About the Presidential Commission on Race and Ethnicity

Overview

The Presidential Commission on Race and Ethnicity was established by the university president to assure that Northern Illinois University consistently and comprehensively will reflect, sponsor, mandate and totally support action designed to enhance the status of ethic minorities. The goal is to advise the president on the status of minority students, faculty and staff and make recommendations to improve the quality of life and opportunity for ethnic minorities at NIU.

Meetings

Regular and special meetings will be held monthly. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the chairperson, or at the request of one-third of the members on the commission. The commission shall keep minutes of all its proceedings.

The time and place of all meetings will be designated by the chair.

At least three days notice will be given to each member for both regular and special meetings of the commission. Notice of a meeting shall specify day, time, place and purpose of the meeting. Notice must be delivered personally (including telephone) to each member or mailed to his or her residence or business address.

Charge

The Presidential Commission on Race and Ethnicity is charged with:

• Regularly reviewing the personnel processes of NIU to determine their impact on the recruitment, employment and retention of racial and ethnic groups of administrators, faculty and staff who have been historically underrepresented
• Regularly reviewing admission and academic program policies to determine their effectiveness in the admission and retention of racial and ethnic groups of students
• Regularly reviewing campus committees, commissions and boards to ensure the equitable representation of racial and ethnic group perspectives in university policies and practices
• Regularly reviewing the quality of life for racial and ethnic groups at NIU
• Prepare an annual report to the president describing the status of racial and ethnic groups who have been historically underrepresented and recommend activities to improve opportunities for these groups
• Develop and implement programs to ascertain concerns and interests of racial and ethnic groups of students who have been historically underrepresented at NIU and recommend activities to improve opportunities for them
• Develop and implement programs to ascertain concerns and interests of racial and ethnic groups of faculty and staff who have been historically underrepresented at NIU and recommend activities to improve opportunities for them
• Supporting Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Education in achieving the goals of the university's affirmative action program
• Advising the president on activities to facilitate effective communication between racial and ethnic groups of students, staff and faculty who have been historically underrepresented at NIU and Northern Illinois University communities

History

As the oldest commission on the NIU campus, the commission has led the way in influencing and setting the tone for other existing commissions representing the rich diversity of NIU. Formerly The Presidental Commission on the Status of Minorities (PSCM), in 2020 the name of the commission was changed to Presidential Commission on Race and Ethnicity (PCORE). The commission has always maintained a strong advocacy for racial and ethnic groups on campus and in the surrounding community and region. 

The commission's influence on the work environment, climate, retention and recruitment of diverse faculty and students continues to be significant. The commission is always striving to assist in meeting its avowed goals of diversity and equal treatment for all.