NIU Today

Although the autumn chill has yet to settle in permanently, and the leaves mostly remain green and still clinging to their trees, the holidays are not far away. NIU President Doug Baker sends holiday cards throughout the university and community each winter, using designs created by NIU students. Baker’s new annual tradition allows him to...

Members of the Northern Illinois University Sport Management Advisory Board, which includes alumni who work for many of Chicago’s professional sports teams, convened this morning at the United Center to discuss the direction of the program. They also talked about opportunities for students to take advantage of the program that will help position them for...

This past weekend, we watched the Huskie football team achieve a historic victory against Northwestern in a road game that seemed much more like a home game in terms of fan support. The Huskies demonstrated talent, teamwork and – at the end – composure in meeting the challenge of beating a tough foe, 23-15. What’s true...

Flanked by students, Northern Illinois University President Doug Baker and College of Lake County President Girard W. Weber signed an innovative reverse transfer agreement during a Sept. 5 ceremony at NIU’s Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center. The agreement allows eligible NIU students who transferred from CLC without associate degrees to earn the two-year degree using credit from...

While this week has been full of excitement surrounding our football game with “Chicago’s Big Ten team” and celebrating NIU’s own strong Chicago presence, it has been the university’s engagement in Rockford that has been a focal point for media and legislators lately. On Tuesday morning, I visited the state’s third largest city to discuss...

Last Friday was Move-in Day at Northern Illinois University when approximately 3,100 new students moved into the residence halls, helped by approximately 1,500 volunteers coming from the ranks of the students, faculty, administrators and community members. It also marked the official start of NIU’s Welcome Days, which by most standards was our best ever. Thousands...

Three years, nine months. That, said Alex Gelman, is the sum total of time between tonight and the next time that Monday’s new freshmen and their parents will return together to the NIU Convocation Center. “You’re going to wear funny gowns and ill-fitting hats, and you’re going to be nervous – not like now, when you’re...

As part of an effort to offer periodic public forums to discuss issues on the minds of our campus community, I had the opportunity Wednesday to engage with several hundred people during a town hall meeting. I appreciated the good dialogue we had – so many great questions – and a recap will be posted...

NIU President Doug Baker will host a town hall meeting at 11 a.m. today in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium in the Holmes Student Center. During his first all-hands meeting as president, Baker will discuss one of the most important events of the year: Welcome Days. “This is the time when our students and their parents...

For years, NIU freshmen embraced their families with goodbye hugs Thursday night and launched their new lives as college students Friday morning. Now both of those transformational moments will occur together during the evening of Friday, Aug. 22, with the introduction of the Huskie Family Welcome. Many people across campus have been involved in re-visioning...

It’s no secret that decreasing state budget appropriations for higher education in Illinois – including a drop of nearly $25 million at NIU over the past 12 years – have forced schools like ours to raise tuition to balance the books. This increase in the cost of higher education has created a significant debt load...

As students prepare to arrive on campus for the first time or return to NIU for another year, I want to touch on the importance of making connections with our students. Earlier this week, I invited all NIU employees to an Aug. 20 town hall meeting to talk specifically about “Welcome Days” and the things...