What You Missed This Summer: Curriculum, Wi-Fi, Weather

New General Education Curriculum Set to Roll Out in the Fall of 2027

Elmhurst is launching a new core curriculum, the Bluejay Core, in Fall 2027, according to Karen Benjamin, the chair of the two working groups that worked on this project and the director of the program.

The new curriculum was created to give students a broader education while connecting coursework to career and personal interests. Requirements will include courses in arts and humanities, social sciences, global perspectives, creative expression, and data-driven problem solving.

Students will also still be required to complete at least one experiential learning opportunity, such as an internship, study abroad, research, or service learning. Current students will have the option to switch to the Bluejay Core in Fall 2027, but Benjamin said that changing catalog years can also change major requirements.

Students considering the switch will work with an academic and peer advisor to compare their requirements before making a decision.

Residence Halls Receive a Wi-Fi Upgrade After Issues Arose in the Spring

Back in May, the Office of Housing and Residence Life sent out an email to residential students about the Board of Trustees approving $300,000 for network upgrades in residence halls. The email also said that Elmhurst purchased over 400 Wi-Fi 7 (the newest wireless internet standard) access points and that these access points would replace the existing Wi-Fi 5 access points in residence halls.

The email stated that Wi-Fi 7 will theoretically be 13 times faster than the previous standard. The Office of Information Services (OIS) leadership said the project mainly took place over the summer and has been a part of the university’s ongoing maintenance program for technology and equipment.

The new Wi-Fi upgrade covers species fairly equally according to the OIS leadership. The numbers of people and rooms in residence halls are fairly similar, so Wi-Fi covers similar densities.

Students in affected areas should expect faster speeds and a better overall experience and are encouraged to reach out to the service desk in the OIS with any technology and connectivity issues.

EU Agrees to Settle Discrimination Lawsuit

Elmhurst University and former Director of Academic Advising Elaine Blair agreed to settle a lawsuit over the summer. Blair accused EU of discriminating against her because of her race and age.

During a settlement conference on July 28, the parties reached an agreement to settle the matter, and a settlement finalization status report will be due on Sept. 4.

This is the second federal discrimination case EU has faced in recent years. Louis Yoelin, a former Department of Music adjunct professor, claimed his contract was canceled due to his religion and race in 2024.

According to the case, Blair, who was hired on Sept. 5, 2023, was told she would only get one year on the job, which she understood to mean she would be fired regardless of her performance. Blair also alleges she was told twice that “we are going to run you away from here” by her supervisor. EU denied this claim in the lawsuit.

Blair also alleged that current Director of Academic Advising Dana Sample, who is described as White and at least 10 years younger in the lawsuit, was “insubordinate” and gave instructions that contradicted Blair’s. EU denies this in the lawsuit.

Blair was also not provided with proper training on EU’s software application, according to the case, which EU denied and contradicted with their own claims of providing Blair training on various systems. The lawsuit states that Blair participated, but failed to use the systems, and missed other training meetings.

Illinois Sees Spike in Tornado Weather

This summer brought some of the harshest weather ever in Illinois, with over 200 tornado confirmations this year alone, according to the National Weather Service.

This number breaks Illinois’ record for tornadoes recorded in a single year — shattering it just halfway through the year by mid- June, when the state officially surpassed 2024’s record of 142.

The dangerous weather produced straight-line winds exceeding 90 miles per hour and a tornado with hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter. The storms also caused excessive flooding and widespread power outages, alongside powerful derecho winds that reached 70 to 100-plus miles per hour amid the many tornados, according to a gubernatorial disaster proclamation filed on Aug. 18.

The only other state with this many tornados in a single year is Texas — which holds the all-time record of 244 tornadoes in 2015 and has about five times the land area of Illinois. Illinois may be on its way to breaking that nationwide record, and why the state is so active this year is a question drawing the attention of meteorologists across the country.

According to Scientific American, as the climate warms, Illinois’ atmosphere is more humid, allowing for the ideal conditions for a tornado and harsh storms. Additionally, that humid air interacted with a jet stream running through the Midwest this spring, causing severe thunderstorms.

As meteorologists improved their ability to detect these storms, it’s also possible we’re finally getting a more accurate picture of the twisters that do blow through Illinois.