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EIYOU (EIU 1111) Seeking Fall 2026 Instructors

EIYOU (EIU 1111) Seeking Fall 2026 Instructors 

The Student Success Center is seeking energetic, innovative, and engaged individuals to teach EIU 1111: EIYOU The Panther Experience, Eastern’s first-year seminar, for Fall 2026.

Please consider bringing your passion, experience, and expertise to our newest students welcoming them to campus and to their new adventures at EIU. 

What is EIYOU: The Panther Experience?

EIYOU is designed to help you make the most of your Panther experience! EIYOU is the first-year experience course that provides the building blocks for academic excellence at EIU.

Students actively participate in areas of student success including navigating the university, building college success skills, creating college support networks, finding your future path and career, financial wellness, academic technology, and student social, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

EIYOU is required for all incoming full-time on-campus students with less than a 3.00 high school GPA, but open to all incoming full-time on-campus freshmen, transfer, and returning students.

In addition, instructors will be expected to attend immersive training on the newly designed course and its implementation. 

Other guidelines for the course: 

• EIU 1111 is now a (1) credit hour course, and the class meets one day a week. Applicants will identify days and times that fit their schedule. 

• Incoming first-year students with under a 3.00 High School GPA will be required to take this course; incoming freshmen with a GPA above this can elect to take the course, including as part of their Freshman Connection experience. 

• Course text: Connections Are Everything: A College Student's Guide to Relationship-Rich Education

• Instructors may teach up to (2) course sections. 

For more information about the course, as well as the instructor application, please visit the EIYOU website. The application for new instructors is available Applications are due by the end of the day on April 15, 2026. Instructors will be notified of their acceptance by April 30, 2026, and at that time the day and location of the instructor training session will be provided.

Questions may be directed to Dr. Michael Gillespie at mgillespie@eiu.edu.