The History Graduate Students' Survival Guide

There can be many sources of stress and insecurity that arise at various points in your graduate studies, sometimes unrelated to your academic work.  Here are a few helpful resources:

Graduate Student Emergency Grants from the Graduate College for unforeseen expenses, up to $500

For international students:  International Student & Scholar Services emergency loans for educational expenses

A current list of local food banks and allied forms of assistance for students facing food insecurity

A list of temporary job postings, especially useful for the summer and available to international students, as well.

In addition, please, if you find yourself in a tight spot, don't hesitate to reach out to the DGS, Chair, office staff, or any faculty member with whom you feel comfortable.  Even if we can't offer immediate material assistance, we may be able to help in other ways.

There is also a website where the university posts temp. job searches, and it could be very helpful for both nationals and internationals (during the summer): http://osfa.illinois.edu/types-of-aid/employment/virtual-job-board/.

The Graduate College also has a job board:  https://grad.illinois.edu/current/job-boards.

The graduate program at the U of I consists of three stages.  In a rough estimation, students typically spend 2-3 years taking courses, then 1 year completing preliminary examinations, and, finally, 3-4 years researching and writing the dissertation.  You should take the time that you need to do well in your coursework, examinations, research, and writing.  For many PhD candidates, however, the longer that they are here, the more difficult the program is to complete.

You may hear about expectations of completing the PhD in 5 to 7 years.  We urge you to keep in mind the following points, if you choose to adopt that timeline.  First, while you should get through the program in a timely manner, you will want to maintain your sanity.  Sanity may involve finding a balance between studying, working, and socializing that will probably be different from the balance you struck as an undergraduate, an employee, or in various other livelihoods.  Second, graduate school serves as a forum for reading and really absorbing the fields that you will need to know for success on the job market.  Gaining knowledge of a field is an enormous task for which you will not have time after you get a job.  Finally, this should be a time when you make connections with your colleagues, in order to have a scholarly community within the department and the university, and with scholars at other institutions by attending conferences, workshops, etc. 

It is important to keep in mind the paperwork involved in maintaining registration, funding, and financial aid if your studies go to 7 or 8 years and beyond.  Departmental guidelines are flexible to an extent.  Nonetheless, be sure to acquire written approval for any variation in the program to avoid confusion and delays.  You will certainly want to file all paperwork pertaining to this process in a safe place.

Stage 1: Coursework

You must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in all semesters.  Generally, a B+ or lower in a graduate course indicates some problem such as miscommunication between the student and professor, too many time commitments on the part of the student, substandard work, etc.  In “problems courses,” you will generally be expected to read one monograph paired with several required articles per week and to produce a historiography paper.  In “research seminars,” you will also produce an original research paper similar to a publishable-quality article.  There is more information about courses below.

You will also have to fulfill foreign language requirements; these courses do not count towards credits for the degree.  If you are an Americanist, a student of U.S. history, you must demonstrate language proficiency in one foreign language.  For everyone else, you must demonstrate language proficiency in two foreign languages.  Some fields require an additional foreign language or languages that are not regularly offered through courses.  “Language proficiency” usually means achieving an adequate reading knowledge of a language relevant to your field of study.  Although UIUC offers a great array of languages, you can sometimes do more intensive language study during the summer at other universities, which may have funding sources.  Consult with your advisor or experienced students in your field for advice on the best way to meet the department’s requirements and actually gain the necessary expertise to conduct research in a foreign language.

No graduate history courses are offered during the summer.  It is possible, however, to arrange a reading course, designated as History 597, with a willing professor during the summer months.  Teaching Assistantships are particularly difficult to come by in the summer because there are few TA positions, therefore some people take summer jobs.  You should also be aware of the university pay schedule: you will get your first check in mid-September and your last paycheck in mid-May.  If you are not planning on another source of income, you will probably need to save throughout the year.  Moreover, many summer jobs at the university do not begin payment until July 16th, which means you may not receive a paycheck between May and July even if you are working at UIUC for the summer.

The department does not offer a terminal MA degree as such, but if you decide that continuing in the PhD program is not for you, it is important that you leave UIUC with at least an MA, or you may feel that you wasted those years of school.  If you make the decision to leave, the department is generally supportive, but you should talk to the DGS as soon as possible.

Stage 2: Prelims

Most of the coursework that you will take in your first 2 or 3 years of the program should prepare you to demonstrate, in both written and oral examinations, your knowledge of three fields and should prepare you to conduct dissertation research in your major field. 

After you have completed the course requirements, you will begin taking prelims.  Preliminary examinations are written tests of your competence – for teaching, interviewing for jobs, and attending conferences – in each of your three fields.  Keep this in mind when choosing your courses, even in the early stages of coursework.  As you select your examiners, the professors who will write and assess your prelims, in consultation with your major advisor, you want to be sure to take classes with them.  You have to have at least 5 different examiners for the 3 written exams.  Your advisor must be one of the examiners for your major field.  Remember that fields are generally broad, so you will not want to cluster all of your coursework around one geographic, thematic, or chronological area.  See the documents titled “Guidelines for Preliminary Examiner/Examinee Relations” and “Demystifying the Preliminary Examination” as well as the “Degree Requirements” section of the graduate studies page on the History Department website for more specific information on prelims.

As you begin to prepare for prelims, talk to the professors you want to write your exams.  A variety of factors can prevent you from getting your first choice, i.e. a professor may be going on leave.  It is also a good idea to talk with students who have weathered the storms and understand recent trends in each field.  Your colleagues are also excellent sources for tracking down reading lists for some fields.  In fact, this developmental stage is part of the process.  You will want to organize ideas and themes in your own mind and establish the approach you, as an individual, will take to mastering them.  If you fail in your first attempt at a prelim, you can petition the DGS to retake the prelim.  People have been known to fail an exam the first time around and retake it successfully. The HGSA typically hosts in the fall a panel of graduate students who have passed their prelim exams.

Also, while preparing for your prelims, you should be developing a dissertation proposal.  At your oral preliminary examination, explained below, you will be expected to address both your answers on the written prelim exams and your dissertation proposal.  History 597, with approval from your advisor, provides a useful way for you to work on your proposal while receiving credits.It requires you to participate in the dissertation proposal writing workshop, which is usually held each semester.  Workshop participants typically meet once a week under the direction of a professor.  This workshop provides a valuable opportunity to get feedback from students and faculty on your research proposal, and it forces you to write the dissertation proposal, which will be important for grant applications, departmental funding, the oral prelim, etc.  Many students in the past have benefited from multiple sessions of the workshop.

The oral examination is, by the designation of the Graduate College, the official preliminary examination. The written prelims do not fulfill the requirements of the Grad College.  However, oral prelims in the History Department are usually less involved than the written prelims, although they should not be taken lightly.  You must have at least one faculty member from each of your fields on your oral preliminary examination committee, plus a fourth faculty member who may be one of your written prelim examiners or who may come from outside the department.  Schedule the oral prelim as soon as possible after the written prelims; it must occur during the semester in which you take your final written prelim.  Clearance of this date from the Grad College can take 2 to 3 weeks, so do not wait until the end of the semester to schedule your oral or you may run out of time.  You must have a dissertation proposal available for your four examiners one week prior to the oral prelim.  After completing coursework, prelims, and the oral prelim, you are considered ABD, or All But Dissertation.  As always, policies are subject to change, so consult the DGS for the most current departmental and university requirements.

Stage 3: The Dissertation

This stage consists of researching, writing, and defending your dissertation.  You must establish your Doctoral Examination Committee within 1 year after reaching the ABD status.  You will develop this committee in consultation with your advisor.  It can be the same as your oral preliminary examination committee, but many students choose different committees at this stage to reflect the changing needs of research and writing.  While writing, you may wish to participate in the dissertation writing workshop, in informal writing groups, in grad college writing workshops, and in departmental reading groups (which often read and discuss chapters).  Before your final dissertation defense there will be a "predefense," in which your committee members will review and discuss a draft.

You will deal with a few different advisors during your career at the U of I.  When you first arrive, you will confer with the first year advisor and DGS.  In addition to signing your program request form during registration or pre-registration, the graduate advisor approves petitions for waiving requirements and evaluates your progress.  The graduate advisor can be the best source of information on department and graduate college regulations.  You may also be working with your primary advisor at this point, although this is not always the case.

When you formally apply to the PhD program by filing a PhD portfolio (typically in the third or fourth 4 semesters if you entered with an MA or the fourth or fifth  semesters if you entered with a BA), you will need to list a particular professor as a primary advisor.  Make certain you secure the professor’s permission before putting their name down.  If possible, you should take a course with your prospective advisor during your first year here.  Even better, take a research seminar sometime in the first few semesters with your potential advisor because it is of the utmost importance to see if you and that professor work well together on major writing projects.  It is also a good idea to check with the professor’s advisees to see what their experience has been.  If the professor you have in mind has no advisees, find out why by asking your peers.  Other things to take into consideration include the following: the standing of the faculty member within the broader academic community; the number of other advisees and major commitments the professor has, which may determine how much personal attention you will get; and whether the professor has tenure in the department.  Sometimes professors move to other institutions, whether they have tenure or not, although the chances are less with tenure.  This may be something you wish to discuss with them at some point.

Most graduate students take 12 credit hours per semester  if they do not hold an appointment such as a GAship, RAship, TAship, and Grader Position.  RAs, TAs, and Graders normally take 8 credit hours per semester (with addition course, such as prelim reading, the TA course, etc to reach the required 12). If you have a Teaching Assistantship, you will take History 598, Teaching of College History, for 2 hours.

The History Department offers courses ranging from the 100-level to the 500-level.  100- and 200-level courses are designed for undergraduates and concern you only if you are teaching one of them.  400-level courses are lecturing surveys for advanced undergraduates and sometimes graduate students.  The department discourages graduate students from taking many 400-level courses; however, they may prove useful if you feel particularly weak in a given area or if you are in one of the smaller fields where graduate courses are not offered as often.  Graduate students taking a 400-level course are expected to complete extra work and sometimes meet separately with the professor teaching the course.  Talk with the professor beforehand to get a sense of what will be required.  You can also sometimes, with the permission of the professor, take the 400-level course as a 500-level independent study.  500-level courses are generally restricted to graduate students.  With the exception of courses in historical methods, courses at this level are of two types: “problems courses” and “research seminars.”

Problems Courses

Usually bibliographic in orientation, these courses are designed to help you master the historiographical material of a given topic.  They will be the most useful in preparing you for prelims, especially since they will cue you into what professors think are the most important issues.  Students can also arrange to take a readings course, History 597, whereby you find a willing professor to oversee your work in a given area.  Be cautious of relying too heavily on such arranged courses.  Professors do not always like to direct them because they do not get teaching credit for the work they put into them and because you do not benefit from the discussion and feedback one finds in a regular problems course.  However, HIST 597s work well when you cannot find a course to fit your schedule or when a needed course is not being offered.

Research Seminars

In a “research seminar,” you are expected to write a piece of original research.  Reading knowledge in appropriate languages is almost always a prerequisite and always desirable.  Most of the time, these courses are independent in nature or a problems course in which you write an original research paper with the professors permission.  Re.  Although a seminar is worth 4 credit hours, you can plan to put much more work into it than you would other courses.  It is standard practice to tailor seminar work as closely as possible to potential dissertation research, although this is not always possible.  You can also take seminars independently as a History 596 course, but again, this approach hinders group feedback, discussion, and support.

Passing grades for graduate students are “A’s” and “B’s.”  Anything less indicates unsatisfactory work.  Although you do not want to receive a “B+,” you can receive 1 or 2 while you are in the program.  A “B-” is not acceptable.  The pluses and minuses affect your GPA, which may be considered when the department makes funding decisions.  The department does not include foreign language courses in its GPA equation.  History 598, Teaching of College History, is graded on a pass/fail basis; History 599, Thesis Research, is not graded until the dissertation is completed.

Incompletes

If you are unable to complete work in a particular course during the semester, you can usually ask the professor to give you an incomplete, an INC.  Many of us take one or two INCs at some point during our coursework, but be wary of them.  You still need to complete the coursework, and you will be equally pressed for time, if not more pressed, in the semester following the semester in which you took an INC.  In addition to the time disadvantages, there are new rules about INC which will affect your departmental funding.  Consult the graduate program portion of the website for more information.  You must also have all INC completed before you take your prelims.  The bottom line is do not take any INCs.  But if you absolutely have to, complete the work during the semester break.

Auditing

One way to gain knowledge without writing papers or taking exams is to audit classes.  It is a good idea to audit 400-level lecture classes in your fields that you cannot actually take.  This helps you determine what different professors think is important for their fields.  You should ask professors for their permission before auditing classes.  500-level courses can also be audited, although this is not as common.

Gregory Hall at 810 South Wright Street in Urbana houses the Department of History.  It is an E-shaped building and is located on the Quadrangle with Lincoln Hall to the north and Foellinger Auditorium to the east.  The Main Library, including the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library, is to the southwest, making Greg Hall a convenient campus location.

Room 309

309 Greg Hall is the main department office housing the Chair's Office, Business Office, the Graduate Secretary, and the department lounge.  In the lounge are hot water, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate for a nominal price.  A few recent newspapers and journals, as well as information on funding opportunities are also kept there.  The friendly office staff is very helpful when needed.

Hall 300-306 Mailboxes

Just across the hall from the main office you will find the mailboxes for all Faculty as well mailboxes for all registered graduate students in town. This hallway is open during business hours Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.  Your student ID allows you access to this hallway after hours.

Rooms 435-439 and the Graduate Lounge

Most of the TA offices are in 435-439 Greg Hall, which is a good place to go if you are seeking advice from other graduate students on a particular issue and has a computer lab. 436-439 can be accessed via 435.  The lounge, located next to Room 435, is accessible any time the TA office is open, with a numerical code. The lounge has a fridge and a microwave for lunch.  It is a very comfortable place to read, eat, and talk with other graduate students.

Graduate Employees Organization

The GEO is the officially recognized union for graduate students at UIUC.  In the past, the GEO has made great strides to obtain a contract with benefits for grad students, although currently only TA’s and GA’s are part of the officially recognized bargaining unit.  The GEO has events throughout the year to foster inter-departmental collegiality and is always looking for people to help out with organizing.  Their office is located in the McKinley Foundation.

History Graduate Student Association

The HGSA consists of graduate students organized to have a collective voice in the creation and implementation of department policy.  It sets up programs to assist with new student and new TA orientations.  Throughout the course of the semester, the HGSA also sponsors workshops on various topics such as prelim preparation and funding.  The president and vice-president are members of the departmental Graduate Committee and observe faculty meetings.

International History Graduate Student Caucus

The International Student Caucus is a formalized group dedicated to promoting international diversity in the Department of History. It offers assistance and guidance to first-year international graduate students. It is also an opportunity for networking, event-planning, and collaboration with HSGA through which international students can get more involved in the department and on campus. Meetings will be held regularly and focus on the interests and concerns of international students in the department. Contacts, 2017-18: Anca Mandru (mandru2@illinois.edu) and Jun Huang (huang094@illinois.edu).

Women’s and Gender History Symposium

History graduate students plan and execute an annual national conference in March to showcase graduate work in the fields of women’s and gender history and to honor Women’s History month.  There are many committees to become involved in, and your involvement will unveil the mechanics of organizing a conference.

McKinley Health Center
1109 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, 333-2711

McKinley serves the students and graduate spouses at UIUC.  Though there is a health service fee for McKinley, the GEO-negotiated contract states that the university waives this fee.   McKinley coverage includes appointments with doctors, nurses and counselors; diagnostic tests done on-campus such as lab work and x-rays; and medications prescribed by McKinley health providers and filled at their pharmacy.  The fee does not cover immunizations, or any costs incurred from off-campus services.  In other words, if you have a problem McKinley cannot handle and they refer you to a local doctor or hospital, the health service fee will not cover those costs. Most prescription medications are offered for very low prices at the pharmacy. They also have diagnostic, mental health and wellness programs.

Technology Services

Utilizing your e-mail account is essential to registration and campus communication.  You are assigned a network ID and password when you are admitted to the university.  If you have any questions about your account, contact the Tech Services.   Additional information on this site includes free or discounted software for students, information on connecting to the wireless network, and really everything technology for the university.

Off Campus Community Living

Off Campus Community Living helps students who have problems with their landlords, who are looking for housing, and who have questions about renting in Champaign County.  All services and materials are free because they are paid for by the Student Organization Resource Fee (SORF).  Contact the union to check landlords’ complaint histories, to have your lease reviewed before you sign it, to get help with rental housing problems, and to file a complaint against your landlord.  The union’s staff will give great tips on apartment hunting in Champaign-Urbana.   If you are looking for quieter areas, consider those farther from campus.  First St. to Sixth St. and Green St. to University Ave. contain lots of apartments, but most are filled by undergraduate students.  This area struggles with some safety concerns, especially at night.

University Housing includes two traditional residence hall options, Daniels and Sherman Halls, for graduate students.  There are a variety of apartment and lease options for graduate students with families as at least one resident of a Family & Graduate Housing apartment must be formally affiliated with the university. 

Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE)

Graduate students are assessed a Student Service Fee, which automatically enrolls grads as Campus Recreation members, who may enter any Campus Rec facility with an i-Card or student ID.  You must provide a towel for cardio and weight areas, but digital lockers are available in some facilities.  Ask about the facilities’ schedules and other information at the front desk.  You may also be interested in the group fitness program.  CRCE (pronounced sir-see) has been recently renovated to house an aquatic center with leisure pool, waterslide, and spa.  It has upgraded its locker facilities and houses 3 basketball courts, 3 racquetball courts, multipurpose rooms, cardio and free weight equipment, and a 3-lane indoor track.

Activites and Recreation Center (ARC)

The ARC is one of the country's largest on-campus recreation centers. Amenities include: 35-foot climbing wall, 1/5-mile indoor track, two 50-meter swimming pools, 35-person sauna, twelve racquetball courts, hundreds of machines and weights, four gymnasiums, nine multi-purpose areas, instructional kitchen, 150-seat auditorium, three meeting rooms, Courtside Café, UI Wellness Center, Professional Massage at the ARC, and Athletic Training at the ARC.

Outdoor Center Fields Corner of First Street and Stadium Drive, Champaign 265-0779

Used for Intramurals, Club Sports and Open Rec. 4 lighted Football fields; 2 lighted Soccer fields; 3 lighted Sand Volleyball courts; 6 lighted Basketball courts; 6 lighted Tennis courts and an outdoor center facility with exterior drinking fountains, restrooms and a meeting room. Open for seasonal use August through November.

The Rec Room in the lower level of The Illini Union has Bowling and Billiards. Check in with them for leagues and specials. 333-2415

Complex Fields Corner of Florida Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, Urbana 265-0779

Amenities include: 4 lighted Softball diamonds; 4 lighted Football fields; 3 Soccer fields; 2 Lacrosse fields; 2 Rugby fields; Ultimate Disc option and a service building with two drinking fountains and port-a-potties.

Ice Arena 406 East Armory Ave, Champaign 333-2212

Amenities and Programs include: Public skating; Skating lessons; Freestyle skating; clubs; Hockey programs; Illini Hockey Team; Center Ice Cafe and Pro Shop and Party Packages.

Main Library

Contact the Information Desk (333-2290) in the main library for information about hours and circulation.  The Undergraduate Library (333-1031) is located underground directly south of Foellinger Auditorium.  Materials are housed in the central book stacks of the Main Library and Undergraduate Library, as well as more than 35 departmental libraries.  As collections have expanded, many items have been moved to the Oak Street Storage Facility and take a few extra days to acquire.  You can make on-line requests to have books sent to a single location or to your on-campus mailbox.

The History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library (333-1509) is currently located in Room 246 of the Main Library and is a quiet, comfortable, and convenient on-campus workplace.  It contains the current and back issues of history journals, important history monographs, and critical databank resources.  This departmental library serves as the site for reserve materials needed for history course readings.

Urbana Free Library

Champaign Public Library

To obtain a library card, present in person a photo ID and proof of residency in either city, e.g. mail with printed address in Champaign and postmarked mail in Urbana, at the above locations.  The public libraries are members of the Lincoln Trail Libraries System and house collections of best sellers, books on tape, children’s books, videos and DVDs, CDs, and magazines.  The Urbana Free Library has recently been remodeled, while the Champaign Public Library is undergoing construction.

Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
1101 E. University, Urbana, 384-8188

The Mass Transit District (MTD) is Champaign-Urbana’s public transportation.  The MTD buses are quite convenient, and since every student pays a fee to support the MTD, you are entitled to unlimited access to all routes and services at all times.  Simply show your student ID, or i-Card, to the operator.  All MTD regular routes are served by buses that are equipped with wheelchair lifts.  In general, buses run about every 20 to 30 minutes, and almost all lines go to campus.  On many routes, bus drivers will pick you up and drop you off on any corner along the route. You can find information on routes and detours at www.cumtd.com, and you can pick up maps onboard most buses and at the terminal. 

• Amtrak (352-5905) is located at the Illinois Terminal at 1101 E. University, which also contains the central MTD offices.  Call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com for more information.  Passenger trains run daily from Illinois Terminal to Chicago’s Union Station, leaving Champaign in the early morning and returning to Champaign in the evening.
• Greyhound (352-4150) is also located at the Illinois Terminal and runs to Chicago.
• Illini Shuttle (344-6700) make up to 6 trips a day between Champaign, O'Hare airport and Chicago suburbs.

Willard Airport

Willard Airport, located about 3 miles south of Champaign on Route 45, which is the extension of Neil St., is a regional airport operated by the University of Illinois, accommodating both private and commercial aircraft.  American Airlines and United Airlines are currently the only airlines the fly to Champaign. Parking costs $5 per day, and the MTD has a bus route from campus and the Illinois Terminal to the airport that operates 7 days a week. It is also easy to get there taxi, Uber, or Lyft.

Willard Airport (CMI) offers various rental cars, including Alamo (359-5259), AVIS (359-5441), Budget (378-8584), Enterprise (359-5259), Hertz (359-5413) and National (359-5259).  Zipcar is another option for short term car rental.

Nearby International airports include: O'Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW) in Chicago, Indianapolis International Airport (IND), and Lambert (STL) in St. Louis. There is also a great regional airport (with free parking) just 45 minutes away in Bloomington-Normal - Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI ).

The Graduate College

The Grad College serves the needs of prospective and current graduate students.  The college offers numerous workshops about professional development, including managing the graduate school experience, CV critiques, dissertation writing seminars, and thesis depositing workshop. Check the campus calendar for more details.

Employment:  To qualify for a tuition and service fee waiver, graduate employees must have at least a 25% appointment.  A 25% appointment is equated to 10 hours of work each week; a 50% appointment equals 20 hours/week.  Employees are entitled to “all-campus” holidays, like Labor Day and Martin Luther King Day, etc.  For many assistantships, this means that you are responsible for hours during Spring Break and between Fall and Spring Semesters.  Most appointments are for 9 months, and summer appointments are for 2 months.  Hence, possibly only 11 months are covered (no one gets paid in August), and the university is not required to grant vacation days.  Payday is the 16th of every month, or the Friday before the 16th, if it falls on a weekend.  Your first paycheck, whether as an employee or fellow, does not come until September 16th.  Financial Aid offers “emergency loans” of up to $800 for grads to cover expenses until that first paycheck arrives.  You will also want to keep in mind that unless otherwise noted in your funding package, you are only being offered 9 months of funding by the department.  For more information on our employment contract, please consult the GEO website.

The Graduate Employees Organization

The GEO offices are located at the McKinley Foundation and its website is www.uigeo.org.  The GEO is a democratic member-run union for all graduate employees.  Through the GEO, TAs and GAs can negotiate with the university over healthcare, wages, and other working conditions.  Graduate employees at UIUC have been working through the GEO since the early 1990s to increase stipends, to improve benefits, and make other changes.  The GEO has made significant improvements in graduate employee working conditions, including our first contract and fully subsidized vision and dental care, and strives for more.  The GEO also handles grievances for all members of the bargaining unit.  In order to run the union, every graduate employee covered by the contract is required to pay a “fair share fee” or “representation fee” to the union.  While membership is optional, the dues are mandatory, yet everyone benefits from the union.  If you would like more information or want to join, the GEO would love to hear from you.

Office of Minority Student Affairs

The OMSA provides guidance and counseling support and services to minority students in all areas relevant to their success on the campus, including financial aid, academic issues, race relations, etc.  The office serves both undergraduate and graduate students on campus.

The Graduate College’s Educational Equity Programs Office (333-0038) works closely with the OSMA as well as the Counseling Center, the Black Graduate Student Association, La Casa Cultural Latina, the Afro-American Studies and Research Program, and the African American Cultural Program.  The mission of that office is to address questions of access to and participation in graduate education by individuals from groups that are currently underrepresented at UIUC.

International Student and Scholar Services

Formerly known as the Office of International Student Affairs, the ISSS provides advice and information on immigration, income taxes, employment, healthcare, and financial aid.  The ISSS is an advocate for international education and seeks to facilitate cross-cultural adjustment when international students arrive on campus.  If you are a new international student at UIUC, you will receive information from ISSS and will be required to check-in with the staff upon arriving in Champaign-Urbana.  Do not hesitate to contact ISSS at isss@illinois.edu if you have any questions or concerns; they would love to hear from you.

Gender & Sexuality Resource Center

The Gender & Sexuality Resource Center is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  This office is a resource for anyone who is interested in learning about LGBT people, issues, and concerns.  For the LGBT community, the office provides services and support for full inclusion for all within the university.  The campus environment mirrors homophobic and/or heterosexist attitudes of our larger society, therefore this office seeks to address homophobia on campus.  It provides confidential forums and advocates for queer academic resources.  It also serves as a resource for various internal and affiliated groups on campus, include the Ally Network, Q-Connect, the Campus Union for Trans Equality and Support, and more.  Please visit their site for more information.

The Gender & Women’s Studies Program (333-2990) trains students to identify where and how inequalities are produced and reproduced.  The program offers a graduate minor in gender and women’s studies, a graduate minor in queer studies, and some funding opportunities.

The Women’s Resource Center (333-3137) at 703 S. Wright St, 2nd floor, provides programs and services addressing the unique needs of women students.  Issues addressed include dating abuse, sexual assault, women returning to college, body image, harassment, and campus safety.  Some scholarships are available through this office.

Safety:  In times of emergency or crisis, always seek assistance!  Besides the Women’s Resource Center, there are several other services to call if you are the victim of harassment, abuse, or assault.  Gather good advice, but you can always refuse further assistance if it is not right for you.  The Emergency Dean (333-0050) provides information to students in an emergency situation and is a resource for where to turn for help.  The Rape Crisis Services 384-4444 is the crisis hotline for central Illinois.  The Counseling Center (333-3704) 610 E. John St., provides individual counseling, couples counseling, therapeutic services, and self-help groups, and the services are fully paid for through student fees.  The Counseling Center also deals with rape counseling as well as alcohol and drug assessment and counseling, eating disorder counseling, study skills development, and more.

For safe evening transportation, call MTD SafeRides (265-7433).  This service provides free rides for students in need of secure campus transportation. Hours vary depending on seasons. SafeWalks (333-1216) is a courtesy service provided to students, faculty and staff, so we don't have to walk alone on campus. Hours are Sun-Thurs 9 pm -2 am and Fri and Sat 9 pm - 3 am.

The UIUC Division of Public Safety (333-1216) offers courses in R.A.D., or Rape Aggression Defense.  The R.A.D. system is for women only and teaches realistic, self-defense tactics and techniques.

UIUC and officials of both Champaign and Urbana are working to improve pedestrian safety on campus following bus-pedestrian accidents.  As pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, please be safety conscious!

Other Phone Numbers and Links

• Child Care:  Child Care Resource Service: 333-3252; 244-9666 (TTY) 905 S. Goodwin Ave., 314 Bevier Hall, Urbana

• ID Center: (244-0135) 214 Technology Plaza, 616 E. Green St., Champaign

• Illini Union: 1401 West Green St., Urbana

• Info Desk: 333-0691

• Lost and Found Information, Illini Union 333-0691

• Office of Admissions and Records: 333-0302

• Records Service (Registrar): 333-0210

• Registration Assistance: 333-6565

• Office of Diversity, Equity and Access: 100 Swanlund Admin Bldg, 601 East John Street, 333-0885; 244-9850 (TTY)

• Office of Student Financial Aid: 333-0100 Student Services, 620 E. John St.

• Student Health Insurance: 333-0165 506 S. Wright St., Room 100A

• Student Legal Service: 333-9053, 324 Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St.

• Non-emergency: 333-1216; 244-7209 (TTY)    

• Emergency: 9-911 (on campus); 911 (off  campus)

Champaign-Urbana, like any good college town, has several coffee houses--many popular places for students to work and almost all have free Wi-Fi.  

Espresso Royale is found all over campus - 1117 W. Oregon, Krannert Art Museum, at 602 E. Daniel St., and in the Undergraduate Library, as well as two other locations off campus at 1411 S. Neil Street and 2401 Village Green Place.  These convenient sites offer affordable coffees, teas, muffins, scones, and lunchables.  If you are meeting someone at “Espresso Royale,” be sure to designate which one.

There are several Starbuck's locations, including one at 503 E. Green St. right in the heart of campus, one inside the Illini Union Bookstore, and another inside the Illini Union.

Café Paradiso at 801 S. Lincoln in Urbana makes their coffees with espresso from Intelligentsia in Chicago. They also serve sandwiches and soups.  This café is pleasantly offbeat.

The Walnut Street Tea Co at 115 S. Walnut St, Champaign, is known for their huge selection of teas, coffee, candies and home made goods. Further into Champaign is Biggby's on North Mattis near the Round Barn shopping center.

Newer cafes worth mentioning (thanks for Professor Micale for this update):

Two CAFFE BENE locations, one on East Green Street, the other on South Gregory

CARIBOU COFFEE, inside the County Market on Springfield, has a nice mezzanine space.

HAMMERHEAD COFFEE, inside a new highrise apartment building on University Avenue and Wright Street

BREWLAB:  just opened this summer on 5th Street, half a block north of Green.

A little further afield but worth the drive:

--KALDI'S, a coffee bar, inside the new Harvest Market on Neil Street. 

Barnes & Noble 65 E. Marketview is located in northern Champaign.  Barnes & Noble features a Starbucks café with Cheesecake Factory selections. 

There is now only one bookstore on campus: the Illini Union Bookstore at 809 S. Wright St. 

For more on used books, check out the following stores: Jane Addams Book Shop at 208 N. Neil in Champaign with three floors of used books; and Priceless Books at 108 W. Main in Urbana with an online search capacity. Another great used bookstore is Orphans Treasure Box at 826 Pioneer St, Champaign. It is a non-profit that supports those in need locally and internationally.

Champaign-Urbana is well served with chain grocery stores.  There is a Schnucks in both Urbana, at 200 N. Vine, and Champaign, at 109 N. Mattis.  County Market in Champaign is at  2901 W. Kirby Ave.; 1914 Glenn Park Dr. and 331 Stoughton St. on campus. The Aldi’s are located at 3102 E. University Ave. in Urbana and at 801 W. Interstate Drive in Champaign.

There are several other stores that you should know about.  The Common Ground Food Cooperative at 403 S. Wright St. in Champaign is closest to campus and has natural foods, fresh baked goods, deli items, locally grown produce, vitamins, etc.  The co-op is owned by its workers, so there is a nominal, refundable membership fee.  If you choose to work for an hour or so a week, the groceries are cheaper, and you meet new people.  The World Harvest International Gourmet Foods at 519 E. University in Champaign specializes in Middle Eastern and South Asian food supplies and ingredients.  Try Am-Ko Oriental Foods & Gifts at 101 E. Springfield in Champaign, which is large and diverse.  Annapoorna at 505 S. Neil St. in Champaign is the new Indian grocery store.

Several “gourmet” shops have opened, including Sun Singer at 1115 Windsor Road in Champaign which has an incredible wine bar with cafe and stocks cheeses and wines. 

No matter what your beliefs, there seems to be an endless list of places of worship in Urbana-Champaign. This yellowpages link will list them and direct you to individual websites.