NIU will be one of five universities involved in a series of hearings on the possible reorganization of Illinois’ system of university governing boards.

“Since 1980, 40 states have had commissions on restructuring and have made changes or are considering changes,” said Sandy Roberts, research associate with the Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation.

The commission is organizing the hearings, which will be held at NIU, Illinois State University in Normal, a Chicago location, University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

The hearings are part of a resolution proposed by Sen. Patrick Welch, D-Peru, and passed by the Illinois General Assembly. The hearings will be held on Nov. 7, said Ken Beasley, assistant to NIU President John La Tourette.

Some of the issues studied by similar panels in other states include perceptions that governing boards are becoming too bureaucratic. Other issues include the competition between campuses and favoritism of one campus over another, Roberts said. The hearings will be open for students and faculty to testify on problems encountered with governing boards.

“It will take a heavy look at the structures of higher education in Illinois,” Beasley said, “The panel will announce its purpose on campus and anyone on campus or off campus can testify for the panel.”

A panel whose members are yet to be named will study the “system of systems” comprised of the Board of Regents, the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees.

The Board of Regents governs NIU, ISU and Sangamon State University in Springfield.

While separation from the Board of Regents is still a consideration for NIU, it might be too soon to push for a another separate governing board bill.

“The Speaker of the House (Michael Madigan) seems to be opposed to a separate governing board, but it is useless to bang our heads against a wall at this time,” Welch said.

The panel is required to submit a report to the Senate at the end of December, Roberts said.