co-payment amounts, limitations on specific benefits, and out-of-network penalties.  The Student Insurance Plan complements the family health plan.  Most students find it beneficial to carry both, particularly if the family plan has a deductible and/or coinsurance.

You can find more information about the Plan at eiu.edu/studentinsurance or by contacting our office at (217) 581-5290. There are two short videos on the website that do a nice job of explaining all about the Plan.

Eastern Illinois University is making important investments to improve our campus.

To help keep the campus community informed, we’ve launched a dedicated construction updates page. Visit the site for the latest information on active projects, timelines, impacts to campus access, and more: go.eiu.edu/construction.

Beginning March 16, 2026, parking lots between the Student Services Building, the Old Steam Plant, and south of Blair Hall will be closed as part of a comprehensive upgrade to EIU's campus infrastructure. NOTE: ADA parking spaces immediately south of Blair Hall will remain open, and an ADA‑compliant ramp will be installed to accommodate east–west pedestrian traffic at the northwest corner of the Student Services Building.

Please review a map of the parking lot availability HERE, noting the additional details below.*

Per IGP#19, campus-wide summer office hours will be in effect from Monday, May 11, 2026, through Friday August 14, 2026. When summer office hours are in effect, all offices must be open Monday through Thursday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. All administrative offices (and others where possible) will remain open during the lunch hour, Monday through Thursday.

Each office is to change voice mail, signs, and other public communication to reflect its summer hours. Regular business hours will resume on Monday August 17, 2026. Please contact the Human Resources office with any questions.

Employees needing to complete a flex schedule: Please visit Flex Schedules to submit a request for supervisor approval. 

Holiday Weeks

• Memorial Day: Monday, May 25, 2026
  • Employees will record Holiday 7.5 hours and then work 30 hours between Tuesday – Friday. If you still want to leave at noon on Friday May 29, 2026, you may use accrued leave time off or work the additional 3.5 hours between Tuesday and Thursday (this would not be overtime, it would be considered flex time).
• Juneteenth/National Freedom Day
  • The week of June 15, 2026, employees will work (4) 7.5 hour days Monday – Thursday and record Holiday 7.5 hours for Friday June 19, 2026.
• Independence Day
  • The week of June 29, 2026, employees will work (4) 7.5 hour days Monday – Thursday and record Holiday 7.5 hours for Friday July 3, 2026.