NIU Today

The fall veto session of the Illinois General Assembly is under way and, with it, many pending issues that will have a critical impact on NIU, public higher education in Illinois and the overall management of the state. Today I have been meeting with legislators and Gov. Pat Quinn to advocate for higher education funding...

According to the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the deadline for submitting documentation for the State of Illinois Retiree Group has been extended to Friday, Dec. 6, because of the federal government shutdown. There is no need for anyone in this group to request an extension prior to Friday, Oct. 25. Members of the...

NIU President Doug Baker and College of Law student Irakere Picon are among the speakers Wednesday, Oct. 16, during a panel discussion in support of common sense immigration reform. Hosted by the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, NIU alum and Illinois State Rep. Joe Sosnowski and NIU, the forum is designed to foster a solutions-oriented conversation...

NIU College of Law Dean Jennifer Rosato was presented with the Distinguished Leadership Award from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. She was honored Wednesday, Sept. 25, during the Illinois Secretary of State’s 2013 National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration for her career in law and in legal education, her legacy as a professor and scholar...

In Washington, D.C. … On Friday, the U.S. Senate approved S.744, the comprehensive immigration reform bill developed by the Senate Gang of Eight (that includes Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin), by a vote of 68-32. The Senate held a roll call vote, a procedure typically reserved only for the most significant votes, to underscore the historic...

Northern Illinois University president John G. Peters and acting executive vice president and chief of operations Steven Cunningham lined up with other higher education leaders in the state to testify before the Senate Executive Committee as to the viability of legislation aimed to stabilize the State Universities Retirement System (SURS). Their combined testimony was well-received....

Northern Illinois University President John Peters and senior administrators have been actively involved in building consensus on a pension stabilization solution for the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) that enjoys the unanimous support of presidents and chancellors of all Illinois public universities. The plan – a combination of Senate Bill 1687 and Senate Bill 2591 – is expected to...

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 Northern Illinois University College of Law will present former Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson with an Honorary Doctorate of Law during its Saturday, May 25, commencement ceremony, where he will also be featured as the commencement speaker. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. in the NIU Convocation Center. The criteria to receive an honorary...

Presidents and chancellors at public universities and colleges across the state reached an agreement in principal with House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and House leaders Thursday for public universities to assume the employer share of employee pension costs beginning in FY2015. The hope is that Thursday’s agreement might help break up the logjam in Springfield...

Dear Colleagues, I am writing to you today to update you with some very important information relative to the very fluid pension debate in the General Assembly in Springfield. Thursday afternoon, the Illinois Senate approved an amended version of Senate Bill 2404, a union-backed proposal sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton that offers Tier I...