The Student Association claims the administration is not honoring a 1980 agreement that involves the hiring of a new director for the Office of Campus Recreation.

The SA and Henry Cannon, former vice president for Student Affairs, signed an agreement that spelled out student involvement in the selection of a rec center director, if and when the occasion were to arrive.

The agreement stated students would be able to have the majority rule in decisions that are made about the rec center because it is funded by the students.

Former rec center Director Betty Montgomery resigned in April. She was the director since 1978.

“It is a student-funded complex,” said Jodie English, SA Recreational Center Adviser. Students should be able to make the budget and be involved in personnel decisions, she said.

But NIU President John La Tourette said the agreement made in 1980 is not valid because “existing constitutional bylaws supersede it (the agreement).”

The NIU Constitution and Bylaws state “the selection of a new director shall involve a search committee composed of faculty … student representation shall be included where appropriate.”

English said the bylaws can be interpreted two different ways. “Who’s to say student majority isn’t appropriate representation?”

However, La Tourette said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate to have a document from different constituencies.”

Barbara Henley, vice president for Student Affairs, refused to comment on the 1980 agreement.

A search committee for a new director already was formed in May by the University Council and will have a recommendation for Henley by Monday, Henley said.

The committee consists of five students and six faculty members, she said. The committee will make a recommendation to Henley who will in turn make a recommendation to La Tourette.

The final decision will be made by the Board of Regents.

“Once we got into the real work of the committee, only three students were active,” Henley said.

English explained two of the five students no longer attend NIU.

English brought the 1980 agreement to the attention of the Regents at its last meeting June 20. Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves said if the students are unhappy with the new OCR director, the SA can bring it up at the January Regents meeting.