Minutes of the

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

December 4, 2003

The meeting was called to order by Chair Gary Skoien at approximately 9:51 a.m. in the Clara Sperling Sky Room of Holmes Student Center.  Recording Secretary Mimms conducted a roll call of Trustees.  Members present were Trustees Catherine Adduci, Robert Boey, George Moser, Manuel Sanchez, Barbara Giorgi Vella, Student Trustee Kevin Miller and Chair Skoien.  Not present was Trustee Myron Siegel.  Also present were Board Parliamentarian Kenneth Davidson and President John Peters.  With a quorum present, the meeting proceeded.

Confirmation of Open Meetings Act public notice compliance was provided by Board Parliamentarian Ken Davidson.

Trustee Adduci made a motion to approve the meeting agenda as amended.  Trustee Vella seconded the motion.  The motion was approved.

It was moved by Trustee Sanchez and seconded by Student Trustee Miller to approve the minutes of the September 18, 2003 and May 5, 2003 Board of Trustees Meetings.  The motion was approved.

Good morning on this beautiful northern Illinois day and welcome to everybody for the final full Board meeting of 2003.  During my years on this Board, I have noted that the Chair typically takes this opportunity to comment on the ups and downs of the previous year, and I would like to follow that tradition today.

“Ups and downs” is probably as good a phrase as any to describe what we have faced this year at NIU.  The year 2003 has been, in many ways, a year of some dreams realized and others delayed.  We have seen a huge increase in a demand for an NIU education.  This fall, we welcomed the largest student body we have had in a decade, and we are continuing to see applications for next year running way ahead of expectations.  We know that some of the increased demand can be traced to demographics.  But we also know that the NIU “brand” has been growing in value and prestige over the last several years.  That is no accident.  It is clear that we are doing a better job of telling the NIU story to students, parents and high school counselors but also to lawmakers, donors and a wide array of influential audiences.  Last night, President Peters and I were at an alumni function in downtown Chicago, and we were tremendously impressed by the turnout, the enthusiasm and, particularly, the young people that were there.  It is exciting to see that kind of a turnout.  These are great accomplishments to celebrate.  But our excitement is tempered by the reality of shrinking budgets.  We are concerned about our ability to meet this increasing demand and still maintain the level of academic quality that draws so many talented students to NIU.

I know I speak for all of my fellow Trustees when I say that we have been extremely impressed with the leadership of President Peters, his staff, the deans and department heads and all the faculty here who have done what it takes to maintain the value of an NIU degree in the face of unprecedented budgetary constraints.  You truly have our deepest respect and gratitude for all of those efforts and on behalf of all the students we serve.

Over the course of the past two-and-a-half years, we have had many occasions to comment on budget issues.  In doing so, we have often expressed our frustration with the leaders who seem disconnected from the mission of higher education.  I think I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to say that the elected officials in Springfield and Washington have been wrestling and continue to wrestle with monumental financial problems.  Higher education, as important as it is, represents only one priority out of hundreds of issues our leaders must support. 

That is why it is so important for all of us who represent Illinois public universities to speak out on behalf of our students, faculty and staff.  I am proud to say that this year, all of us on this Board have taken that charge very personally.  In our trips to Springfield and in our conversations with the legislators, we have learned a great deal about the depth of our state’s fiscal crisis, as well as the important role universities will play in Illinois’ long‑term economic recovery.  I know President Peters commented during the Legislation, Audit and External Affairs Committee meeting about the economy.  I think those of us who are in business are starting to see it is not just the headlines.  There is a palpable, real, significant turnaround in business activity and the economy really does seem to be coming out of the doldrums.  Unfortunately, particularly in Illinois, but with all governments, there is always a lag.  It is just like jobs.  The GDP goes up and all the other indicators go up, but there is a lag period before companies start hiring.  So, it will be some time; but it looks like we are coming out of the forest.

One of the people who was most effective in helping us understand the issues was a man we intend to honor later in our meeting today -- the late State Representative David Wirsing.  We will be saying more about Dave a little later this morning, but in the context of these remarks, I would just like to say that he was an invaluable help to all of us, a great friend to NIU.  Dave was a very plainspoken and straightforward person, and he did not hesitate to provide the occasional “reality check” when he thought we might have needed one.  He will be greatly missed.  And for those of you and many of us sitting up here who were at Dave’s funeral or at the wake, you could just tell by the people he was surrounded by, his family and friends, what a quality person he was.  And, as Kathy and Ken could tell you, that quality is not maybe as deep and as widespread as it ought to be in Springfield, and we were all blessed to have had a guy like that down there working on our behalf.

We have been very fortunate to enjoy support this year from many of our public officials, and I want to make note of that today.  At many levels – locally, statewide and nationally – we have discovered strong support for NIU.  As trustees, it is extremely comforting to know that the welfare of this university is a very heartfelt concern to many of our elected officials.  They see, as we do, the important role NIU plays in the life of this region, and they know how many lives we are touching through our teaching, research, public service and outreach efforts. 

As President Peters said in his very thoughtful State of the University Address this fall, NIU was founded on the principle of public purpose.  It is our claim to public resources, and it is what differentiates us from other types of institutions.  When we are successful in our quest for new resources, it is because we have shown how NIU improves the quality of life of all of our citizens in this region.  Whether we are helping teachers in public schools, finding new treatments for cancer patients, helping farmers find new markets for their crops, or providing free legal advice to the needy, NIU is consistently proving its commitment to public purpose.  Our elected officials understand that commitment, and they respond in kind with new resources that help us carry out our work.  For those very strong and supportive relationships, we are truly thankful.  And to the faculty, staff and the students who carry out this work, we likewise offer our thanks and appreciation.

There are so many people who have contributed to our successes this year and each contributes in his or her own way.  I do not want to let this opportunity pass without mentioning what a tremendous boost we have all received this year from the successes and the spirit of our tremendous NIU Huskies football team.  It really is terrific.  The purpose of a university is not a football program, but you just cannot measure the value of the success of this team for the pride and the stature of the university, which really translates into a huge benefit on the academic side of the university.  So, I think people who read the paper and people who pick up sports and people who look at the television hear that name.  And all of that marketing is a very positive thing for this university.

I do not think it is possible to overstate the impact this team has had on the spirit of this campus, on the renewed interest of the alumni and donors or on the overall image of this university as represented in literally hundreds of pages of news clippings from all over the country.  This team has ten All-MAC conference players of the year.  That is the highest number in the MAC for the second year in a row.  And three of these students also collected national and regional honors for academics.  That is a hallmark of our athletic program that makes me, personally, very proud.

We have invited Coach Novak and some of the players.  But, before I turn it over to Joe, I would like to acknowledge the architect of NIU’s recent athletic successes.  Cary is not with us today, but Associate Athletics Director Robert Collins is.  Cary and Bob have been content to stay in the background during much of this season’s hoopla.  But I want to say publicly, on behalf of this Board, that we are extremely grateful for the leadership you they have provided for this program.  Successes on the field and in the classroom are the result of painstaking work behind the scenes, and we are fortunate to have someone with the skill you have in this position.

Coach Novak, you and your team have provided tremendous excitement, pride and inspiration, and we want to express our appreciation for your efforts.

I think I mentioned this the last time I came, Coach Novak said, but coaches get nervous coming in front of the Board of Trustees.  It is either good or bad.  So, it is good to come in these circumstances, and I appreciate the invitation.  I would like to introduce Randy Drew, Number 18, maybe that will help a little bit.  Randy was one of our All Conference players.  He is from Milwaukee.  He is a 3‑point student graduating shortly in Communications.  I invited all the captains and Josh Haldi, our quarterback, but they all had finals.

It was an exciting year, the Coach said.  As I walked over here today, I passed a big picture that we just hung in our office yesterday.  It is a picture of the scoreboard at Alabama after that game.  Scott Walstrom from Audio Visual made these big pictures of that scoreboard.  It is just beautiful.  I had one made for our office, one for Cary and one for President Peters.  What a great memory, and what a great year it has been.  It is always a privilege for me to come here, but again, it is not a one‑man operation, obviously.  There are a lot of people involved – our coaching staff and a tremendous group of players.  We have a great group of players.  Our students did a great job of representing this university on the field.  But I also like to feel they do a great job of representing us off the field, too.  I met with all our seniors last week as they are making their way out.  We have 17 seniors, and I am proud to say that all 17 are right on track to graduate.  Three of them are going to graduate next week, about seven or eight in the spring and several more next December.  But, again, that is the reason they are here, and we are certainly very proud of them.

It was an exciting year.  We still have a slim thread of hope for a bowl game, and that is something we have talked about.  I am certainly a little disappointed that we did not get the conference championship that has always been our goal.  We are going to continue to work for that.  Our coaches and our team members understand, too, that football is not the most important thing going on on this campus.  Sometimes in our little old world, we may feel that way, but we know better.  But by the same token, I think this year was a great example of what athletics can do for pride in the school.  And I would like to feel it brought a lot of people back to campus, maybe a lot who have not been here for a while.  The main thing is:  “Let’s do it again.”  Thanks so much for your support, and we hope to see you again next fall.

I want to thank Coach Novak, Dr. Peters said, a good friend and a wonderful role model.  I cannot underestimate what the team has done for the community and for our notoriety.  With all the sellouts we had this year, we are going to break all of our attendance records.  If our stadium could have seated 35,000, we would have had 35,000 students for the Homecoming game and dance.  We estimate, conservatively, that the impact we had in the community this year on a football Saturday was a million dollars above and beyond last year.  There was not a hotel room to be had, not a seat in a restaurant and I do not know about those other establishments, but you boosted the community.  There is pride all over the country.  People are asking for Huskie hats and Huskie tee-shirts.  And I think this is just the beginning, he concluded.

I want to share publicly what I said privately to Robert and to Coach, Trustee Sanchez said.  I was in Alabama and, obviously, that victory was a moment.  I lost my voice.  I could not even give the score to my wife because I was so excited.  But, I told them that I had the pleasure of staying at the same hotel where the moms, dads, ballplayers and coaching staff stayed.  The pride I had when I saw these gentlemen dressed in suits, conducting themselves in such a classy fashion, would make anyone beam and say, “Man, that’s NIU at its best.”  And to the athletic staff and Robert and Cary and to Joe and your team of players – you really made us proud.  Everybody in this nation now knows, not only do we have a class football operation but a winning one as well.

Joe, you and I have talked abut this a couple of times in private, Trustee Boey said.  I can only speak for myself, but I think the Board certainly shares in the feeling that we are going to hold you to your word when you said:  “See you next fall.”

Absolutely terrific, Chair Skoien said, and Randy, thank you very much for coming to the meeting this morning.  Thanks for being here, and thanks for all the great work you did.

I was going to bring a prop for the meeting this morning, the Chair said, but my son, Winston, decided to see if it would float, and it did not.  Fortunately, Trustee Vella brought this copy of the Chicago Tribune Magazine section.  I do not know if you have all seen this yet.  I was sort of stunned on Sunday morning when my wife ran upstairs with the magazine and said look who is on the cover.  If you have not seen this promotional piece on Trustee Sanchez, it was a wonderful article.  It really is a great article and, along with the football successes, it was very prominent.  It is not lost on us, the degree to which Manny expressed his relationship to Northern – wore it on more than his sleeve, wore it on his chest and his forehead and everything else.  And we were all proud to see this.  And just want to say publicly, congratulations, Trustee Sanchez, for representing this university so well.

When Trustee Vella and I first saw Manny this morning, Trustee Boey said, the first thing we noticed when he stuck his hand out to shake hands is that it was ring first.  The reason I point it out, Trustee Sanchez said, is that it is a Northern Illinois University ring, class of 1970, and I am very proud of it.

Chair Skoien recognized the University Advisory Committee representatives:  Dr. Suzanne Willis, Dr. Xueshu Song, Ms. Beverly Espe, Ms. Sara Clayton, Dr. Paul Loubere and Dr. William Tolhurst.

It is certainly good to hear that the economy is beginning to turn around, Dr. Willis said.  As you are well aware, we have not seen the effects of that trickle down to us yet, although we are eagerly anticipating them.  But, at the moment, times are pretty tough.  We have more students, fewer faculty and fewer resources.  We are dealing with larger classes.  We are dealing with budget cuts by cutting noninstructional expenses to the point where some departments have removed telephones from faculty offices, because they cannot afford to keep them there any more.  Many are limiting copying.  Some are asking students to bring their own paper to exams, because their paper budget is all gone.  There are some departments that have nothing more to cut except personnel.  And more cuts, particularly a midyear rescission, will put more departments into that situation.  So, we are really getting down to close to nothing.  On top of all that, through a communication with the Faculty Advisory Council to the IBHE, which is a very odd method of communication, we are now being asked by the IBHE to improve our productivity.  This was discussed at our Faculty Senate meeting last month, and I have never seen quite such an exercise in Senate meeting.  People were not in the least bit happy about this.  So, I am hoping that somehow we can get our message out that we do work very hard.  What we are doing is worthwhile, and it is a public good that the public ought to be happy to support.  And we are certainly working very hard to do that.

I wanted to just throw out a notion, and I have not talked about this with Ken Davidson or anybody, and it is not a request.  It is barely even a suggestion.  But I meet with my colleagues from other state universities, usually once a semester, and one thing that some of them mentioned that they had done is have each trustee that was willing and interested, spend a day on a campus, essentially shadowing a faculty member.  So you spend a whole day on campus with a faculty member to see what they do.  Now, I know we are preaching to the choir here.  But I think you would be surprised, even given everything that you do know about what we do.  So, I just throw that out as something worth considering.

I was thinking even before you made the suggestion at the end that your comments about telephones and paper and other things.  Even though I made those comments in the introduction about all the staff and the faculty and everything that has been done here, it really paints the picture a little more vividly than the generalizations do.  I, for one, would love to try to figure out a day, and I am sure some of the other Board members would like to do the same thing, because I think you are probably exactly right.  I do not know, on a day‑to‑day basis what a faculty member does and goes through, and I think it would be very helpful for us in executing our roles on the Board to go through that.  We will talk with President Peters and see who has an interest in doing it and what the best way is to do that.

The Chair asked Board Parliamentarian Kenneth Davidson if any members of the public had registered a written request to address the Board in accordance with state law and Board of Trustees Bylaws.  Mr. Davidson noted that he had received no timely request to address this Board meeting.

Executive Committee

There was no report from the Executive Committee.

Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel Committee

There was no report from the Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel Committee.

Finance, Facilities and Operations Committee

There was no report from the Finance, Facilities and Operations Committee.

President Peters reported that the last IBHE meeting was held October 7 at the SIU‑Edwardsville campus.  It was my first visit there, and I found it to be a quite interesting, wonderful campus in the metro St. Louis/East St. Louis area.  Items of interest to this board included a report and recommendations on the committee to review the health profession grants.  There was a review and a discussion of the process and the scope for a review of the Illinois Commitment, which is the master plan which the IBHE uses to direct postsecondary education.  There was also a report from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) on the Governor’s economic development plan.  NIU was included in the Governor’s plan as part of the Cook County Economic Enterprise Zone.  And, we will be receiving a recommendation from the Governor to further our degree completion partnership with Rock Valley College.  The next meeting of the IBHE is scheduled for Tuesday, December 9, in Chicago.

Universities Civil Service Merit Board

There was no report from the Universities Civil Service Merit Board.

Northern Illinois University Foundation

Board Liaison Robert Boey deferred to Ms. Mallory Simpson, President of the Foundation, for the NIU Foundation report.  As has been previously mentioned, Ms. Simpson said, it has been a very productive and very fun fall.  Since my last report, we have entertained hundreds of major donors and prospects at football games, held our annual donor recognition dinner in Naperville, held the Foundation annual meeting and hosted a campaign kickoff event for the new Alumni and Visitor’s Center.  Next week, President and Mrs. Peters, Mike Malone, Lee McCauley and I are heading to New York City for the Alumni Association’s second annual theater event.  Again, the Foundation is piggybacking on this event sponsoring a dinner for President and Mrs. Peters with major donors and prospects in New York City.  We have one final event planned for Sunday, December 14, to celebrate the success of our football team and to thank the team and the coach.  It will be held either here in northern Illinois or in Detroit, and we will have a major donor event there.

Four new members were elected to the Foundation Board of Directors at the annual meeting recently, Ms. Simpson reported, adding wonderful new breadth and depth to our board.  Dr. Suzanne Crosby is director of global markets and investment banking for Merrill Lynch in New York City.  Suzanne has three degrees from Northern – a bachelor’s, a master’s and a doctorate in economics.  Jeffrey Eckman is senior vice president and CFO for Brown‑Williamson Tobacco Company in Louisville, Kentucky, with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy.  These are two great people and successful NIU alumni.  Alan Reidman is senior manager for American Express Tax and Business Service, and holds a law degree from Northern.  And Jamie Simmon, owner of Twinbrook Limited, holds a bachelor’s in communication studies from Northern.  Also at our annual meeting, we circulated a year in review that tells you a little bit about the Foundation’s activities this past year.

All signs point to this year being a very good year, Ms. Simpson said.  And, yes, success does breed success.  People have asked whether the excitement of the football program is going to translate into additional giving.  It looks like that is very much the case.  Total giving is up about 32 percent over the same time last year.  Giving from alumni to date is up 60 percent.  Giving through the annual fund alone is up 56 percent.  And we have 43 percent more donors than we did at this time last year.  Known bequest expectancies total nearly $2 million, which we expect will be distributed this fiscal year and next fiscal year.  And, there is a check for $500,000, an estate gift from a military nurse, now being prepared for us.  I always like to tell a little of the story behind some of these things, she said.  This is a military nurse who had no relationship with Northern Illinois University.  One of our existing major donors was talking to this woman about her experiences with Northern, her satisfaction as a donor with a major estate plan, and her respect for the program and the people.  And lo and behold, this woman changed her will and added Northern Illinois University.  So the School of Nursing is getting $500,000 right now, and an additional distribution will be coming in for endowed scholarships in nursing.  And that goes to show that the word is beginning to spread, and existing donors are helping bring in new donors.

We probably can attribute all of these positive signs and increases, to NIU’s successes on and off the field, Ms. Simpson said.  There has been tremendous press in the last couple of years, a resurgence of NIU pride, improved market conditions, and a very hardworking and increasingly effective development team.  We have a new team in the annual fund program.  Our major gift officers are beginning to hit their stride, and our program is maturing.

On the major gifts front, Ms. Simpson reported, the development team worked very quickly to find a corporate partner to strengthen NIU’s proposal for the terrific, nearly $5 million federal grant awarded to NIU for the Rockford Education Alliance.  Our team secured gifts‑in‑kind from AV Worldwide for this ambitious partnership program.  In addition, Foundation board member Ken Chessick is completing his pledge payment on the Chessick Legal Skills Training Center, which will be dedicated on Sunday, March 14.

We also have a new $250,000 commitment from Jerry and Ginny Andres in Oregon, Ms. Simpson said, a pledge for athletics.  As you know, the campaign for the new Alumni and Visitors Center was publicly launched at Homecoming.  The $6.2 million construction costs will be funded through private gift support, and the university has again asked the Foundation to serve as developer.  The Foundation board acted at its annual meeting and has agreed to accept that role with great pleasure.  The timing of the groundbreaking for this exciting project depends upon the speed with which we can secure documented commitments sufficient to enable the Foundation to obtain construction loan financing.  Dennis and Stacey Barsema’s lead gift has been announced.  Their $2.5 million was announced at our kickoff event as well as leadership gifts from John and Nancy Castle and an anonymous donor and a commitment of $500,000 from the Alumni Association for its new home.  Total commitments for the Alumni and Visitors Center to date are about $3.7 million, and we are finalizing several other major commitments.  We should hit our early target of $4 million in the near future, but we have a long way to go toward that $6.2 million figure.

In answer to a query from Chair Skoien, Ms. Simpson said that signs are that the economy is very slowly beginning to come back.  But, I assume our results are probably way out of the league with what is happening nationally in fundraising, Chair Skoien said, and that is a terrific thing.  We are very happy about that.

Chair Skoien asked for a motion to close the public meeting to conduct an executive session to discuss the following subjects authorized by the Illinois Open Meetings Act:  personnel matters as generally described under §2(c)(1) and (3) of the Open Meetings Act, collective bargaining matters as generally described under §2(c)(2) of the Open Meetings Act, Litigation and Risk Management Matters as generally described under §2(c)(11) and (12) of the Open Meetings Act, and property matters as generally described under §2(c)(5) and (6) of the Open Meetings Act and Executive Session Minutes matters as generally described under §2(c)(21) of the Open Meetings Act.

Trustee Sanchez so moved, seconded by Trustee Boey.  A roll call vote of the Trustees to recess to Executive Session was unanimous.

Chair Skoien reconvened the public meeting of the Board of Trustees at approximately 12:00 noon.

Behind every great president is a great spouse, the Chair said.  I was remiss in not introducing Barbara Peters, John’s wife, who is here with us today.

She is going to kill me, the President said, but we celebrated 36 years of marriage on Tuesday.  She is great.  She is really a great role model for our wonderful women students, and she does an awful lot for us.

Continuing our good work with public officials is a critical component of what we need to do in the future, the President said.  And, of course, we will be recognizing our strong champion, Dave Wirsing, who we lost a few weeks ago.  Yet, one thing Dave helped me understand during our years together was that NIU loyalty runs deep in this region and in this state, and it really does sustain us.  Today I would like to introduce to you someone whose name you will be hearing a lot in coming months.  Mr. Bob Pritchard was sworn in yesterday to fill the remainder of Dave Wirsing’s term in the Illinois House.  And we are honored to have him here today.  Bob is a former executive with Monsanto.  He has served for the last five years as chairman of the DeKalb County Board.  His record of public service in this region is extensive.  His support for education at all levels is clear.  And yesterday, President Peters said, I heard the words that I listen for – he is a champion of education through higher education.

I just want to say John [Peters], Rep. Pritchard said, that my first official act as a State Representative is to be here at this Board meeting.

The day after I learned Rep. Wirsing had passed away, Chair Skoien said, I was driving in the car with former‑Governor Edgar.  I told him that Dave had passed away, and he was not aware of it.  He said, that is a terrible thing for you because there are only two people in Springfield who understand higher education.  We would like you now to be that second person, Bob.  So we hope you can learn a lot about higher education to give us a hand down there.

Action Items from the President

Agenda Item 9.a.(1) – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Geology & Environmental Geosciences Equipment

I bring forward a recommendation requesting your approval for an order for FY04 for the purchase of equipment in our Geology Department, President Peters said.  This is a request for the purchase of a mass spectrometer that will help them in their work.  Approximately two‑thirds of the funding comes from the National Science Foundation in a competitive grant, Provost Legg said, which tells us that the quality of the Geology Department is very high to be able to solicit that much money.  The rest comes from the department and the college.  A competitive NSF grant is very difficult to get.  And there is always a local match.  Chair Skoien asked for a motion to approve the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Geology & Environmental Geosciences equipment request.  Trustee Sanchez so moved, seconded by Student Trustee Miller.  The motion was approved.

Agenda Item 9.a.(2) – Collective Bargaining Agreements

Next, President Peters said, I want to bring to your attention three collective bargaining agreements for approval.  I am going to asked Steve Cunningham to present those.

The first of the three bargaining agreements, Dr. Cunningham said, is the Teamsters, who are our automotive mechanics and motor vehicle operators in Transportation.  It is an FY04 salary reopener.  The second agreement is the operating and heating plant engineers.  This is an FY04 salary reopener and a one‑year extension of the contract.  The third agreement is a full contract reopener.  At the time the agenda item was prepared, we had tentative agreement.  I can now confirm that the agreement has been fully ratified by the bargaining units and is ready for your action.  Chair Skoien asked for a motion to approve the three collective bargaining agreements presented for:  the General Chauffeurs and Helpers, Teamsters Local 330; the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 399; and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Council 31, Local 963.  Trustee Boey so moved, seconded by Trustee Adduci.  The motion was approved.

Agenda Item 9.a.(3) – Fiscal Request to Delete a Minor and an Emphasis

Item 9.a.(3), is a request to delete a minor and an emphasis, President Peters said.  The minor is in sports medicine and the emphasis is in Business and Chemistry.  The minor in sports medicine  curricular track is still available, but it is available through the more appropriate degree in kinesiology because that is what is required to take the test to be certified as an athletic trainer.  There are no resources involved.  But It requires action by the Board since it is the deletion of a degree track.  Provost Legg stated that the sports medicine curriculum is out of date and has become obsolete.

President Peters asked Provost Legg to present the request for deletion of an emphasis.  The Emphasis in Business Chemistry has run its course, Provost Legg said, and we have had only two students in it graduate since 1999.  So, there is no reason to maintain the program any longer in its format.  Chair Skoien asked for a motion to approve the deletion of the Minor in Sports Medicine and the Emphasis in Business and Chemistry.  Trustee Sanchez so moved, seconded by Trustee Vella.  The motion was approved.

Agenda Item 9.a.(4) – Request for New Emphasis

President Peters asked Provost Legg to present the request a new Emphasis in Chemistry for Preprofessional Students.  Dr. Legg stated that chemistry is becoming more and more recognized as a foundation science to almost everything that we do that has any science connection, and particularly in the biological area.  It is allowing students to get their experience in a chemistry‑related area with the foundation of chemistry still at the core of their educational mission.  In essence, they will be well‑prepared for the evolving markets that demand people with this kind of training.

Chair Skoien asked for a motion to approve the request the new emphasis in Preprofessional Chemistry.  Student Trustee Miller so moved, seconded by Trustee Sanchez.  The motion was approved.

Information Items from the President

Agenda Item 9.b.(1) – Periodic Report on Investments

Agenda Item 9.b.(2) – Quarterly Summary Report of Transactions in Excess of $100,000

Agenda Item 9.b.(3) – Semi‑Annual Progress Report on Active Capital Projects with a Budget Over $100,000

Agenda Item 9.b.(5) ) – Summary of Grant and Contract Awards

There are several information items that I will just mention, President Peters said, and then, if there are any questions, we will be happy to answer them.  These are the Periodic Report on Investments, the Quarterly Summary Report of Transactions in Excess of $100,000, the Semi‑Annual Progress Report on Active Capital Projects With Budgets Over $100K, a Summary of Grant and Contract Awards, and the PeopleSoft Student System Upgrade.  President Peters asked Dr. Eddie Williams to explain the student system upgrade.

Agenda Item 9.b.(4) – PeopleSoft Student System Update

In June of this year, Dr. Williams said, we embarked on a four‑step process for the eventual acquisition and implementation of the PeopleSoft Student System.  Over the years, you have already approved and we have implemented the PeopleSoft Financial System and the PeopleSoft Human Resource System.  The Student System is the third leg of that process.  One of the things that we are reviewing and investigating now is the potential of acquiring and implementing the appropriate database that would support our existing financial and human resource system as well as provide the database platform necessary for the student system.  We will continue to make the Board aware of all of the potential opportunities in terms of implementation of this system, cost savings and the sensitivity of what is happening in the marketplace for PeopleSoft.

Within the context of this information item, Dr. Peters said, we understand that it is the consensus of the Trustees that if certain factors develop with regard to our purchase of this platform, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees is empowered to make the decision.

Agenda Item 10.a. – Memorial Resolution

The next item on the agenda is a memorial resolution for Representative Wirsing, which is included in your Board book, Chair Skoien said.  I would suggest that in lieu of reading the memorial, we all have a moment of silence to pay our respects and tributes to Dave Wirsing. {A moment of silence was observed.}

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS Dr. Rhoten A. Smith faithfully served the citizens of Illinois as the sixth president of Northern Illinois University from 1967 until 1971; and

WHEREAS Dr. Smith served this University during a time of great growth, change and social turmoil; and

WHEREAS Dr. Smith guided NIU through that tumultuous period with wisdom, vision, courage and generosity of spirit; and

WHEREAS Dr. Smith helped establish numerous programs that increased access to the University by people of all backgrounds; and

WHEREAS Dr. Rhoten Smith articulated a vision for NIU as a comprehensive research university that lives on to this day; and