Board chair re-elected to second term

NIU Board of Trustees Chair Gary Skoien was re-elected earlier this month to a second term as head of the governing body of Northern Illinois University. 

Skoien is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Horizon Group Properties in Rosemont.  He was initially appointed to the board in 1998, has served on all its committees and served  as vice chair before taking over as chair in July 2003.

Fellow trustee Barbara Giorgi-Vella was elected to a second term as vice-chair. George Moser will serve as board secretary, while Bob Boey was chosen as the fourth member of the board's executive committee.

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Diane Jackman, associate dean of the NIU College of Education, has received a Administrative Fulbright Fellowship in Thailand.

She will observe a person in a similar role at Chaing Mai University to examine the educational similarities and differences, probably from late December through early February.

Her cross-cultural experience actually starts in late August, however, when Pongsak Pankaew, Chaing Mai's associate dean of the faculty of education, begins his six-week experience in DeKalb.

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Michael Eads will have some good stories to tell about what he did over the summer. The NIU student is spending this week in Germany, rubbing elbows with some of the world's smartest people.

The National Science Foundation selected Eads, a 29-year-old Ph.D. candidate in physics, as one of 25 outstanding research participants to attend the 54th Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Students.

The meeting began Sunday and runs through Friday in Lindau, Germany. Eads is participating in physics-related activities with 18 Nobel Laureates.

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The NIU Board of Trustees has decided to proceed cautiously with the implementation of the PeopleSoft Student System.

The badly needed software will replace a 25-year-old system which barely can keep up with demands, and for which no company provides any type of support, says Steve Pace, associate director of Computing Services in Finance and Facilities.

If and when it is fully implemented, the new PeopleSoft system will transform how the university handles all student-related record keeping.

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NIU continues to recognize schools that are making the grade, most recently shouting “Bravo!” to schools that have shown progress.

This spring brought the first Academic Improvement Awards (AIA), given to 100 schools where students have made significant academic gains over the last three years while consistently meeting “Adequate Yearly Progress” as defined by federal No Child Left Behind legislation. NIU Outreach is coordinating the AIA program in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education.

Award-winning schools range across all levels, from those where 40 percent of students meet the Illinois Learning Standards to those where 90 percent of students accomplish that goal.

Three ceremonies were held around Illinois, including two earlier this month.

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Friends of the Blackwell History of Education Museum at Northern Illinois University raised $6,000 in support of the on-campus Milan Township One-Room Schoolhouse at a June 11 banquet.

University and museum staff joined 117 guests in the Holmes Student Center at the $50-a-plate fundraiser, which also celebrated the educational achievements of Resource Bank and the DeKalb County Farm Bureau.

The bank's large photographs of one-room schools and the farm bureau's historic photographs filled the walls of the Regency Room. The country theme continued with loosestrife and daisies filling jars formerly used for canning fruits and vegetables.

Cuba Caravan
comes to DeKalb

The Pastors for Peace 15th Caravan to Cuba will roll into DeKalb at 7:30 p.m. today. The DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice invites the public to First Congregational Church to meet the Caravanistas and hear how Pastors for Peace successfully challenges U.S. restrictions on travel and aid to Cuba.

Previous Caravans have delivered more than 2,350 tons of assistance to the Cuban people. The Caravans are a product of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization.

Caravan Coordinator Briana Harris, speaker at tonight’s program, will be accompanied by volunteers Dan Kemper and Laurie Clark, both from Corvalis, Ore.

There is no charge for the evening program, but a goodwill offering will be taken and small items of school or medical supplies will be accepted. There also will be opportunity for questions. Coffee and refreshments will be served afterward.

For more information, call Cele Meyer at (815) 758-0796.

School of Music hosts
Brown Bag Concert Series

The NIU School of Music Brown Bag Concert series begins Tuesday.

The Suzuki Strings, under the direction of Karen Weckerly, assistant director of the Suzuki program for the NIU Community School of Arts, will perform various pieces. The concert takes place at noon in the Recital Hall of the Music Building.

Other events scheduled include the NIU Graduate Woodwind Quintet (noon Wednesday, July 7), a harp concert (noon Wednesday, July 14), Klaus Luchs senior guitar recital (1 p.m. Saturday, July 17), steel pan concert (noon Wednesday, July 21) and a musical theater review (noon Wednesday, July 28).

The concerts are free and open to the public. Call 753-1551 or 753-1546 for more information.

Kishwaukee Symphony
hosts golf outing

The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s sixth annual benefit golf outing is scheduled for Friday, July 16, 2004 at the Sycamore Golf Club, 940 E. State St.

All proceeds raised from this annual event, which also features dinner, a silent auction, raffle prizes and more, benefit the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra. For more information, contact Denny Pickett at (815) 758-2777 or via e-mail at DekPickett@niu.edu.

NIU Alumni Association
to travel to Scotland

The NIU Alumni Association is accepting reservations for its travel program to Scotland, where an abundance of history, heritage and activities wait to be discovered by adventurous travelers.

The trip takes place Sept. 10-18.

With centuries-old castles dotting rolling landscapes, solemn sounds of bagpipes drifting across heather fields, friendly villagers proud of their heritage and the best golfing greens in the world, Scotland offers visitors a unique taste of its medieval history with modern flavors.

The historic city of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, offers visitors a perfect mix of ancient architecture, such as the renowned Edinburgh Castle, lush countryside and miles of coastline. The touring itinerary also includes visits to Fort William, Isle of Skye, Armadale Castle, Kingdom of the Fife, Loch Ness and St. Andrews.

The total cost for the trip is $2,399 per person, based on double occupancy (single supplement available), and includes: round-trip airfare from Chicago, three nights in Fort William, four nights in Edinburgh, daily breakfast and two evening dinners, with an optional golf outing in St. Andrews. Travelers need not be NIU graduates to participate in the Alumni Association Travel Program.

For more information or to place a reservation, call the NIU Alumni Association at (815) 753-1452.

FY04 cut-off dates

FY04 roll-overs

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