The NIU College of Law held its 2014 commencement exercises May 24 at the NIU Convocation Center. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn honored the occasion by delivering the commencement address;  ninety-nine graduates were awarded their Juris Doctor degrees. During his address, Quinn emphasized the key role of lawyers and legal professionals in shaping policy and action...

Gov. Pat Quinn will serve as the 2014 NIU College of Law commencement speaker, Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea announced. Ninety-nine students will receive their law degrees at the ceremony, which will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 24, at the NIU Convocation Center. “Gov. Quinn is committed to NIU Law’s core values of public...

Students from NIU and colleges and universities across Illinois are encouraged to join Gov. Pat Quinn for a “MAP Matters Day” rally Wednesday, April 30, in Springfield. Quinn will stand up during a 12:30 p.m. gathering in the rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol to push lawmakers to double MAP grant funding. The governor visited...

The Illinois General Assembly adjourned Friday evening without taking action to resolve Illinois’ pension funding crisis. Illinois public university presidents and chancellors worked diligently this spring to craft a viable solution to the SURS funding problems. The Illinois Government & Public Affairs Policy Institute (UIUC) developed a Six Point SURS Pension Reform Plan that was promptly...

Just one more week remains in the current legislative session before the Illinois General Assembly adjourns Friday, May 31. At this point, major issues remain unresolved, which is not uncommon given the natural rhythm of the legislative process in Springfield. Kathryn Buettner, NIU vice president of University Relations, was in Springfield this week and delivered...

The Illinois House has approved a comprehensive pension-reform measure sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan by a vote of 62-51 Thursday afternoon. Senate Bill 1 is designed to close a $97 billion deficit that hangs over the state’s pension plans. Underfunding for decades has left the pension systems short of what they need. The bill...

The Illinois House Personnel and Pensions Committee passed a pension reform plan put forth by Speaker Michael J. Madigan by a 9-1 vote, clearing the way for the pension reform bill to be called before the full House today. Madigan’s plan calls for employees to pay 2 percent more of salary toward their retirement plans....

The presidents and chancellors of the 14 public universities in Illinois have unanimously endorsed a six-point proposal for addressing the state’s pension funding crisis as it relates to the State Universities Retirement System (SURS), and in a letter to the governor and legislative leaders they called it “a thoughtful and responsible approach.” “We write to...

A downstate judge ruled Tuesday that health care for retired state workers is not constitutionally guaranteed. A long-standing benefit had allowed retirees with 20 or more years of service to retire with full health insurance coverage (for themselves, but not dependents) without paying premiums. A series of lawsuits filed in Sangamon County sought to preserve...

Education will sustain a painful hit in a new State of Illinois spending plan unveiled today during Gov. Pat Quinn’s annual budget address. Calling it the “most difficult budget ever,” the governor said the state must solve its public-employee pension crisis, which will drain nearly $7 billion of the Illinois general revenue in the coming...

Clersida Garcia, associate professor in the NIU College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, has been appointed to a four-year seat on the Governor’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness. Garcia, a 22-year veteran in the field of physical education, has given more than 100 presentations at state, national and international conferences and...

Before Noemi Rodriguez began classes at NIU, she interned at Children’s Memorial Hospital. “I fell in love with the nurses at Children’s Memorial. I admired their work,” says Rodriguez, a sophomore nursing major from Chicago. “There are some respectable nurses, and there are bad nurses, and I will become a respectable nurse. I love the...