Minutes of the
NIU Board of Trustees
FINANCE, FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
November 11, 1999

I am pleased to announce the presence of two employees who have been recognized as recipients of the 1999 PRIDE award, Chair Sanchez said. PRIDE is an acronym for People Responsible for Improving DeKalb's Environment. The Chair then asked the two recipients, Richard Schimmoler and Patrick Bell, to step forward. Their plaques read as follows:

People Responsible for Improving DeKalb's Environment present this to Patrick Bell (Planning Associate at Northern Illinois University) for institutional beautification and preservation for the installation of the West Campus Entrance Gates and landscaping, removal of the parking lots and replacement with walks, grass, trees, shrubs and other amenities.

People Responsible for Improving DeKalb's Environment present this to Richard Schimmoler (Superintendent of Electrical Construction) for the improvement of lighting levels and energy conservation in DuSable Hall, of which improvements are projects to reduce energy costs by 66% and could result in savings of a half million dollars over a ten-year period.

Mr. Schimmoler deferred to Mr. Bell for remarks. We would just like to thank everybody on campus who helped us with these projects, Mr. Bell said. It was controversial in some respects with relocating parking lots and disturbing a major portion of the West campus; but, if you visit the West Campus today, you will see that it was worthwhile. Thank you.

I have seen it, Chair Sanchez said, and I lived in Grant North in 1966 when Grant Towers had its first residents. What a difference. It is a really beautiful awesome sight to see, and I am looking forward to being the beneficiary of savings on our lighting.

Even though he is not officially a member of this Committee, Chair Sanchez said, I would like to acknowledge and ask our new Student Trustee, Nolan Davis, to move up to the front row. From our standpoint as Trustees, this is just a continuum of a dialogue with our Student Association. Since the students, faculty and staff really are an integral part of the success of this university all working together, as Trustees, it is important for us to have input from all sides of that equation. I know there has been some controversy this past year in the Student Association, but it shows that a constitution can work when tested. Trustee Boey announced that Mr. Davis would be sworn in as Student Trustee before the Academic Affairs Committee Meeting being held at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon. Chair Sanchez also recognized NIU’s new Controller, Mr. Keith Jackson. 

Agenda Item 6.b.-Fiscal Year 2001 Tuition Recommendations
The university has reviewed costs and tuition projections into the next fiscal year, Dr. Williams explained. We are also reflecting in these recommendations our understanding that the Board of Higher Education will include a 3.0 percent increase in their budget recommendations to the legislature and the Governor. As a result of that, he said, it will be imperative that we have at least a base 3.0 percent increase in order to meet the anticipated IBHE budget recommendations. Increases from 3.0 to 5.0 percent have already been approved for all of the other boards in Illinois. In relationship to our campus needs, he said, we have provided a 3.3 percent tuition increase recommendation. This is an extension of the President's tuition plan, which is designed to encourage students to take additional courses to reduce the price per credit hour. By providing that incentive, students taking more hours will be able to complete their programs of study in a shorter period of time. In accordance with that, this recommendation includes a 3.0 percent increase for students taking a full course load of 15 to 16 credit hours, with a slight increase for those taking less than 15 to 16 credit hours, Dr. Williams said. The graduate tuition and law school tuition increases are also recommended at the 3.3 percent level. Trustee Vella asked what the cost of living increase had been last year.

As background, President La Tourette indicated that when the Board of Trustees came into existence, the university looked at a set of guidelines to apply to tuition increases each year. We focused on and adopted two measures, he said. One was the cost of living increase, and the other was the increase in disposable personal income; so, the 3.3 percent increase is bracketed by these two increases. The Consumer Price Index has been increasing just under 3.0 percent. The Higher Education Price Index, a specialized price index that deals with the costs for higher education institutions, has been increasing more than 3.0 percent. And in the last few years, the increase in disposable personal income in Illinois has been over 4.0 percent. So, the President said, we have been looking at that range in considering cost and affordability.

Some increases running from 3.0 to 3.5 percent have already been passed by other boards in the state, President La Tourette said, and the University of Illinois has passed a 5.0 percent increase at Champaign-Urbana. We feel that ours is not only a prudent adjustment, but one that will keep NIU competitive with other institutions and still will meet the requirement that we, in part, fund our increase for next year out of a tuition increase. Referring to the schedule on page 18, President La Tourette said this would be the final adjustment on the tuition schedule. What we are really trying to do is encourage students to step up and take more hours by reducing the credit hour cost for each additional hour they take. Thus far, this has been successful from both the point of view of actually having more students take a full load, the President said, and from the psychological point of view of the university being able to make parents realize that a student usually has to finish at least 120 credit hours for a baccalaureate degree. And, there are a few programs that require more than 120 hours, which would require the student to take 15 or 16 credit hours per semester. One of the problems seen over the last couple of decades is that for financial aid purposes at both the state and federal levels students see that they are required to take 12 hours. So, very frequently, students feel they are taking a full load. But multiplying 8 times 12 gives you 96 hours over a four-year period, not the required 120 hours. A student who takes 12 hours per semester will take 10 semesters, or five years, to complete. So, this is an attempt to try to provide a financial incentive to take more hours, the President said, as well as emphasizing that if you do not take 15 or 16 hours it is certainly going to take you longer than four years to complete your education. The fifth year is as expensive as the first four years for students. Taking into account the fact that the student who leaves now with a four-year experience will generate an income of about $30,000 a year, President La Tourette said, the student who takes a fifth year loses that $30,000 a year in addition to the cost of the education. So, this has been our answer to the programs around the country that guarantee a student if you can meet a whole set of conditions, you can graduate in four years. One of the reasons NIU did not go that route, the President said, is that 55 to 60 percent of our students who graduate each year did not start here are freshmen. We wanted to have a program that gave incentives to all students, not just those starting as freshmen, but those who started as sophomores or juniors and transferred in from community colleges.

Trustee Boey said that he and President La Tourette had discussed this subject about two years ago, and asked if there had been a change in the trend of students taking only 12 credit hours per semester. The President said that there had been a definite trend of a much higher percentage of students taking more than 12 credit hours. So we can credit both the fact that students are conscious of the economic savings, he said, and that parents have awakened to the fact that the students have to take more credit hours to graduate in the planned four years. This approach also allows the students to make more rational decisions. Some students, because they are working, may make a very rational decision to take longer than four years when they balance the extra cost of taking the fifth year against whatever earnings they have during their college experience. But the difficulty is that the wrong message is sent to the students because financial aid is based on 12 credit hours, which no one questions. Then in the fifth year, after receiving aid for four years, they find that it is on their shoulders to finish up. In some cases they can continue the financial aid, President La Tourette said. But, in most cases, students are not receiving 100 percent financial aid to cover their costs. In fact, approximately 70 percent of our students receive some financial aid. But a very large percentage do not receive a full aid package, so they are sharing in the cost of their education. Chair Boey said that the university had to find some way to continue to signal students when these kinds of conflicting statements occur. The people in Orientation do a very good job of this, the President said. There are briefings from the Bursar raising the issues of cost and helping families understand their expenditures for their children's education. This is something the university will continue to do through the Orientation program, the Bursar's Office and Financial Aid.

It is important to note in view of the common perception that universities are trying for financial benefits to stretch out the experience to five or six years, Chair Sanchez said, we are doing just the opposite. We are trying to encourage students to finish in four years by encouraging them to pay less per credit hour by taking full loads. To some extent, the Chair said, it has become more the norm to take four and a half or five years. It is not being encouraged by this university or this Board of Trustees. It is a phenomenon that did not occur in the 1970s; but in the 1990s. As we enter the next century, it seems to be rather commonplace. So, it is important to let the message resonate from this Board of Trustees that we are trying to encourage people to take heavier loads, if possible, the Chair said, so that they will pay less and complete their education in four years or sooner than they would by taking the average 12 hours per semester.

Last Saturday, Chair Sanchez continued, I participated in an Excellence in Education White House program held in Chicago. By the year 2014, unless there is a change, it is anticipated that one year of higher education is going to cost $100,000. I share that with you because I want you to know we do not take lightly any considerations regarding tuition increases. We try very hard to minimize, to the extent possible, any increases. Chair Sanchez asked for a motion from the Committee to endorse these recommendations. Trustee Boey so moved, seconded by Trustee Vella. The motion was approved.

Agenda Item 6.c. - Investment and Cash Management Policy
In July of 1998, the Illinois Public Funds Investment Act required that the internal investment and cash management policies of the various public universities be approved by their boards. We have modified our policy, Dr. Williams said, so that it is consistent with Board of Trustees Bylaws. We have added, over time, new administrative responsibilities, and the policy reflects those changes. More importantly, from the basics of the policy, there are no administrative or other changes from state statute. In answer to a question from Trustee Vella, Tamara Farley, Director of Treasury Operations, said the reports had been submitted annually up until now, but would be prepared quarterly beginning next year. However, Dr. Williams said the Committee would receive reports on a quarterly basis. Chair Sanchez asked for a motion to approve the Investment and Cash Management Policy as amended. Trustee Vella so moved, seconded by Trustee Boey. The motion was approved.

Agenda Item 7.b. - Semi-Annual Progress Report of Active Capital Projects With a Budget Over $100,000
We are very proud of the fact that we are able to address the capital needs of the institution to some extent, Dr. Williams said, and we have been able to generate the necessary resources to fund these projects. There are approximately 400+ projects underway on campus right now. This just reflects the amount of work being done, the investment that is being made in our institution, Dr. Williams said, and the excellent work our staff is providing to the university. Chair Sanchez complimented Dr. Williams on the variety of contractors used for remodeling and replacement projects and the excellent quality of work. Dr. Williams said he appreciated the Chair’s comments and explained that all of the university’s contractor selections were made pursuant to state statute and requirements. But, within that context, he said, it is very important to attract as much creativity and professionalism as possible to the campus, and that is one of the reasons we aggressively seek architects and engineers as well as contractors and subcontractors throughout the state and region to consider them for some of these projects. That has paid off handsomely in the number of projects that were within budget and on schedule and in the final designs of the projects.

Agenda Item 7.c. - Annual Report of Cash and Investments
This is a report on the university's cash management policy and summarizes the activities for FY99, ending June 30. I am very pleased to report that overall our investment return was 5.34 percent, Dr. Williams said. One of the benchmarks we use in comparing how well we are doing is to compare with the State Treasurer's Office investment funds. They returned a 4.94 percent over the same period; so, we are very pleased with the performance of our investment. Dr. Williams commended Ms. Tamara Farley and Ms. Kathe Shinham for their efforts in assuring that NIU maximizes its return within the constraints of the policy and statute. In reply to a question from Chair Sanchez, Ms. Shinham stated that the percentage at the close of the last fiscal year was 5.7 percent. 

Agenda Item 7.d. - Update of Fiscal Year 2001 Operating Budget Request
Dr. Williams stated that the university met with the Board of Higher Education in a Big Picture meeting last September to discuss the FY01 budget. The Board of Trustees approved guidelines for the FY01 budget and sent it to the IBHE. The IBHE staff is working on recommendations according to the requests of the individual campuses that will eventually go to its board and then to the state legislature. The purpose of the Big Picture Meeting was, Dr. Williams said, for the university, particularly the President, to outline for the IBHE the campus priorities in the budget as the process moves on to the legislature and the Governor. The university is now in the process of reviewing the Discussion Budget, which is a draft budget from the Board of Higher Education.

So far, Dr. Williams continued, it appears that the Board of Higher Education staff is being very consistent in adhering to the Illinois Commitment, which defines the public purposes for higher education and sets a direction for the budget process. Those priorities are very close to the priorities identified by NIU and this Board so that we are in the position to make a strong case for our future budget. The university is in the process of reviewing the preliminary recommendation, submitting statements and looking forward to a positive response from the IBHE.

From my perspective, President La Tourette said, the university is in excellent shape. We have turned our enrollment situation around and are now reaping the benefits of prudent management over that period of enrollment decline. When the budget document ultimately surfaces at the IBHE level, it will show that we have improved our income fund, which will help considerably in meeting our own priorities locally. Some of the other universities are making negative adjustments in their income funds as a result of their enrollment declines. I am very pleased that we have turned the corner in showing positive adjustments to our income fund, the President said. One area of considerable concern is salary competitiveness. It appears that the Board of Higher Education will continue to pursue an adjustment over and above the base adjustment for salary increases to make them more competitive. The remaining question is how will the university match the extra increase that occurred last year in the budget process. We have been prudent in looking at that issue following the Board's strong indication to make salaries more competitive, and we have that as one of our highest priorities. A second area of concern is program development. It is very important that we continue our progress in improving the technology available on campus, President La Tourette said, particularly the faculty's capability of using new technology in the classroom for instructional purposes. We have made some very significant investments in those areas including a complete revamping of our faculty development program. One area of concern is the availability of people trained in the information technology area. One of the major strengths of this region has always been in computer technology with many consulting firms located throughout the Chicagoland area. Additional funding was received from the IBHE, some of which was matched through the income fund to offer students more opportunities to take programs in computer science and operations management and information systems (OMIS), a derivative of management information systems. This is an area where we would like to see additional funding as a response from the state and the IBHE on what has been a clamor from the business community for more people educated in computer systems.

The one area in the IBHE's development of this budget that appears to be problematic is deferred maintenance. At the Big Picture Meeting, the Board of Higher Education staff promised that they were going to come up with an approach to this, the President said. Deferred maintenance costs for NIU are estimated at close to $90 million. The university has been reallocating funds every year to increase the basic funding for deferred maintenance. The report on capital projects shows that the university is very heavily involved in many kinds of projects that deal with deferred maintenance such as improving lighting, rehabbing classrooms, replacing some very old elevators, and replacing some roofs and HVAC systems. But we do not seem to be getting a response from the state, the President said, and I have suggested that perhaps some of the tobacco settlement money would be a way of immediately addressing this problem. We have an approximate $90 million problem at NIU and approximately $900 million to a billion dollars statewide. The tobacco settlement was estimated to be about $9 to $10 billion dollars. Medical services is a high priority for that money, President La Tourette said, but perhaps the universities could then match some of that money so that all of the funds would not be expected to come from the tobacco settlement. But there would be enough to generate enthusiasm, support and direction to examine and address this problem; and through our reallocations, we could match additional monies from the state. Basically, the problem is that most of these buildings are 30 to 50 years old, and the state has never provided enough funding to keep them up to date. These recommendations will be considered by the Board of Higher Education on December 14, the President said, and we hope to have a clearer sense of these recommendations by the December 10 Board of Trustees Meeting.

When I became chair of this Committee, Chair Sanchez said, the biggest surprise that I can recall was deferred maintenance and how serious a problem it is. For us it is a crisis situation that we have to deal with by putting band-aids on until the state comes to grips with this very serious problem instead of deferring the issue and not dealing with it.

Agenda Item 7.e. - Report of Tuition and Fee Waivers Fiscal Year 1999
Board of Higher Education policy requires that each institution provide an informational report to its governing board regarding tuition and fee waivers. The report on page 42 of the Board materials outlined the various categories of waivers for both undergraduate and graduate students. There is an assumption that all these waivers are being controlled by elected officials, Chair Sanchez said. Yet, the categories under mandatory waivers on this list include children of employees, teacher special education, DCFS and ROTC, along with General Assembly. The rest are institutional waivers that do not engender the kind of favoritism so often associated with the term "tuition waivers." Dr. Williams stated that this is the actual breakdown. Every waiver under the direction of the institution is governed through a committee that evaluates the applications and makes the decisions. Waivers that are mandatory through state statute are not under university control; yet, the General Assembly category was the only one where some problem was identified regarding the use of waivers. We have very elaborate systems on campus for handling these waivers, Dr. Williams said. There is a committee under the Executive Vice President and Provost that handles waiver management. Waiver management is also handled by Finance and Facilities through review and accounting for those waivers. We require that the written criteria be established, he said, and that records of all selections be maintained for a period of years.

Chair Boey pointed out that over 70 percent of those waivers actually refer to assistantships in the graduate school, which is a very traditional method of helping graduate students and has nothing to do with whether the students are employees or children of employees. As further explanation for the new Trustees, President La Tourette mentioned that waivers are quite commonplace with graduate assistants. If these waivers were not granted, the university would have to pay higher stipends to graduate assistants. In many private schools, the student receives a $16,000 or $17,000 stipend and then has to pay out $8,000 or $9,000 of that for tuition. So, it is a cost-effective way for the university to have help in the classroom and other activities through graduate assistants. And, it is part of their educational experience, the President said, so that we can replicate the faculty and staff that are essential for higher education to offer good quality undergraduate experiences.

Agenda Item 7.f. - Capital Projects Update
Dr. Williams gave a slide presentation of some of the key capital projects currently underway on campus. He highlighted Altgeld Hall, showing various parts of the major renovation project being undertaken. The project, with a budget of approximately $19 million, is underway. One of the many issues regarding Altgeld is the restoration of the exterior, he said, and the parapet walls have presented quite a challenge. The contractors have discovered that several of those wall elements are actually hanging by the smallest bits of mortar. They have had to take some down completely in order to rebuild and remount them. Some sample restoration areas in the auditorium were shown as examples of what the final interior restoration will look like. Slides were shown of areas where electrical wiring and HVAC systems (the heating air-conditioning systems) will have to be replaced.

Slides were shown of the NIU Naperville groundbreaking and some of the activity that has begun there. It will be a two-story building with two wings connected by an atrium. NIU's Business and Industry Services will occupy over 30,000 square feet on the second floor. They will utilize the auditorium, the classrooms and probably the computer rooms. We visited the plant in Wisconsin to see the precast concrete for the building, Dr. Williams said, to make sure it met all of our requirements. We are using a new system in which the precaster actually includes, not only the precast concrete, but also the bricks as part of that single unit. The building will be located in a prominent location on Diehl Road, a major street in Naperville, which is right off Naperville Road. There will be a wet pond in a beautifully landscaped area in front of the building. All parking will be away from the main street.

The university is addressing the needs of its students by providing an expanded Child Care facility. This facility is under construction with a budget of approximately $3 million. The framing has been completed. Finishing touches are being completed on the exterior stone work so that the building will be enclosed and work can continue through the winter months.

One of the projects that was begun two years ago and mentioned earlier in the work done by Mr. Schimmoler was the improvement of DuSable Hall. Much of the furniture, blackboards and all the rest were the same that were there when I taught in that building in 1970, Dr. Williams said, so they have aged a little bit. We did not have any funds from external sources for this project, but the President provided an opportunity to generate funds internally in order to meet this need and to renovate what is called a "smart" classroom. It has a podium, new seating and screens in front of the classroom. Also new lighting and ceilings were added. The "smart" podium includes a computer and overhead projector, which gives the instructor the opportunity to maximize his utilization of modern technology in the classroom setting. Dr. Williams said the "smart" podium was designed and built by NIU staff.

The renovation of the Stevenson residence halls deals mostly with infrastructure — the heating and air-conditioning system, windows, roof problems and other areas. But within that context, Dr. Williams continued, we were able to do some very nice things. There is a new street for students to traverse and a new food court. The street goes from the north wing of the residence hall to the south wing, and a new information desk has been installed at the entrance. Dr. Williams showed slides of the new look in a residence hall room. Suites, single rooms and much larger double rooms have been added. This whole process was led by the desires of the students who live there, he said.

The university, in conjunction with IASBO, constructed the IASBO building, which is now complete. The dedication and grand opening have been held. It is important because it does not only provide space for the university, Dr. Williams said, but it also sets a precedent in how we can move forward to meet university needs in a climate where the state is not able to provide for all of our capital needs. We have to be creative in seeking out this kind of partnership, he said, but it can work. This building is a key example of what can be done. He went on to show slides of the board room, the computer room, the space that NIU is using in the building, and the second floor where NIU also has offices and operations.

We are very pleased with the outcome of the Latino Center, Dr. Williams said. It was a very beautifully designed facility and very functional. We could not have built this building had it not been for President La Tourette's willingness to listen to my pleas to double the budget. Then Chair Boey and our Committee Chair, Mr. Sanchez, brought a revised project to the Board of Trustees eliminating the idea of renovating and adding to the existing building and, instead, just tearing it down and starting from scratch.

The last project Dr. Williams talked about was the convocation center. Development on that building is moving forward. He said he would report on some of the financial results of university efforts in financing the building under Other Matters. From a design perspective, we are moving forward rapidly, he said, and are very pleased with the concept.

Trustee Boey said that Dr. Williams' report on all of these projects brought back a lot of memories regarding some of the things the newly established Board set out to do almost four years ago. Most of these projects, such as the West Campus renovation, the Latino Center and the Child Care Center were begun in the initial year of the Board of Trustees. I just want to keep reminding all of those people who keep asking "why are we throwing money away instead of spending it on teaching programs, etc.," that there are two main reasons we did this. One is for the quality of life for our students on campus; and, just as important, it is called marketing, competition. We are the only four-year public university outside Chicago in the northern Illinois region, one of the prime areas in the United States to attract what we all define as customers — potential students. And when you have a potential customer coming on campus with his or her parents, what is the first thing they look at, he asked? Not your professors, and not your classrooms. Your campus, dormitories, bookstores, your overall campus environment, those are the first things they look at. If you lose them then, you will have a hard time getting them back. So we on the Board of Trustees decided right off the bat that it was time to do something about this competition, Trustee Boey said. We treat the northern Illinois region as our backyard. It is time we fight for our fair share of the market. So, for those who ask "why are we throwing money away on infrastructure when we should be using it on teaching programs," I want you to know that we have not neglected our teaching programs. But without the ability to compete, we do not have to worry about teaching programs, tenure or anything else because we will not have the customers. These are the reasons we took on these projects, Trustee Boey said, and I think the results in enrollments speak for themselves. Chair Sanchez said that several of those items were like wish list matters at one time. Before the Board was statutorily formed, going to some functions, and I distinctly recall the NIU Athletic Club functions, people were saying that someday we have to have a convention center or something because the Field House just is not cutting it. And whenever Cary Groth brought it up, people would say she was dreaming. But those are no longer wish list items. Many of these things that naysayers said could not happen have happened and are happening, the Chair said, and it is our privilege to be at the helm as Trustees as it happens. Having a convocation center is a necessity, Trustee Boey said, it can no longer be thought of as a luxury. It is part of our competition, and I am glad it happened on my shift as Chair.

Dr. Williams recognized the staff who have worked very hard and diligently in providing leadership and direction for these projects: Mr. Pat Bell, the Latino Center, IASBO and, currently, the convocation center; Ms. Beth Simmons, NIU-Naperville; Ms. Mary Crocker, DuSable Hall improvements; and Ms. Patti Perkins, Altgeld Hall and the Child Care Center. There are other staff and architect/engineering staff, physical plant staff also involved in these projects and as we move forward through this year, he said, I want to take the time to acknowledge them and acknowledge the service they render to the university and, therefore, to this Board.

In answer to a question from Trustee Vella, Dr. Williams said that many of the problems mentioned earlier in his Altgeld presentation were foreseeable. But, whenever you are involved in a major interior renovation like this, he said, where the facility is actually being gutted, there are going to be surprises, and we are watching the budget very carefully. It is a Capital Development Board project, which means the university has less control. But the project is being monitored by the university on a weekly basis, and progress reports will be brought back to the Board throughout the project.

Agenda Item 7.g. - Request by the City of DeKalb for New Easements and a Revision to a Current Lease Agreement
Dr. Williams updated the Board on an easement request from the City of DeKalb, which is under a consent decree to improve their public water system by reducing the levels of radium in the water supply. In order to address this requirement, the City engaged consultants who came up with a two-phase plan that will cost them approximately $15 to $20 million. They have begun Phase 1 of that plan. In order to begin Phase 2, they require a new easement from NIU in front of the property that was purchased recently as part of NIU's West Campus. They also require an easement to the university's sanitary line just east of the Human Resources building. And they require a modification of the 99-year lease for the property on which the water tower sits, which is also part of NIU's West Campus, in order for the City to add a treatment plant right next to the tower. The size of that treatment plant will not be inordinate; it will fit into the general scale of things in that area. But, it would require that the university review the lease. University staff is in the process of negotiating and discussing this matter with the City. I wanted to alert you to this, Dr. Williams told the Board, because there is some urgency on the part of the City in order for them to apply for low interest loans. They must have all easements and such agreements in place prior to the loan application submission, which they feel will occur in early 2000. In order to do that, and given our Board schedule, the City has requested that we try to take action on their requests prior to the end of this calendar year. The university is investigating this possibility. Dr. Williams pointed out some concerns about these agreements. The biggest concern at the moment is that when Phase 1 was initiated by the City, university water rates increased by over 30 percent. We are very concerned about what the effect of rates will be when Phase 2 is implemented, he said. If the City could get a low interest loan from the State of Illinois, that would help. Also, the university recognizes the fact that the Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, is working with not just DeKalb, but several other cities in the state that are facing the same issue. He is trying to come up with federal dollars to assist in this matter. The university is trying to seek a partnership with the City for this assistance. The university is also investigating what the rates would be and their impact on the university, as well as other options in providing water service to the campus. We hope to bring all of those different reviews and questions to some resolution so that we will have some agreement to bring forward to the Board at the December meeting, Dr. Williams said. What the City is doing also benefits the university, Trustee Boey said. I am hoping the City of DeKalb will recognize the importance of the convocation center and that they will participate in the infrastructure of the center both above ground and underground since this is all part of the lease land in that general area.

The Chair then asked for a motion to adjourn. Trustee Vella so moved, seconded by Trustee Boey. The motion was approved.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:48 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sharon M. Mimms
Recording Secretary