Planning to participate in the Fall 2026 commencement ceremony? Please complete this form by noon Thursday, December 17. This will help EIU prepare for seating arrangements and create the reserved parking list.  

Saturday, December 19 - Groniger Arena

• 10 a.m. -- Undergraduate & Graduate Degrees for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Lumpkin College of Business and Technology; College of Education, Health & Human Services; and Interdisciplinary Studies.

If you need to order regalia, please do so here.

Questions? Please contact mamorecraft@eiu.edu. 

If you are a faculty or staff member who is a parent or guardian of a student who will be participating in the 10 a.m. Saturday, December 19 commencement ceremony and you would like to present their diploma to them on stage, please fill out this form. 

If you have questions, please reach out to Megan Morecraft at mamorecraft@eiu.edu. 

BUILDINGS OR AREAS INVOLVED, AND DATE/TIME: 
Sunday, November 22, starting at 7 a.m.

Power outage one, for up to four hours affecting the following buildings…

• Old Main
• Pemberton Hall
• Blair Hall
• Old Steam Plant
• Student Services Building
• McAfee Gymnasium
• Physical Science Building
• Booth Library
• MLK Union
• Ford/McKinney/Weller Halls
• Gregg Tech. Center
• Power-Norton Hall
• Lincoln Hall
• Stevenson Hall
• Lantz Complex (Lantz, Groniger Arena, Field House, SRC)

Power outage two, for up to eight hours affecting the following buildings…

• Tarble Museum of Arts
• Coleman Hall
• Lumpkin Hall
• Klehm Hall
• Human Services
• Taylor Hall
• Thomas Hall
• Andrews Hall
• Lawson Hall

Major campus buildings NOT affected by either outage include…

• Buzzard Education Building
• Life Science Building/Annex
• Doudna Fine Arts
• U-Court
• U-Apartments
• Greek Court
• O’Brien Stadium
• Facilities Planning & Management
• Renewable Energy Center  

PURPOSE OF PROPOSED OUTAGE: Electrical testing

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS / SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: No power, generators should run for areas typically supported by them.  Please power down personal and office equipment prior to the outage to minimize equipment impact.  Please plan accordingly for any academic research efforts around this time that is reliant on power.  Consider removing perishables from refrigerators where affected.

If employees have concerns about their work environment, they should discuss this with their supervisor.  Thank you for your patience as we continue to repair and improve our campus infrastructure.

Awareness Item for Students & Employees: Thanksgiving Break

The Residence Halls and Greek Court will close at 8 p.m. Friday, November 20, 2026.  Buildings will re-open at 1 p.m. Sunday, November 29, 2026.  Additional information is available here.

Dear Colleagues,

The University will be closed in observance of the 2026 Thanksgiving holiday on the following days:

• Thursday, November 26, 2026
• Friday, November 27, 2026

EIU also will observe the 2026 Holiday season and the 2026/2027 New Year's Eve/New Year's Day on Eastern's four official holidays:

• Thursday, December 24, 2026
• Friday, December 25, 2026
• Thursday, December 31, 2026
• Friday, January 1, 2027

Please note all offices must remain open through December 23, 2026. The University will reopen for full service on Monday, January 4, 2027.

In addition, per IGP #7.5, paid Gift Days for 2026 will be observed on:

• December 28, 2026
• December 29, 2026
• December 30, 2026

Employees, including probationary employees, will not have to use their own leave time for these days. Essential employees of the University will still be required to work on one or more of the Gift days. Vice Presidents and/or Directors will identify those areas/employees deemed essential for University operations. An employee(s) identified as “essential” will be allowed to flex the Gift days at another time but must use that time by March 31, 2027. For more information regarding Gift days please visit here.  

Employees who are in probationary status who wish to use time outside of the Gift days (example, December 22, 23, January 4), will be allowed to use any available accrued leave or take leave without pay during the Holiday season, with supervisor approval. Probationary employees who wish to use accrued leave during the holiday period must submit the Civil Service Employee Request for Accrued Leave During Probation form online and available here.  

Supervisors are encouraged to approve time-off requests, unless the employment is required for essential duties during that period, or the time off impedes the ability for the office to remain open through December 23, 2026. Should an employee choose to take leave without pay, please note that accrued leave, sick leave and service credit will not be earned.

Please note that the following eligibility rules apply for holiday compensation:
Employees must be in an approved pay status, with or without pay, on the last scheduled workday before the holiday and the first scheduled workday following the holiday in order to receive holiday pay. Employees who are subject to the provisions of a prevailing-rate agreement or a collective bargaining agreement will be paid according to the terms of the respective agreement. 

Time reporting codes have previously been created for use on time sheets and leave reports.  If you do not have to work on December 28, 29 or 30, please report it under University Gift Day – Non-work (763).  If you must work on any of the Gift days, please report applicable time under University Gift Day – Time worked (764).  If you must work and flex your day(s) at another time, when you use that day, you will use the 763 – University Gift Day – Non-work at that time.

As in previous years, please make note of the adjusted monthly payroll schedule for December. The pay date for December will be on January 4, 2027.

Inquiries regarding this information may be directed to the Benefits Office at (217) 581-5825 or by e-mailing benefits@eiu.edu.

Thank you!

Human Resources

Tickets available for all performances available anytime at eiu.edu/doudnatix!

Percussion Ensemble

Tuesday, November 3^rd, 7:30 p.m. @ The Doudna Theatre
$10 General Admission | $5 EIU Students / Youth (17 & Under)

Join us for the first Percussion Ensemble performance of the season, under the direction of Prof. Jamie V. Ryan!

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) [abrigded]

Friday, November 6^th, 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, November 7^th, 7:30 p.m. @ The Doudna Theatre
$10 General Admission | $5 EIU Students / Youth (17 & Under)

Please join the students of the Musical Theatre / Opera class, under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Von Kamp (Music Director), Larry Cox Jr. (Stage Director), and Ethan Hayward (Asst. Musical Dir. / Pianist) as they present an abridged version of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. Complete with some of the most famous arias, duets, and choruses music overs have cherished for centuries!

Jazz Faculty Concert - 'The Goodness of Music' fundraiser

Sunday, November 8^th, 7:30 p.m. @ The Doudna Theatre
$10 General Admission | $5 EIU Students / Youth (17 & Under)

In 2009, EIU Professor of Education Emeritus Ronald Gholson established the David Frank Tanner/Ronald Eugene Gholson Endowment Fund Celebrating the Goodness of Music, as a tribute to his friend David Tanner. Over the past 25 years, this fund has helped support equipment, travel, scholarships, and guest artists for the Jazz Studies Program.

With the continued support of Dr. Gholson and other generous donors, the fund has grown and will continue to benefit future generations of EIU jazz students. Your ticket purchase and contributions to this fund are greatly appreciated!

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and the Council on Faculty Research would like to congratulate the faculty members who received a Fall 2026 Research and Creative Activity Award:

• Gary Bulla, Biological Sciences
• Thomas Canam, Biological Sciences
• Hyeri Choi, Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology
• Rebecca Johnson, Music
• Cesar Ortiz-Ledon, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Elizabeth Peterson, Biological Sciences

Textbook Rental Service will be selling discarded textbooks from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. November 2 through November 6. Bring your Panther Card and come check out the broad selection -- and value!

See the image for additional details.

Vendor Registration for the Holiday Art Sale

The Holiday Fest Art Sale is an annual fair that provides attendees with a unique shopping experience while supporting our EIU art students with scholarships. 100% of the art vendor fee will go towards student scholarships within the School of Art + Design.

The application deadline for vendors is Monday, Nov. 30^th. There are three options available to vendors:

Booth

A 10'x10' areas in the Doudna Fine Arts Center's Concourse. This does require a fee prior to the festival.

Traditional Consignment

This sale type allows the artist to drop off their work (labeled and priced) for the festival staff to sell. This doesn't require a fee prior to the festival but does require 25% of your sales to go towards the festival.

Booth Consignment

This option provides a 10'x10' area in the Doudna Fine Arts Center's Concourse. This does not require an upfront fee; instead, 25% of your sales will go towards the festival.

To Register

Register before 11/30 here: https://www.eiu.edu/clas/machform/view.php?id=17540

For more information on the fair: https://www.eiu.edu/festival/holiday_art_sale.php

If you have further questions, contact Dennis Malak at (217) 581-8513 or dfmalak2@eiu.edu.

AFSCME Local 981 members are now accepting donations for winter clothing items October 13-November 13, 2026. All donations will directly benefit the EIU Food Pantry and other community resource centers.

Items needed: New and gently used gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, earmuff, socks, coats, sweaters, pajamas, and warm clothing for all ages.

Drop off locations:

• BSW Facilities Office (Physical Plant, Hayes Ave)
• BSW Housing Office (Greek Court 2A)
• Booth Library Circulation (3rd Floor)
• Doudna Fine Arts Center, Room 2214
• McAfee Gym, Room 1336
• Neal Welcome Center

Contact Kim Pope at ktpope@eiu.edu for more information.

Intramural Programs are BACK! Registration for our Fall 2026 IM Programs is open, Spring 2027 will open up on December 12, 2026.

Anyone who is a member of the SRC can join in on the fun! Students, faculty, staff, alumni -- we want everyone to connect, compete, and enjoy IM Programs.

Find a list of programs and schedules at Eastern Illinois University :: Campus Recreation - Intramural Schedules.

AN UPDATE FROM FACILITIES PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
Seventh Street Traffic Pattern Changes Begin Monday, August 10, 2026

BUILDINGS OR AREAS INVOLVED: 7^th Street between Doudna Circle Drive and Roosevelt Drive
DATE/TIME: Beginning Monday, August 10, 2026, until further notice
PURPOSE OF CHANGE: Safe roadway passage for EIU & Community Members   

DETAILS:

• Beginning Monday, August 10, 2026, 7^th Street between Doudna Circle Drive and Roosevelt Drive will be reopened but only to southbound* traffic.
  • *Andrews Hall residents will still have access to the Andrews Hall Parking Lot from the south via the lot entrance west of 7th Street. 
• Signage and barricades will be placed accordingly for traffic control.
• Expect heavy CUSD1 bus and personal vehicle traffic on this stretch of road between 7 and 8:30 a.m. and from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. on traditional school days.
  • Between and outside these times, expect increased construction traffic associated with the ongoing utility tunnel repairs and Thomas Hall remodel.

Facilities Planning and Management personnel thank you in advance for your awareness and adherence to these safety precautions.

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.*