Only two people showed up at the NIU Affirmative Action forum so the attendants had no problems having their concerns addressed.

Affirmative Action Director Marilyn Monteiro and Assistant Director Rick Dearborn held an open forum Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. in a Blackhawk Cafeteria meeting room for anyone who was interested in learning more about the organization and its policies.

Monteiro and Dearborn waited about 20 minutes before the first forum attendants arrived.

Admasu Zike, Center for Black Studies faculty adviser, said the low number of NIU minority faculty members is a result of poor NIU recruiting practices.

Zike said the history department is the only department that came to him about nationwide recruitment through his “contacts” since he was hired in 1973.

Monteiro said the number of minorities being interviewed for faculty positions is unsatisfactory.

Zike said NIU President John La Tourette and Provost Kendall Baker are committed to affirmative action, but they are not as involved with hiring faculty as the college deans.

The college deans should be directly responsible for following affirmative action, Zike said.

Graduate School Assistant Dean Lyndon Perkins said he agreed with Zike, and the committment needs to “go all the way down the line” of the administration.

Perkins said he saw improvements in the affirmative action office since coming to NIU in 1982 as a student, but there is still “a long way to go.”

Although there was a low forum turnout, Dearborn said before the forum that students and faculty were highly encouraged to attend.