Hope for a student-run credit union started at NIU’s Holmes Student Center is still running high, but there is some confusion over who should approve it. The credit union was proposed last spring. But as of July 25, the credit union had not received approval from NIU Legal Counsel George Shur. Shur was unavailable for comment because he was off-campus at a Harvard University institute.

Shur allegedly had some reservations about the credit union, including practical and legal questions about the use of the university name, the possibility of needing approval from the Illinois Board of Regents, payment for university space and possible conflicts with DeKalb banks.

: The NIU branch of the Rockford Campus was stalled because of legislative battles between the General Assembly and Gov. James Thompson. The battle began in May 1989 when Sen. Joyce Holmberg (D, Rockford) added an ammendment to the 1990 budget bill adding $500,000 to the NIU-Rockford Branch campus. The House agreed with the ammmendment a month later.

The Rockford Campus would offer junior, senior and master’s level courses for about 1,500 students in the Rockford, Belvidere and Freeport area.

But Thompson never released the money and now the project could be delayed another year.

: Former Student Association President Huda Scheidelman attempted to veto to 20 Campus Activities Board budgets for this academic year in an unsuccessful attempt for the SA to regain university programming control. Scheidelman presented the veto, which was overridden, at the last scheduled SA meeting May 6. Senators overrode Scheidelman’s veto at an emergency senate meeting May 10.

: NIU faculty received an increase of 2 percent, but the small increase could lead to many faculty members seeking for more stable and better paying positions at other universities. Last year, the NIU faculty received salary increases of 10 percent and now faculty members are feeling the crunch of limited salary increases.

Also last year, NIU Provost Kendall Baker put a salary adjustment plan into effect to help the faculty cope with the limited salary increases. The plan will try to compensate for differences between NIU salaries and other university salaries based on faculty members’ performance and affordability. The plan should increase salaries by .3 percent which will enable the univeristy to continue the adjustment plan.

: A proposal for a civic center that would benefit both NIU and the DeKalb community was rejected June 29 by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs because DeKalb’s application did not meet the legislative intent of the civic center program.

The center would have been used by NIU as an education and sports facility and by DeKalb mainly for public entertainment, expositions and conventions.

: Funding for the asbestos removal at the University Health Center passed in the Illinois General Assembly June 30 but the relocation of health services created a big concern for students and faculty. The Illinois General Assembly has approved funding for the asbestos removal, but Gov. James Thompson has not.

: NIU and Illinois State University might earn seats on the Illinois Board of Regents that governs NIU, ISU and Sangamon State University, in Springfield, if Gov. James Thompson signs House Bill 2842. HB 2842 passed in both the House and Senate and will allow for an alumnus from both NIU and ISU a seat on the Board. Neither university is currently represented on the Board.

: NIU has a lower-than-normal budget for Fiscal Year 1991 and has left officials seaching for ways to provide for new and existing programs on last year’s budget.

The only increase Gov. James Thompson allowed for was a 2 percent faculty salary increase, no funds were allocated for new or already existing programs at NIU. This decreases NIU’s purchasing power by 5 percent because the budget will not cover the 5 percent increase in the inflation rate.

The govenor rejected $360,000 for the PRIME/Minority Student Transfer project that would have recruited minority students from community colleges into the education department.

: The Illinois General Assembly passed a resolution in late June urging tuition not be increased before January 1991 when a joint committee of the House and the Senate will issue a report recommending a tuition policy for all state universities.

If tuition is not raised, it will be the first time in twenty years Illinois state university students would not have to face tuition increases.

: Students on financial aid might have to find alternative ways of paying for their education because of the proposed $100 billion in federal budget cuts that might begin in October. All federal programs would be affected by the budget cuts, including 1.2 million of the six million college students currently receiving federal financial aid who could lose their aid.

: Jim Mertis took over Bob Tisch’s position as NIU student Regent to the Illinois Board of Regents July 1. Mertis was appointed to a one-year term with the option to be renewed at the end of the term.

: The Board of Regents was not asked to raise tuition rates for fall, despite a lack of funds for higher education from the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. James Thompson.

The Illinois legislature approved a 1.7 percent increase ($33.4 million) for the higher education budget in Fiscal Year 1991. Public universities will receive a $28.4 million increase in funding.