The upcoming Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting will address several important items for students and faculty to be aware of. Action Item A, pertains to the recommendation of immediate tenure for the new Provost and Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Richard Helldobler. Helldobler, whose appointment was announced in December by NEIU Public Relations, was officially recommended by President Sharon K. Hahs and the Dept. of Communication, Media and Theatre.

Action Item B is the “Tuition and Fee Recommendations.” This item pertains to a tuition increase of 4.4 percent for incoming students and a 6.9 percent increase for those who have attended Northeastern Illinois University for more than six years. However, the Minutes from a meeting of the University Planning and Budgetary Committee (UPBC) from Oct. 5, 2012 states that President Hahs accounted that enrollment went down almost 4 percent. The BoT had previously decided to refrain from raising tuition during the Spring 2012 semester. While Illinois budget cuts to education have resulted in less funding allocated, the decision to raise tuition and make entrance into NEIU more expensive for new students and students enrolled for more than 6 years appears to be in conflict with the issue of decreased enrollment at NEIU.

Other topics to be aware of are multiple expenditure approval requests, including Item F, “Expenditure Approval-Library Master Plan.” In the President’s Report to the Board of Trustees, its states that, “A Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) request for a consultant to develop a master space plan for the Ronald Williams Library was posted last spring.”  The master plan should address issues such as the growing need for library computer work stations and access to printers. There is also need for more study space and bigger computer labs. For the funds that will be required for the Master Plan Project, the Board’s approval is asked.

The Board of Trustees meeting will take place Thursday Feb. 21, 2013 in the Golden Eagles Room at 1 p.m.