NIU Housing Director Donald Buckner is waiting for Board of Regents approval before officially assuming the position of associate vice president for student affairs.

If approved, Buckner will be responsibile for the Student Recreation Center and University Programming and Activities.

“I plan to work with the administration in order to think of more creative ways to better serve the students’ interest,” Buckner said.

Cheryl Peck, assisstant to Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves, said that she anticipates no problems with Buckner’s appointment, which will come to a vote at the governing board’s regular September meeting.

The Regents govern NIU, Illinois State University in Normal and Sangamon State University in Springfield.

Barbara Henley, vice president for student affairs, said Buckner’s direct familiarity with the initiatives that the student affairs office has taken stood out as a deciding factor in her final selection.

Since last August, Buckner served a dual role as director of student housing and, on two occasions, special assisstant to the vice president of student affairs.

Because a new director of student housing has not been found, Buckner will continue to be responsible for the housing department until a research committee finds a replacement. A search is scheduled to begin in September.

Buckner, an NIU employee for more than 23 years, previously was assistant director of student personnel at Georgetown University and assisstant director of student affairs at the University of Missouri.

He was chosen from a final list of four applicants. Other three finalists were Michael Cuyjet from the University of Maryland, Sharon Policello from Ithaca College and Thomas Risch from Southeast Missouri State University.