The DeKalb County Hospice will hold a class to teach volunteers to help the bereaved. “Providing Support After the Loss of a Loved One,” will be held Feb. 18 through March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Federated Church in Sandwich, Illinois. Skills involved in Hospice philosophy will be taught. The deadline for registration is Feb. 11. The fee of $15 can be waived for those who cannot pay. Call 756-3000 for details.

SPJ meeting tonight

Society of Professional Journalists is holding a meeting tonight in Reavis Hall, Room 210 at 7 p.m. The group will view videos concerning Terry Anderson and advertising and free speech.

NIU professor wins award

Professor John H. Engstrom of NIU’s accounting department is the recipient of the Coopers and Lybrand Outstanding Educator Award for 1990-91. Dr. Engstrom is the second winner of this award which will be given annually for three years to a selected NIU accounting department professor. The $10,000 award is given to reward excellence in teaching and the promotion of the accounting profession.

ace, ethnicity discussion

The next discussion group on race and ethnicity in urban society will be Feb. 12 at NIU’s Social Science Research Institute, Third and Locust streets in downtown DeKalb. Anyone interested in attending should contact coordinator Loomis Mayfield at 753-2301.

Effective writing session

Students who feel overwhelmed when they have to write letters, memos or reports might want to attend an NIU program on “Effective Business Writing.” Sponsored by NIU’s College of Continuing Education, the session will be held Feb. 15 and March 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 3405 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows. Topics include how to organize ideas and make sentence structures work. The fee is $245. To register call (800) 345-9472 in Illinois or (815) 753-0277 from other states.