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Vision 2020 logoThe Vision 2020 Initiative came a bit more into focus today with the release of six reports that measure how Northern Illinois University stacks up against a cohort of similar institutions on dozens of criteria.

“These reports will help us chart the course of NIU, from where we stand today, toward our goal of becoming the most student-centered public research university in the Midwest by 2020,” said NIU President John Peters, who announced the Vision 2020 Initiative in his State of the University speech last year.

The reports were posted online to provide faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the university an opportunity to peruse the findings and review the recommendations made by each working group.

“We didn’t pull any punches in these reports. As you read through them you will see where we excel, and the areas where we currently fall short,” Peters said. “I am looking to the campus community for suggestions on how to build upon our strengths, improve upon our weaknesses and set a course for the future.”

Reports in six subject areas are available for review:

Executive Summaries and the full reports from each of those groups can be found on the Vision 2020 website.  To comment, click on the Contact Us link in the upper left corner of the page. A seventh report, regarding Sustainability, is still being developed and will be available for review at a later date.

Peters and other members of the Vision 2020 steering committee are looking for feedback regarding:

  • Overall reaction to their findings;
  • Any gaps you see in their work – metrics that were overlooked or areas that should be examined;
  • Your ideas on which of the indicators in each area we should make the focus of our efforts going forward.

Input from the website will help shape plans for the execution of Vision 2020. Specifics will be the focus of President Peters’ State of the University address Thursday, Sept. 1. Later that month, he will offer the blueprint to members of the Board of Trustees for their endorsement.

“The steps that I will outline at that time will be based on these reports and the input provided by the campus community. Those elements will comprise the foundation upon which we will build our Vision 2020 Initiative. Many challenges lie ahead, but with a clear vision of where we want to go, we can succeed,” Peters said. “You can be heard. You can help shape this process. Please share your thoughts with us.”

Date posted: June 22, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on Vision 2020 committee seeks input

Categories: Faculty & Staff Latest News

NIU President John G. Peters

NIU President John G. Peters

Efforts to repair the state’s failing pension system should not punish those who have faithfully paid into that system, NIU President John Peters said today in his keynote address at the State University Annuitants Association annual meeting in Springfield.

“It is unfair to lay this problem at the feet of employees and annuitants. In the history of the Illinois pension system, they have never failed to pay their share on time,” Peters told the assembled retirees. “The answer to the state’s pension problems should not result in diminished benefits – for you, or for our current employees.”

The issue is of particular importance to state university employees as the SURS pension system replaces Social Security. Participants have no other retirement “safety net” in the event the state fails to meet its obligation.

Peters noted that the $82 million unfunded liability in the state’s pension funds (the largest such shortfall in the nation) is the result of the state legislature repeatedly choosing to defer its constitutionally required contributions. That situation could have been avoided, Peters speculated, but for a fateful decision 50 years ago to move responsibility for funding the nominal cost of the university pension system from the universities to the state.”

“Had they not made that change, I maintain that there would be no unfunded liability and we would not be discussing this issue today,” he said.

 

Worrying about mistakes of the past, however, will not solve current problems, said Peters, who vowed that he and his fellow university presidents and chancellors will be at the table this fall to hammer out a solution that is fair to all.

“Leaders in public higher education in Illinois must suggest viable alternatives that will address the very real financial distress confronting our pension systems,” he said. “We can argue about root cause, but the problem remains, and it is essential that higher education leaders put forth plans and options to resolve this crisis.”

Those negotiations are likely to be among the most important ever for state employees, Peters said, noting that the decisions made will have consequences for years to come. He called upon the SUAA membership to remain vocal throughout that process. He described annuitants as the “boots on the ground” that helped prevent potentially hasty and damaging decisions during the recently concluded legislative session.

“We will need you again this fall,” he said. “I am certain that these issues will once again take center stage during the veto session and we simply must get it right this time. We cannot afford to fail.”

Efforts to salvage the pension system by increasing the burden on state university employees and retirees is a symptom of a larger problem, Peters said. It is an example of how the social contract between the state and higher education has been strained to the breaking point in recent years.

America is reducing its support for higher education while foreign countries are spending more, putting America at a disadvantage in the global marketplace, he said.

“For more than 150 years we as a nation defined higher education as a public good,” Peters said. “Today, it is cast as a private benefit instead of the best possible investment in the future of the people of this state and our nation.”

Date posted: June 21, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on Pension reform must be fair to all, Peters says during meeting of state university annuitants

Categories: Community Communiversity Faculty & Staff NIU Hoffman Estates NIU Naperville NIU Rockford Voices

The state announced Thursday morning that it has  reached 90-day agreements with two more insurance carriers,  bringing the total number of choices available to eight. The new carriers are:

  • PersonalCare HMO Carrier Code: AS FY2011 Map Applies, (800) 431-1211 (217) 366-5551 (TDD/TTY)
  • PersonalCare OAP Carrier Code CH FY2012 Map Applies, (800) 431-1211 (217) 366-5551 (TDD/TTY)

As a result, Human Resource Services will now be able to accept enrollment forms with these selections. The state continues to investigate the possibility of 90-day agreements with other carriers.

With these new choices available, employees have the following options:

  • Members currently enrolled in one of the health plans now available through the 90-day agreements, who have not submitted a Benefits Choice Enrollment form to change to an alternative health plan carrier do not need to take any further action.  They will continue to have coverage under their current plan on July 1, 2011.
  • Those who submitted a Benefits Choice Enrollment form that indicated a change to their current health plan carrier, and who wish to  maintain that health plan carrier change, do not need to take any further action.  They will continue to have coverage under their current plan on July 1, 2011.
  • Those who submitted a Benefits Choice Enrollment form that indicated a change to their current health plan carrier and who wish instead to either change that election to a different carrier or return to their current carrier, must submit a new Benefits Choice Enrollment form to Human Resource Services by end of business Friday, June 17.

Employees will have an opportunity to submit a new enrollment form and change their election until the close of business on Friday, June 17.  Human Resource Services will have staff available to assist with Benefit Choice selections at the main HRS location that day from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. They will process the employee’s latest enrollment form (the form with the latest date) as their choice for enrollment.  Enrollment forms cannot be accepted after this date. Employees who do not select a health insurance option will automatically be enrolled into the Quality Care/CIGNA option.

CMS has indicated that a special enrollment period will be announced sometime after the 90-day extension has expired. However, applicable dates and options have not been determined.  As soon as information becomes available this information will be forwarded to you and will also be available on the CMS website.

The latest additions bring  number of insurance options available to eight the. The other six are:

  • HMO Illinois, Carrier Code: BY, (800) 868-9520 (866) 876-2194 (TDD/TTY)
  • HealthLink OAP Carrier Code: CF FY2012 Map Applies, (800) 624-2356 (800) 624-2356, ext. 6280 (TDD/TTY)
  • Health Alliance HMO Carrier Code: AH  FY2011 Map Applies, (800) 851-3379 (217) 337-8137 (TDD/TTY)

 

Human Resource Services will update employees as soon as information becomes available through the following channels:

Please contact HRS at 753-6000, if you have any additional questions.

###



Date posted: June 16, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on Two more insurance plans added

Categories: Faculty & Staff

Late Wednesday afternoon Central Management Services notified NIU that the state has reached 90-day agreements with the following carriers:

  • HealthLink OAP
  • Health Alliance Illinois
  • Health Alliance HMO

As a result, Human Resource Services will now be able to accept enrollment forms with these selections. The state continues to investigate the possibility of 90-day agreements with other carriers.

With these new choices available, employees have the following options:

  • Members currently enrolled in one of the health plans now available through the 90-day agreements, who have not submitted a Benefits Choice Enrollment form to change to an alternative health plan carrier do not need to take any further action.  They will continue to have coverage under their current plan on July 1, 2011.
  • Those who submitted a Benefits Choice Enrollment form that indicated a change to their current health plan carrier, and who wish to  maintain that health plan carrier change, do not need to take any further action.  They will continue to have coverage under their current plan on July 1, 2011.
  • Those who submitted a Benefits Choice Enrollment form that indicated a change to their current health plan carrier and who wish instead to either change that election to a different carrier or return to their current carrier, must submit a new Benefits Choice Enrollment form to Human Resource Services by end of business Friday, June 17.

Employees will have an opportunity to submit a new enrollment form and change their election until the close of business on Friday, June 17.  Human Resource Services will have staff available to assist with Benefit Choice selections at the main HRS location that day from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. They will process the employee’s latest enrollment form (the form with the latest date) as their choice for enrollment.  Enrollment forms cannot be accepted after this date. Employees who do not select a health insurance option will automatically be enrolled into the Quality Care/CIGNA option.

CMS has indicated that a special enrollment period will be announced sometime after the 90-day extension has expired. However, applicable dates and options have not been determined.  As soon as information becomes available this information will be forwarded to you and will also be available on the CMS website.

The latest additions bring to six the number of insurance options available. The other three are:

· HMO Illinois

· Blue Advantage HMO

· Quality Care Health Plan (CIGNA)

Human Resource Services will update employees as soon as information becomes available through the following channels:

Please contact HRS at 753-6000, if you have any additional questions.

###

Date posted: June 15, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on State adds insurance options

Categories: Campus Highlights Community

Seal of the State of IllinoisThe insurance situation for state of Illinois employees and annuitants remains in flux.

Actions taken Tuesday, June 14, by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability have potentially opened the door to a flood of new options before the June 17 Benefits Choice deadline.

Here is a recap of what is known at this time.

Certainties:

  • As of this writing, there are only three insurance options guaranteed to be available:

· HMO Illinois

· Blue Advantage HMO

· Quality Care Health Plan (CIGNA)

  • Those wishing to participate in the MCAP flexible spending account must file their paperwork by the end of the Benefits Choice period, which expires at 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 17.
  • There will be a special Benefits Choice Period in the fall when employees will have the opportunity to select insurance coverage from a set of options. No dates for that period have been announced.

Possibilities:

  • The state might announce today or tomorrow that it has entered into 90-day contracts with insurance vendors to offer self-insured, open access plans (OAPs) that were pulled from consideration late last week. If so, employees might have the option to select:

· PersonalCare OAP

· HealthLink OAP

Employees who previously selected one of these options (prior to the June 10 court order that removed them from consideration), and who have not submitted a new choice, might not have to re-file paperwork to select this option, if it is their final choice.

  • The state might also offer the option to retain – for a short time – current insurance options that are scheduled to be discontinued in Fiscal Year 2012. If so, employees might have the option to select:

· Health Alliance HMO

· Humana HMO

· PersonalCare HMO

Those selections (if available) would remain in effect for the 90-day emergency period. It is unknown at this time what would happen after the 90-day period.

If Health Alliance HMO, Humana HMO and PersonalCare HMO are made available and employees would like to remain in these plans, no action is necessary unless they already have submitted other selection to Human Resource Services. If a selection has been submitted, a new form will be required.

Default Insurance:

  • Employees who fail to make a selection from the available  options  (or who have selected an option that is ultimately not offered by CMS) will be defaulted into the Quality Care/CIGNA.

Deadline:

The state has made it clear that it is NOT extending the Benefits Choice deadline beyond end of business Friday, June 17. All final selections must be made by that time.

Human Resource Services plans to have extra staff on hand from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the main office on Lincoln Highway to answer questions and help employees make insurance selections.

“We understand that the current chain of events has been extremely confusing and frustrating,” said Vice President for Human Resources Steven Cunningham. “All of this is very much beyond our control, and is affecting state employees across Illinois. Our staff will do everything they can to assist employees and retirees to ensure that they make the most informed decision possible on their insurance coverage in the days ahead.”

Watch for Updates:

Human Resource Services will update employees as soon as information becomes available through the following channels:

Date posted: June 15, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on State issues urgent insurance update

Categories: Campus Highlights

NIU and Our Region's Prosperity report coverA report released today by Northern Illinois University demonstrates that the university is a powerful force for economic and societal good in DeKalb County and beyond.

“We have been part of the landscape for more than a century, so it is easy to forget what an impact we have on the community. It is important to take stock once in a while,” said NIU President John G. Peters, speaking at a Tuesday meeting of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation where he released a report titled NIU and Our Region’s Prosperity.

A supplement to that report, “NIU and DeKalb County’s Prosperity,” focused specific on the university’s impact within DeKalb County.

The report, completed by NIU’s Center for Governmental Studies, looked primarily at financial issues, but also pointed out a variety of services provided by the university that enhance its value to the region it serves.

“Our students and our graduates will always be our greatest contribution to our region, but we also provide expertise, facilities and activities that contribute to that vitality, financially and otherwise,” Peters said.

Those non-monetary contributions include the consulting expertise of faculty (and students), a broad range of scientific and industrial laboratories, health care facilities as well as cultural and athletic activities.

At the meeting, Peters pointed to a new and increasingly important contribution that NIU is making to the region: broadband technology.

“The university has been recognized as a leader in the design and construction of fiber optic networks, having earned more than $100 million in grants to develop networks across the state,”Peters said. “Now we are mobilizing to help businesses, schools and medical professionals utilize the power of that technology to cut costs, improve education and health care, and to spur innovation across the region.”

Financial Impact

According to the report, NIU has a significant economic impact across northern Illinois, calculated at just under $700 million. Not surprising, that impact is especially strong in DeKalb County.

Based upon 2010 data, NIU:

  • Had a payroll of more than 8,800 and created an additional 3,400 jobs throughout the region as a result of university operations and payroll;
  • Created an additional 528 jobs through capital projects;
  • Purchased $61.6 million in goods and services; and
  • Saw students spend $98.7 million on housing, food and other goods and services in DeKalb County.

NIU and DeKalb County's Prosperity supplement report coverAccording to the report, nearly $80 million in wages and salary paid out by the university stayed within DeKalb County last year, and nearly $49 million in operating expenditures were paid out to local businesses.

“We are a powerful economic engine for the region – a fact that often gets lost in the rhetoric when the general assembly debates the value of public universities and the need to support their mission,” Peters said.

The report pointed out that the university also contributes to the financial well-being of the region through a variety of services, facilities and resources that assist business and industry.

The authors of the report pointed to the Experiential Learning Center in the NIU College of Business as a prime example of such services. That program provides teams of students who research real-world business problems for companies. Their list of clientele boasts Wal-Mart, Caterpillar and McDonald’s as well as smaller, local businesses ranging from nursing homes to a company that provides flying effects for live theater performances across the globe.

“The ELC gives some of our best and brightest students an opportunity to gain tremendous experience and act as a resource for business before they even graduate,” Peters said.

Also at the disposal of businesses are a variety of laboratories for testing and experimentation. The NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology alone has eight such labs, including facilities to assist with computer aided design and manufacturing, robotics, materials analysis, noise and vibration issues, micro manufacturing and more.

“In today’s knowledge-based economy, access to such facilities, where problems can get worked out and possibilities probed, it is an invaluable resource, and one that we would like to see used more,” Peters said.

Cultural Resource

Northern Illinois University enriches the region it serves by providing a wide variety of entertainment options, from Division I college athletics in 16 sports (including football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball and more) to world class music from groups such as the Avalon String Quartet, the university’s acclaimed Jazz Ensemble and its world renowned Steelband.

The university also boasts an outstanding theater department that stages shows large and small throughout the year.

NIU’s Convocation Center also has become an entertainment hot spot, playing host to everything from farm shows and children shows to dog shows, rappers and rockers. The facility has welcomed more than 1 million visitors since it opened its doors in 2002.

Public Services

NIU also contributes to DeKalb County by providing affordable health care services to low income families through its Tri-County Community Health Center in Malta and its Community Cares Clinic (operated collaboratively with KishHealth System). Both facilities serve as training centers for students preparing for careers in health care.

Local residents also benefit from programs that provide practical experience for students studying speech pathology, physical therapy and child development.

True to its roots as a teachers college, NIU also is one of the largest educators of teachers in the state. In 2008-09 the NIU College of Education graduated 449 students, all of whom did practicums in Illinois school districts. One year after graduation, more than half of them were employed by Illinois public schools.

The university also is engaged with the larger region, spearheading projects such as the Center for P-20 Engagement (which provides solutions to educators across the region), the Regional Development Institute (which works with communities to promote economic, workforce and community growth) and the Broadband Development Group.

Broadband

That last entity promises to become increasingly prominent in the months and years ahead.

The Broadband Development Group works with companies, hospitals, municipalities and others to obtain and exploit the power of broadband Internet connections. They have played a major role in the expansion of NIUNet, a 175-mile fiber optic ring that links all NIU campuses. That experience proved instrumental in helping the university secure a grant to build the Illinois Rural Health Net, a statewide network to link rural clinics with top-tier hospitals. That, in turn, helped NIU snare its largest grant ever – $68 million to build a fiber optic network across northwestern Illinois.

Locally, the Broadband Development Group helped launch the DeKalb Advancement of Technology Authority, a $12 million project to link every school, library and municipal building in DeKalb County to a fiber backbone.

In every instance, the networks built by NIU will save public entities hundreds of thousands of dollars on Internet and phone services annually while providing dramatically better service (Internet speeds at the average DeKalb County school will improve 1,000-fold.) It will also give towns a powerful economic development tool to attract businesses that depend on high-speed web access to conduct business across the country and around the globe.

“We have always connected the region, in a figurative sense, but our broadband initiatives will allow us to do so in a literal way,” Peters said. “It’s an area in which we have a unique investment and unique expertise, and we intend for it to become a center of excellence for the university.”

Of course, infrastructure is only as useful as you make it. So NIU is also in the process of pulling together a team of its top faculty, from disciplines across campus, to develop applications and programs that can be deployed across those networks to improve schools, enhance business, share the arts and improve engineering and other fields.

NIU is already demonstrating its ability to help others leverage the power of fiber. The university was selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create a Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) to  help doctors adopt the electronic health records that can be instantaneously shipped across broadband networks to avoid overlap of services, negative drug interactions and provide complete medical histories in an instance when seconds count.

“We are positioning ourselves to take a similar leading role when it comes to utilizing broadband to improve education, to increase business efficiency, to cut government costs. Broadband is an amazing tool, and we are working to not just bring it to the region, but to teach people how to exploit it to its fullest,” Peters said.

Image of medical symbolA ruling by a Sangamon County judge has thrown a new wrinkle into the health insurance picture for state employees.

The ruling, which came down Friday, prohibits the state of Illinois from enrolling employees, retirees and dependents in any new self-insured “open access” health plans that begin July 1. As a result, HealthLink OAP and PersonalCare OAP are NO LONGER AVAILABLE as insurance options for state employees.

That leaves only three health insurance options available for employees.

Employees must select one of those options by the conclusion of the Benefits Choice enrollment period, which ends Friday, June 17.

Those who previously selected HealthLink or PersonalCare must also make a new selection by that date, choosing from the three remaining options. Those who fail to choose an option will automatically be assigned to the Quality Care Health Plan.

“We understand the frustration that this is creating for employees who are trying to make what is perhaps the most important choice they have to make regarding benefits,” said NIU Vice President for Human Resources Steve Cunningham. “Unfortunately, this situation is completely beyond our control.”

The judge’s ruling at the heart of this latest change was issued at the request of and based on lawsuits filed by Health Alliance Medical Plans, Inc. and Humana Health Plan, Inc., the unsuccessful bidders for the state’s self-insurance and fully insured contracts. Those two companies maintain that the state had entered into this latest set of contracts illegally. The state denies that charge and claims that the new providers could reduce costs by $1 billion over the next decade.

For the latest on the situation, check the state’s Benefits Choice website.

Date posted: June 13, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on Employee insurance choices cut to three

Categories: Faculty & Staff

Promod Vohra

Promod Vohra

Promod Vohra, dean of NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, has been selected to serve on the First Committee of the Institutional Actions Council of the Higher Learning Commission.

The HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region.

In this position, Vohra will have a hand in the accreditation process of colleges and universities to ensure that they meet the current standards.

In addition to assessing formal educational activities, the HLC evaluates such things as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

A specialized accrediting body evaluates particular units, schools, or programs within an institution. Specialized accreditation, also called program accreditation, is often associated with national professional associations, such as those for engineering, medicine and law, or with specific disciplines, such as business, teacher education, psychology or social work.

Date posted: June 6, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on Promod Vohra named to higher ed commission

Categories: Campus Highlights Did You Know? Engineering and Engineering Technology Faculty & Staff On Campus

Northern Illinois University engineering student Alan Hurt recently completed a successful climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

NIU student Alan Hurt reaches the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

NIU student Alan Hurt reaches the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

His six-day trek up the mountain began in lush jungles, but quickly turned into an arduous affair that include a bout of food poisoning and a temperature at the summit of a bitter minus 4 Fahrenheit.  The story of his climb is chronicled in his blog Planes, Trains and Africa.

Alan HurtHurt undertook the climb as a fundraiser for a school in Africa for girls who have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.  Hurt’s climb is the current subject of his blog Planes, Trains and Africa. Donations can be made online  through the Sango Association.

The climb is just the first facet of a summer-long trip to Africa during which Hurt also will conduct research on fuel-efficient cook stoves as part of an independent study project and will meet up with fellow members of the NIU chapter of Engineers Without Borders to plan the construction of a solar-powered cooking system for a school in Tanzania in December.

Hurt, a senior studying Industrial and Systems Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.

Date posted: June 6, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU student climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro

Categories: Centerpiece Engineering and Engineering Technology Global Students

NIU President John G. Peters

NIU President John G. Peters

Dear Colleagues,

We closed the books on another semester two weeks ago, which in theory means that it was a time to catch our breath … but not so this year.

The last few weeks have proven to be exceedingly busy for NIU administration and staff. We have been  grappling with the decisions made or left unresolved by the Illinois General Assembly regarding future pension benefits for current employees, annuitant health care benefit changes, a reduction to our operating base budget for FY2012, procurement reform, and a new emphasis on performance-based funding and outcome measures.

I want to take this opportunity to bring you up-to-date on these critical issues.

I also want to encourage you to monitor NIU Today, the university’s State Budget and Pension Update website and your faculty/staff e-mail accounts over the summer to obtain current information on any further actions taken that affect our faculty, staff, annuitants and/or students.

Pensions

Pensions remain the single most-important issue affecting every employee here at NIU. The good news is that it seems that any future changes to be enacted will not affect any pension earnings accrued by employees to date.

However, change in the way the state’s five pension systems are administered going forward appears to be a certainty. Increased employee contributions, a later retirement age and switching from a defined benefit formula to a plan similar to a corporate 401K are among the changes that continue to be discussed.

While the General Assembly set aside consideration of SB512, the main pension reform legislation, it is clear from comments made by Speaker of the House Mike Madigan and House Republican Leader Tom Cross that this was only the beginning of discussion on this topic. They have promised hearings during the summer with a goal of revisiting the issue in the fall veto session, which begins Oct. 25.

Any changes approved by the legislature are almost certain to face court challenges as many argue that the state constitution forbids midstream changes in state employee pension programs.

Annuitant Insurance

A proposal that would have ended free health care for annuitants with 20 or more years of service was also shelved. The plan would have instituted a new system under which all retirees would be required to pay a percentage of their health insurance costs. It would have established a sliding scale taking into account years of service, age at retirement and the size of the pension collected (as a measure of ability to pay). While this was set aside, this is another issue that could be revisited this fall.

FY12 Budget and FY11 Cash Flow Crisis

As the legislative session concluded, the General Assembly passed a budget which calls for a 1.15 percent operating base reduction for FY2012. This is almost a relief considering some of the cuts we have endured in the past. However, as has been the case in recent years, cash flow will continue to prove a daunting challenge, even more so than a slight base budget reduction.

At this moment, 11 months into Fiscal Year 2011, the state is nearly $43 million behind in its payments to the university. Put another way, with four weeks remaining in FY2011 we have received only 58 percent of the money that was promised to us. Our budgetary hole is much deeper today than it was one year ago and there is no last-minute influx of revenue on the horizon to make up that difference. The state has postponed the FY11 closing date until Dec. 31, extending the deadline to make up what it owes, but where that money might come from remains unclear.

We do not foresee this situation improving any time soon. If anything, it will get worse as we start Fiscal Year 2012 saddled with last year’s debts and facing a future of revenue trickling in, rather than flowing in at a predictable rate. In addition to these issues, we must remain cognizant of our student enrollment counts, as tuition revenues are critical to the continued operational stability of the university.

This cash flow crisis has forced the university to scramble all year, living from paycheck to paycheck, as we struggled to meet our $18 million monthly payroll, my top priority. To ensure that we can continue to do so, all of the cost control measures that have been standard operating procedure for the past few years will remain in place indefinitely, and new areas will continue to be explored.

Like other public universities, NIU is faced with no additional funding from the state to offset unavoidable cost increases on goods, services and utilities; costly, yet unfunded, state mandates; and a serious backlog of deferred maintenance that demands attention to prevent our infrastructure from crumbling.

Countless students, faculty, staff, alumni and prospective students and their parents have commented to me over the last few years that we simply must address this escalating deferred maintenance problem. Campus beautification and deferred maintenance have hit a crisis point, and we can no longer put off critical repairs and maintenance.

Vision 2020

Vision 2020 logoIn September 2010, I unveiled our new Vision 2020 Initiative. Since then, more than 109 faculty, staff, students, administrators, alums and donors have been working diligently behind the scenes to move that project forward.

This benchmarking exercise will help define and shape NIU for decades to come. I am delighted to report that the seven working groups have made excellent progress, and we plan to make their reports available for public comment later this month on the Vision 2020 website. I encourage you to read the reports and provide feedback.

Based on what I have seen so far, I am excited about the path that this initiative will lead us to, and I look forward to sharing details with the campus in the fall.

NIU’s educational quality is dependent on the quality of our faculty and staff. My primary goal is to guarantee that an NIU education a student receives is the best we are capable of providing. We absolutely must remain competitive, not only to continue to attract the best faculty and staff, but also to ensure that our students are well-served through their NIU experience as they move into a competitive professional environment.

I will continue to keep you updated as developments occur throughout the summer. In the meantime, please take the opportunity to recharge and refresh this summer. We have many new and returning students who are counting on NIU to help them achieve their lifelong goals and dreams. This is our life’s work, and what continues to motivate me each day. These students are truly not only our future, they are Illinois’ future. And NIU will not let them down.

Best,

John G. Peters
President

Date posted: June 2, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on President Peters provides legislative wrap-up

Categories: Communiversity Faculty & Staff Latest News Voices

Pamela "Pommy" Macfarlane and Sarah Stuebing

Pamela "Pommy" Macfarlane and Sarah Stuebing

The Office of Student Engagement has a new name and a new home.

The office, which oversees programs such as Undergraduate Research, Themed Learning Communities and Service Learning, is now known as the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning.

The name was changed to more precisely reflect the objectives of the program, says Julia Spears, who has led the office for the past two years.

“We have a new name, but our objective is still the same: to help students reach their full potential and further academic participation through our many unique programs,” Spears said. “The programs we coordinate make it possible for students to be involved in their own education and truly complete the college experience.”

The department recently relocated to new offices in Room 110 of the Chick Evans Field House. For more information, call (815) 753-8154 or e-mail engage@niu.edu.

Date posted: June 2, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on New name, home for engaged learning

Categories: Engagement Faculty & Staff Students What's Going On

Employees have until June 17 to select from the current group of health insurance providers available.

However, according to a memo received from Central Management Services on Wednesday, there will be a Special Enrollment period at the end of the year where employees can make changes to their health carrier plans based on changes in provider networks and other member considerations.

This announcement was made in response to Senate Bill 178, which was passed by the General Assembly, on May 30, to address confusion among state employees stemming from the elimination of Health Alliance as a managed care option beginning July 1, 2011. The bill returns responsibility for selecting state employee insurance providers back to CMS, and it defines a set of circumstances under which the existing insurance options could be reinstated.

Specifically, the bill notes that if the chief procurement officer responsible for awarding the health insurance contracts has not finalized all written contracts within 90 days prior to the start of the fiscal year, then the Commission on Governmental Forecasting and Accountability may direct the chief procurement officer to not finalize the contracts and seek to extend the existing contracts for a term of two years.  It is not known at this time if Senate Bill 178 will impact the new FY2012 contracts.

In the meantime, employees MUST select a health insurance carrier prior to the Benefits Choice period deadline of June 17. They may select from the following plans: Blue Advantage HMO, HMO Illinois, HealthLink OAP, PersonalCare OAP and QCHP.

“There is no guarantee Senate 178 will affect the new health care providers. If it does, HRS will notify campus as soon as possible,” said Steve Cunningham, NIU vice president for Human Resources. “Employees are encouraged to make their decisions prior to the June 17 deadline to avoid being defaulted into the Quality Care Health Plan.”

Human Resource Services will be offering informational sessions to assist employees with questions about health insurance. These sessions, previously advertised as being held at HRS have now been moved to the Holmes Student Center at the following times and locations:

  • June 3 from 3:00 to 4:30, Holmes Student Center – Illinois Room
  • June 8 from 10:30 – noon, Holmes Student Center – Diversions
  • June 8 from 3:00 to 4:30, Holmes Student Center – Capitol Room

Should you have any questions, please contact Human Resource Services Insurance Office at 753-6000.  HRS staff will also be available at main HRS location on Friday, June 17 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. to assist with final questions and paperwork.

For more information on insurance options, visit www.benefitschoice.il.gov.

Date posted: June 1, 2011 | Author: | Comments Off on CMS adds insurance enrollment period

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