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 NIU President John G. Peters issued this letter to the campus community Thursday, Feb. 16, to report on the upcoming state budget.
Feb. 16, 2006
Dear Colleagues,
Yesterday I traveled to Springfield to testify at our annual Senate Appropriations Committee hearing and receive details on the governor's proposed budget. As is my practice, I am taking this opportunity to share what I know about next year ‘s budget and what those details might mean for NIU.
You may have heard or read that Illinois higher education is slated to receive an additional $40 million in funding in the governor's budget. Of that amount, $7 million would go to community colleges, $18 million to universities, $8 million to the state's primary student financial aid program (MAP), and the remaining $7 million to a proposed tuition tax credit program. NIU's share of the increased funding for universities would be just over $1.2 million in FY '07.
The good news represented by the governor's budget proposal is the turnaround this budget represents after five years of flat and/or decreasing budgets.
For the first time since FY '01, if the governor's budget is adopted by the General Assembly, NIU would receive an increase in state funding. Illinois public universities suffered budget cuts in fiscal years '02, '03, and '04, finally receiving a flat, no increase/no decrease budget for both FY '05 and our current fiscal year, FY '06. COMPLETE LETTER
 A new study of fossil foot bones across human history by NIU Anthropology Professor Dan Gebo suggests that some of our very early ancestors had a rather peculiar way of walking.
Gebo and Gary Schwartz of Arizona State University analyzed heel and anklebone casts of five separate species of human ancestors to understand how human walking changed over time. The study identifies the earliest foot bones belonging to the genus Homo, the same grouping of species that includes Homo sapiens, and highlights intriguing differences found among even earlier human ancestors.
“Most people have argued that the foot bones of our human ancestors aren't all that different, but that's not the case,” said Gebo, a world authority on hominid foot bones. “The pattern of biomechanical changes that leads to the way modern humans walk today clearly took millions of years.
“With the earlier species of human ancestors that we analyzed, it's clear that their feet didn't work exactly like ours. This implies subtle gait changes over time.”
The findings of Gebo and Schwartz will be published in an upcoming edition of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
FULL STORY
 The owners and founders of four Montessori campuses in the northern Chicago suburbs invited representatives of the NIU College of Education to attend a United Nations reception honoring the American Montessori Society.
NIU alums Anthony and Carolyn Kambich, who graduated in 1959 and 1960 respectively, also arranged a meeting to connect the ambassadors of Kenya and Uganda with two members of the NIU early childhood education faculty. NIU professors Moses Mutuku and Maylan Dunn are leaders of a project to narrow the education gap between rural and urban Kenya, focusing on the small village of Mwala.
The U.N. reception took place Wednesday, Feb. 15, in New York City. NIU's delegation included Chris Sorensen, dean of the College of Education, and Deborah Fransen, the college's development officer.
“NIU, our school and many other organizations all have been doing their part, somewhere throughout the world, to expand knowledge and make it available, to open up opportunities for people to become empowered, to live peaceful lives and encourage others to do the same,” said Tony Kambich, who has a degree in physical education.
Mutuku, who will return to his homeland in June and July, wanted to create links between his project and the American Montessori Society.
FULL STORY
 A report on the first year of classes at Wright Elementary School confirms that NIU and District 428's unique partnership school is exceeding expectations.
Although it's too soon to identify or even look for trends, data gathered during the inaugural year at Wright indicate all DeKalb public schools eventually will benefit. Innovative instructional methods are making a difference at Wright, where the budget and the makeup of student body are similar to the rest of the district.
Wright has made “an impressive start on ambitious goals,” according to the annual report titled “Exceeding Expectations.”
“I think when you have an opportunity to focus together, as we did with Wright, then you're going to see positive results,” District 428 Superintendent Paul Beilfuss said. “It's been wonderful for students, faculty and parents.”
The university is committed to the community and its schools, said Christine Sorensen, dean of the NIU College of Education. “It is our responsibility to train tomorrow's teachers, and we can help create first-rate school environments where they can learn their skills,” Sorensen said. “The university has a strong interest in raising the quality of schools.”
FULL STORY
 After 16 years as part of the faculty and administration of the NIU College of Business, Bill Tallon is trading in the prairies of Illinois for the rolling bluegrass hills of Kentucky.
Tallon has been named the dean of the Gordon Ford College of Business, at Western Kentucky University, in Bowling Green. He will assume that role July 1.
“It's kind of bittersweet,” Tallon says of leaving NIU behind. “I have spent so much of my life here and worked with so many wonderful people. On the other hand, the Gordon Ford College of Business is well-positioned to become the premier provider of business education in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and I am very proud of the opportunity to have a major role in leading the school to new levels of excellence.”
Helping to quell any feelings of homesickness, Tallon says there are many things about the Ford College of Business that remind him of NIU.
“In many ways, it is … where the NIU College of Business was five years ago. They have an outstanding faculty, some excellent programs and they are preparing to move into a brand new $34 million facility in a couple of years. I feel like I understand some of the challenges that lay ahead, and I am looking forward to leading the school forward.”
FULL STORY
 The Women's Studies Program at NIU will celebrate its silver anniversary with a series of events and activities that also coincide with Women's History Month in March.
The theme for this year's activities, “Celebrating 25 Years of Women's Studies at NIU: Re-Imagining Sisterhood,” recalls the program's early days.
“We want to offer the community an opportunity to reconsider sisterhood, which was a popular theme when the Women's Studies program began,” said NIU English Professor Amy Levin, director of Women's Studies.
Levin, whose first book was on sisters and sisterhoods in the novel, has long been fascinated by the subject.
“The topic has many aspects,” she said. “Traditions about sisters and sisterhoods vary across cultures and historical periods. During the 1970s, for instance, when the women's movement glorified sisterhood, a number of books were published about the difficulties and competition in biological sisters' relationships.”
FULL STORY
 Read good news about – and send congratulations to – Rebecca Butler, Kerry Freedman, Rich King, Jeffrey A. Parness and Vince Tinerella.
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Northern Pride, a social support network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender faculty and staff, invites interested LGBT and ally individuals to join them for a weekly lunch. The group meets at noon Thursdays in the Blackhawk East room of the Blackhawk Dining Room in the Holmes Student Center.
For more information about Northern Pride, contact the LGBT Resource Center at (815) 753-LGBT or lgbt@niu.edu. A calendar of upcoming events is available online at www.niu.edu/lgbt.
Several Chicago poets will come to NIU at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, for a poetry reading in Altgeld Hall 315 as part of an exhibition at the NIU Art Museum.
Call (815) 753-1936 or click here for more information. -- MORE
NIU's School of Theatre and Dance presents a Helen Edmundson adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel, “War and Peace,” which runs from Thursday, Feb. 23, to Sunday, Feb. 26, and Thursday, March 2, to Sunday, March 5, in the Stevens Building O'Connell Theatre.
Christopher Markle directs the production. Performances start at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 for general admission, $8 for seniors and $7 for students.
More information and ticket reservations are available by contacting the Stevens Building Box Office at (815) 753-1600 or by visiting the School of Theatre and Dance Web site at www.niu.edu/theatre. -- MORE
Third Onion, the student-run theater company associated with the NIU School of Theatre and Dance, will present the original work of two student playwrights at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, and Friday, Feb. 24, in the Stevens Building Corner Theatre.
Tickets are $3 and available only at the door. The curtain may be held to accommodate students and faculty who have a late rehearsal in the same building. No reservations are necessary. Call (615) 604-0254 for more information. -- MORE
The Performathon, a fundraising event for the scholarship programs of the NIU Community School of the Arts, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, in the Music Building.
More than $60,000 has been raised for area children to study the arts since 1993, when the programs were started. This year's event features a record-breaking number of musical performances, a bake sale, a music swap and a raffle.
For more information, call Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or click here. -- MORE
The 21st Annual Mid-America Educators' Job Fair will come to the NIU Convocation Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27.
There are no fees and no pre-registration for the event sponsored by Career Services. Click here for information.
For other questions, please contact bkaufmann@niu.edu.
To open the celebration of National Women's History Month at NIU, Barbara Cole Peters, a private collector of women's 20th century fashions, will display a selection of red and black garments from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 1.
Peters will speak at the event, titled “Lady in Red & Black: Ode to Northern Illinois University,” and Nancy Jacobs will discuss how the situation for women in DeKalb has evolved over the past seven decades.
Reservations are required and space is limited. For location, further information or reservations, call the Women's Studies Program at (815) 753-1038.
From Washington, D.C., the United States Army Brass Quintet will perform a free concert at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, in the Recital Hall of the NIU Music Building.
The quintet also will conduct a free master class at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 2, in the Recital Hall.
For more information, call (815) 753-1551.
NIU's Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences has announced the schedule for its Spring 2006 Colloquia.
All talks will be held at 4 p.m. in Davis Hall 308 and are co-sponsored by NIU's Graduate Colloquium Committee. Call (815) 753-1943 or click here for schedule updates and more information. -- MORE
NIU's Graduate Arts Association and Jack Olson Memorial Gallery presents the Graduate Group Show through Wednesday, March 8.
The Graduate Group Show is an annual exhibition featuring the work of NIU's current graduate students. Participating artists are seeking MFA , MA and MS degrees from the School of Art.
Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (815) 753-4521 for more information.
Do you know someone who has shown their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people or the LGBT community during the 2005-2006 school year?
The deadline to nominate someone for the Second Annual NIU Ally Award is 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 10. A nomination form is available here.
Recipients of the awards will be honored from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, April 3, in the Clara Sperling Skyroom of the Holmes Student Center. A brief recognition ceremony will take place at 2:30 pm. All are welcome. -- MORE
NIU's Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center is seeking nominees for awards that honor outstanding graduate teaching assistants for their contributions to the university's teaching mission.
Five copies of each nomination should be submitted to “Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award Committee, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University” by Friday, March 10. -- MORE
The Summer 2006 and Fall 2006 Course Offerings will be online on the NIU Course Finder (www.courselistings.niu.edu) beginning Monday, March 13.
A printable Schedule of Classes in Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) and a printable PDF file of the Registration Information pages will be available online at www.reg.niu.edu. Click on “Schedule of Classes & Registration Information.”
Registration for Summer 2006 and Fall 2006 begins the week of April 3, 2006. -- MORE
The University Bookstore in Holmes Student Center will close for inventory from Monday, March 13, through Wednesday, March 15. Regular store hours resume Thursday, March 16.
Call (815) 753-1081 for more information.
NIU's Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (PCSOGI) and Prism of NIU are seeking nominations for the Eychaner Award, presented annually to recognize individuals affiliated with NIU who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender community.
The nomination deadline is 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 24.
A full description of the award, including eligibility and nomination guidelines, is available online here. -- MORE
NIU's Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity has limited travel funds available to help support faculty, staff and students who wish to attend conferences, workshops or seminars for the purpose of learning about or presenting scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender topics.
All travel must take place in the current fiscal year (July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006). The travel support form is available online here and should be submitted via e-mail.
To apply for funds or for more information, contact Patricia Liberty Baczek at (815) 753-5428 or e-mail plb@niu.edu.
First-Year Connections is looking for prospective UNIV 101/201 instructors for fall 2006.
UNIV 101 is a one-credit, 12-week course designed to assist freshmen in developing the necessary academic and social skills to make the most of their experience at NIU.
Click here for to apply. -- MORE
A printable abridged version of Northern Today is available. --CLICK HERE |
