More than just top NIU administration attended the last Board of Regents meeting because of the information needs of the board members.

Nineteen administrators and faculty members attended the last Board of Regents meeting April 18-19 at Sangamon State University in Springfield at a cost of approximately $10,000 to the university.

“We follow board guidelines,” said Eddie Williams, vice president of Finance and Planning.

Williams said the university must follow stipulations implemented by the Board of Regents. The board tells each university who must come along to a meeting depending on what topics are being discussed.

The board requires that members of the Joint University Advisory Committee attend the Regents meetings, Williams said. The committee is made up of faculty members not involved in the administrative process.

JUAC is to attend Regents meetings to give the board a non-administrative opinion on issues, said J. Carroll Moody, executive secretary of the University Council.

“It’s basically up to the vice presidents who they take along to the meetings,” Moody said.

Moody and Williams said Regents stipulations are adhered to, but it is up to the vice presidents of the university what personnel they take along.

“Essential staff is taken depending upon the issues coming up,” Williams said.

Some people might come along to a board meeting because the president or vice president feels they are essential to clarifying an issue, Williams said.

“The university is required to have the necessary staff attending for the board to do its work … period. You can’t do anything without the board doing their work,” Williams said.

For example, two people from one department or a chair of a concerned department might come along on a Regent trip for a specific issue, Williams said.

Williams said lodging is handled through university travel vouchers much the same way college organizations travel outside the university.

Voucher rates for hotel and lodging would have cost the group approximately $1,000 in addition to the daily breakdown of the faculty members’ salaries who attended the April Board of Regents meeting.

Despite the cost, the extra NIU personnel were needed for the Regents to make their decisions, Moody said.