Tag: Baker Report
On Thursday afternoon, I had the opportunity to address the campus community through two campus-wide town hall meetings regarding several key initiatives meant to provide NIU greater control over its own destiny. In both meetings, Executive Vice President and Provost Lisa Freeman, Vice Provost Anne Birberick and I covered the following: State Budget Process Overview...
This week’s events surrounding the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have made a profound impact on me. In honoring Dr. King, our senior leadership team is simultaneously working to create an environment that celebrates diversity and ensures inclusion of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, socioeconomic statuses, religions, genders and sexual orientations. The events...
As the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday approaches, I want to take time to talk about how we as a university can honor the legacy and ideals of Dr. King. As an academic institution, we encourage our students to explore new ideas and express their diverse thoughts in constructive ways, and this exchange of competing...
As we move into the start of a new semester, we will see the beginning of a new administration in Springfield. It will be the newly elected Gov. Rauner’s turn to develop a game plan to address the financial opportunities and challenges facing the state. There has already been a good deal of speculation about...
This past weekend, it was my honor to welcome approximately 1,800 students to the ranks of our alumni as they move on to their careers, continue graduate studies or find other personal successes in life. Commencement is not only a time for our student-graduates to reflect on those moments at NIU that have transformed them...
We’ve recently begun a strategic effort to build a strong foundation for maintaining and improving the quality of academic and administrative programs across NIU by assuring that our programs reflect our institutional mission and strategic goals. The process, commonly referred to as “program prioritization,” already has taken place at many campuses across the United States....
As the Northern Illinois University football team prepares for another appearance on the national stage in the MAC Football Championship in Detroit, NIU’s leadership in academic and student initiatives is also on display this week on a national scale. On Wednesday, we announced the findings of our Presidential Task Force on the Violence Against Women...
Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to gather with family and friends. We pause to reflect upon that for which we are most thankful. NIU students, faculty and staff have worked hard this year, and hopefully each of us is realizing the fruits of that labor. The NIU community is like a family, teaching and learning...
I had the distinct honor of attending several events Tuesday that acknowledged the many veterans who have and who continue to protect the freedoms we enjoy in our nation. Thank you for your service and sacrifice for our country. Another reason for celebration is that the NIU Veterans Association is marking its 60th anniversary this...
It is no secret that for more than a decade, cuts in state higher education funding have led to an increasing dependence on student dollars to finance university enterprises across the country, and Illinois has been no exception. During that time, college tuition and fee costs have increased 40 percent more than the average, according...
This week, we say a very fond farewell to Bill Nicklas, who has served with great distinction in a variety of capacities at NIU over the past several years. As vice president of Operations and Community Relations, Bill has lent his unique set of talents and his broad background to a wide variety of management...
A new college rating system recently introduced compares higher education institutions according to how well they advance students of need through graduation into good careers. Northern Illinois University is ranked 30th among 539 institutions nationally on the Social Mobility Index (SMI), which compares the effectiveness of colleges and universities in accomplishing this objective. At NIU,...