SPRINGFIELD—If NIU wants money, it must be more specific.

Before NIU can seek bids to improve the old Arndt house inside and out, a list of expenses must be given to the Board of Regents.

“A detailed itemization of expenditures” must be prepared before the board approves the $192,800 renovation budget, said Milton McClure, board Finance and Facilities Committee chairman.

The NIU University Resources for Women and the University Press will occupy the property at Lincoln Highway and Normal Road, which NIU purchased through eminent domain.

“I am not against the project, I just want to see a breakdown of the money,” McClure said.

NIU President John La Tourette said renovation costs are high because it is more expensive to renovate a house for public use than for private use.

Disabled accessibility and fire codes must be obeyed, he said.

In other business, the board approved requests from NIU and Illinois State University at Normal to increase the size of the Joint University Advisory Council.

NIU and ISU will add a sixth member to its JUAC representative body. NIU will fill the additional seat with a Supportive Professional Staff member, Moody said.

ISU will fill the position with an administrative professional staff member, said Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves.

Sangamon State University at Springfield does not plan to increase its current size of five members.

Regent Jerome Bender said he objects to JUAC increasing its size because “the more people, the less work that gets done.”

SSU Student Regent Brian Hopkins asked JUAC about the possibility of an NIU student JUAC member, an issue the Student Association has been fighting for recently.

The SA’s request came after the JUAC decided to provide a seat for the professional staff, Moody said.

Moody said he is not opposed to a student seat on the JUAC and will continue to work on the issue with the SA.

If a student JUAC representative is ultimately favored, the JUAC composition would be altered, not increased, Moody said.

Moody said that JUAC membership at each Regency school will not increase beyond six.

Moody is the executive secretary of the University Council, which makes decisions that go before the Regents.

The Regents govern NIU, ISU and SSU.