The controversy over the changes in Boad of Regents’ policy wording could be drawing to a close.

Final changes made by a Board commitee and its consultants during a telephone meeting Friday will be brought for a vote at this month’s Board meeting at NIU.

The revised changes were presented to the Regency presidents, the Board consultants and the Board members last Wednesday. The changes were reviewed by campus representatives prior to Friday’s meeting.

The committee, formed at the Sep. 21 Board meeting, consisted of Board Chairman Carol Burns and the Regent Marty Wellbank. The consultants were Chancellor Roderick Groves, the Regency presidents and three Joint University Advisory Council (and campus) representatives: J. Carroll Moody, executive secretary of NIU’s University Coucil; Leonard Schmaltz, Illinois State University’s Academic Senate chairman; and JUAC chairman Doug Anderson from Sangamon Sate University.

The changes attracting the most scrutiny since they were introduced in March_responsible to the Board.”

After enumerating specific chancellor responsiblitlies some new language says the chancellor “shall coordinate and formulate recommendations on any other matters that warrant system and /or Board coordination.” However, the next sentence qualifies the previous one saying:”In exercising theis responsibility, the Chcnacellor shall take care to ensure that it is System-level in character the sections on presidential searches, presidential access to the Board and presidential responsiblities_ were amended in the two-hour phone conference call.

Schmaltz said the changes were “basically what JUAC wanted” but Moody was more cautious, saying that though there was “great improvement,” mere wording changes are secondary to actual practice.

Moody said the final changes in the chancellor’s role in presidential searches were very important from a “campus point of view.”

Moody said that in the original proposed change, the chancellor appeared to be solely responsible for coordinating and recommending a finalist. In the NIU consitution, which the Board passed, Moody said there is a detailed provison on how presidential searches will be conducted on campus.

“It was possible (from the original wording) that a search could be conducted entirely from Springfield,” Moody said.

Though the chancellor will still coordinate searches, the wording agreed to Friday includes this sentence: “Such searches shall be executed with due respect for the constituted campus policies regarding presidential searches.”

Moody said that this matter, along with faculty concerns of decreased internal governance due to the changes, was the original target of JUAC concern in March. Later, after consideration, the major issue between the possible limitations on presidential power and centralization of power in the chancellor’s office.

That fear was founded in the original sentence that stated the president would report to the Board through the chancellor “on all matters that require System and/or board coordination.” That second part of the sentence was changed to “in areas for which the Chancellor is and involves matters of appropriate System-level interest and concern.”

Moody descibed the new sentence as “a cautionary note, it doesn’t mean every single thing.”

In the section on presidential responsiblilties, the term “internal governace” was included in the sentence dealing with campus decision-making participation. In the original proposed changes, the term was deleted much to the concern of JUAC.

One of the most controversial changes dealt with presidential access to the Board. An addition to the same secion clarifies the matter:”The President shall be responsible for keeping the Chancellor and the Board informed of campus interests, concerns and needs and shall have direct access to members of the Board for this purpose.”