The University Council decided to argue semantics instead of constitutional change at its meeting Friday.

The University Council’s Rules and Governance Committee unanimously approved a decision to make no change in NIU’s Constitution regarding the UC’s relationship with the University Judicial Code. The committee decided instead to clarify the wording of the Committees of the University Book.

According to the committees’ book regarding changes in the Judicial Code, the advisory board “shall recommend changes to the president through the UC and the vice-president for Student Affairs.”

The committee decided the word “through” in this statement needed to be clarified.

Sociology Professor Robert Suchner said defining the word would compensate for the six months of “wrangling” the UC has done regarding its relationship with the code.

The committee will bring the issue up at the next UC meeting, where they will state their interpretation of the word “through.”

The Rules and Governance Committee interpretation would have judicial code changes brought to the UC executive secretary. The secretary would then decide if the changes need to be brought to the UC in issues such as academic misconduct, and changes in the committee book.

After their recommendation goes to the UC, along with their own interpretation, it will go to the university’s Rules Committee. However, the Rules Committee might come up with another definition for the word “through.”

Campus Welfare Advisor Curt Stein is pleased with the decision.

“To me, the idea of ‘through’ is that they (the UC) have the ability to go on record of advising. I believe that is (their) proper relationship,” he said.

Stein said the committee’s decision would not give the University Council the power to approve, recommend or amend changes to the code.