NIU Today

The end of the fiscal year is raising many questions for employees at or near retirement age. Changes made by legislators last year to the State University Retirement System could have dramatic – and expensive impacts for some of those employees. Especially at risk are those whose SURS annuity calculation is higher under the money...

NIU employees eligible for retirement this fiscal year should review their retirement benefits to analyze the impact of recent pension reform changes. “For employees eligible for retirement whose State University Retirement System annuity calculation is higher under the Money Purchase formula, pension reform changes passed by the state legislature last December could significantly reduce the...

A retirement specialist from the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) will be on campus Wednesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 24, to meet with individual employees to discuss retirement estimates. Sessions will take place in rooms 303 and 304 of the Holmes Student Center. The SURS individual counseling eligibility guidelines and procedures can be reviewed online. SURS...

Aquanette Simpson, director of Employee Services and Human Resource Development (ESHRD), has announced her retirement after 33 years at Northern Illinois University. NIU’s Division of Finance and Facilities joins ESHRD in inviting the campus community to a retirement open house planned in her honor from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, May 31, in the Clara...

A retirement party for Rhonda Robinson, Distinguished Teaching Professor in the College of Education’s Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, is planned from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in the lobby of Cole Hall. Robinson, who came to NIU in 1980, is retiring after having enjoyed more than 30 years of “the...

In Springfield … The Illinois Senate Executive Committee voted to approve House Bill 3810, a bill that will eliminate the General Assembly Scholarship Program on Sept. 1, 2012. Senate President John Cullerton, who had picked up sponsorship of this bill, testified that this program was good overall and that it had helped many very deserving...

Members of the Illinois House Executive Committee have approved SB 1313, which will move the legislation to the House floor for consideration. House Amendment 6 was filed on the bill last week, with House Speaker Michael Madigan picking up sponsorship. This amendment would do away with a state statute that has guaranteed government subsidies for...

Northern Illinois University’s updated State Pension & Budget Update website debuts Feb. 22 in conjunction with Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget address. The governor’s address traditionally begins the budget process in the State of Illinois. The updated website includes a link to view or listen to the governor’s budget speech, pension reform information and updates as...

After much discussion, it appears that lawmakers will this week take up in earnest the issue of changes to the pension system for state employees. Currently, it appears that the language in HB149 is the strategy that lawmakers are looking to as they consider the issue. A quick summary of the three-tiered system under consideration...

After serving NIU for 15 years and higher education for 35, Ken Davidson, NIU’s vice president for legal services and parlimentarian to the Board of Trustees, will retire Friday, Dec. 31. Plan to attend a reception held in Davidson’s honor from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, in the University Suite of the Holmes Student Center....

A retirement specialist from the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) will be on campus from Monday, Nov. 8, through Wednesday, Nov. 10, to meet with individual employees to discuss retirement estimates. Meetings will take place inthe Holmes Student Center. The deadline to schedule an appointment is Friday, Oct. 8. To qualify for an appointment, an employee...

Exactly four decades to the day from when Ken Davidson received his first license to practice law, Northern Illinois University’s General Counsel today announced his retirement plans. Davidson, also an NIU Vice President and Parliamentarian for the NIU Board of Trustees, will continue to serve the university through Dec. 31. He joined NIU exclusively in...