In 1961, the Illinois Legislature created the Board of Higher Education to oversee the state’s educational system, but after a public hearing at NIU last week, some feel one golden rule was forgotten—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

William Monat, NIU professor and past NIU president and Board of Regents Chancellor, testified at last week’s public hearing saying “there is no single voice speaking for Illinois higher education.”

“The IBHE is an intrusion of statutory governance on college boards,” Monat said. The governing board should be a “watchdog—advocates of the college they govern.”

The hearing was a result of Senate Resolution 460, which calls for the evaluation of higher education governing boards. The hearing is a “political response to what’s been happening,” Monat said.

Monat said he has “serious reservations that the IBHE should tell campuses how to run themselves,” adding that academic planning should be less of an intrusion by the IBHE. There is little consultation between the campus, Regents and the IBHE, Monat said.

A governing board having too much power over its schools is “the same theme that is struck time and time again,” he said. During his testimony, Monat argued for more educational effectiveness than administrative effectiveness.

The IBHE does the master planning of the “System of Systems,” he said. Part of the master plan included the creation of the Board of Regents, which governs NIU, Illinois State University at Normal and Sangamon State University at Springfield.

Monat also called for capital improvements on campus. “What we needed in 1976, we need in 1989,” he said. “Needs are ignored.”

Monat questioned the University of Illinois’ role in higher education. “The U of I should not have to respond to every educational need in the state. U of I can’t do everything and should recognize other universities can accomplish something.” The purpose of a university is to educate, advance knowledge and perform public service, he said.

Terrence Sheen, NIU Alumni Association vice president, said the Illinois Legislature should approve more funding so students do not suffer from higher tuition and increasing class cutbacks.

“Accountability can be achieved without levels of bureaucracy,” Sheen said. “According to the 1976 IBHE report, the responsibility of NIU is to provide education from Chicago to Rock Island.” But improvement approvals at NIU necessitates two other approvals—the Regents and then the state legislature.

Regent members do not represent members of the community, Sheen said. The philosophy of higher education should include the election of representatives to the board. Regents are appointed by the governor and approved by the Illinois State Senate.

Panel member Martha Friedman, U of I history and philosophy librarian, said the commission could look at a different way of choosing NIU Regents. She said one proposal could include six members appointed by the governor, one elected by the faculty, one by the students and one by non-faculty.

Leonard Strickman, NIU College of Law dean, said a decentralized governing system would best suit Illinois’ needs. A decentralized system would do away with bureaucracy at the campus level.

Jagan Lingamneni, panel member and professor of business and public administration at Governors State University, Park Forest, Ill., responded to Strickman’s testimonial and said Illinois should consider having 12 separate governing boards reporting to the IBHE.

Lingamneni also suggested giving NIU and ISU their own governing board along with the U of I and Southern Illinois University. He said SSU could be put in the Board of Governors.

Sen. Patrick Welch, D-LaSalle-Peru, said the panel will receive advice from the various universities where the hearings are held in case “we were to change the System of Systems.”

Welch said the main question concerning a bill giving NIU its own governing board is “what happens to ISU and SSU?” A change in the system “creates more questions than answers,” Welch said. Welch objects to “issues concerning NIU being decided at other campuses.”

The DeKalb County Farm Bureau supports a separate governing board for NIU because of financial benefits, Welch said.

One objection to NIU’s own governing body has been that it will lobby and take money away from other schools, he said.

Welch said he believes the chancellor’s role is to consolidate power and prevent NIU from leaving the Board of Regents. The Regents created the chancellor position five years ago.