Tag: President Doug Baker
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...
To All NIU Employees: I cordially invite you to join me at a town hall meeting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium in the Holmes Student Center. This is my first all-hands meeting as president, and its purpose is to discuss one of the most important events of the year:...
During the 2013-14 academic year, Northern Illinois University has made significant initial progress on the keystone goal of student career success, and I look forward to continuing to help our wonderfully talented employees and students achieve bold futures. Our shared successes depend on each of us working together – in concert with alumni and community...
Earlier this week at DeKalb’s State of the City event, I spoke about the tremendous opportunity for collaboration between Northern Illinois University and our community to promote our common interests. High on this list is the goal of creating a welcoming environment full of spaces and activities for students that create memories and the desire...
When we send our children off to campus we want to know what is being done to help ensure their safety. As president of Northern Illinois University and a father of two daughters, I am personally and professionally committed to making NIU a safe and welcoming place. Let me provide a few examples of how...
This week, I attended the Association of Governing Boards conference with trustees John Butler and Marc Strauss in Washington, D.C. I also attended the APLU Council of Presidents summer meetings, which focused on important topics affecting higher education such as improving student retention. On Tuesday, I enjoyed meeting with six of NIU’s D.C. interns who...
During Monday evening’s DeKalb City Council meeting, aldermen approved a five year agreement for the city to provide fire protection services to the university. As part of the agreement, NIU is contributing $275,000 towards the purchase of an aerial ladder truck. This agreement illustrates — as did the recent full scale emergency safety exercise and...
