Members of NIU’s faculty and staff will have an opportunity to attend an exposition today in the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom.

The first annual Faculty and Staff Resources and Benefits Expo is from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. today.

“This is an informational event for faculty and staff to help them become familiar with their teaching and administrative functions,” said Deborah Haliczer, coordinator of the Employee Wellness and Assistance program. “This event is especially relevant to new faculty and staff members.”

The event is sponsored by a variety of different offices that make up the University Resources Enhancement Network.

Haliczer said the event will feature over 80 programs and offices that provide a wide array of services and assistance available to employees at NIU. Visitors to the expo will have the opportunity to walk around to different display tables in the ballroom and ask the representatives questions.

Services displayed at this expo range from professional development opportunities to training, to academic computing and technical support services, from benefits offices to wellness resources, from information about potential grants as well as social and recreational opportunities, Haliczer said.

In addition to the wide variety of representative display tables, the expo also will feature informative presentations. There will be two presentations on faculty development, one presentation on radiation safety and one presentation on ergonomics, the science of making work more efficient and safe for employees in the work place.

Tax Deferred Annuities will be among the many programs represented.

NIU President John La Tourette has stated, “Depending on operational needs, and with supervisory permission, I encourage offices to allow release time for employees to attend the expo.”

“The expo is an attempt to bring together at one time and place the many resources available to staff and faculty,” Haliczer said. “What we hope will be the outcome of this expo is that faculty and staff will become more aware of some of these resources and more able to access them when they are needed.”

She added, “Even the many offices involved in planning the expo have been surprised to learn that there were services they never knew existed.”

This event is free and lunch will be available to buy in the ballroom.

“What we hope will be the outcome of this expo is that faculty and staff will become more aware of some of these resources and more able to access them when they are needed.”

Deborah Haliczer

Employee wellness and assistance program coordinator