NIU’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Minorities was established in 1982 and got a budget for the first time this year.

The commission received $7,000 for an operating budget from NIU President John La Tourette’s office to help finance the organization’s goals.

Officials at the president’s office said the budget money came from the appropriated budget at the begining of the year.

Commission Chairman Walt Owens said in the past, the commission worked on many projects.

These projects include Hispanic month, Black History month, sending minority students to conferences, sponsoring workshops and helping minority students with college expenses.

Owens said the commission was very limited. The reception held every year by the commission was financed by faculty members in the past. He said they all used to “pass the hat around” to get money for the function.

Sam Huang, University Libraries associate professor, said the commission will use some of the money received in the new budget to conduct a study.

The objective of the study would be to answer the question of why minority students at NIU have such a short retention rate, Huang said.

Owens said the commission also hopes to expand to other groups using the money they just received. He said this would be impossible without the $7,000.