The Board of Regents should circulate by Friday the preliminary procedures for a committee formed to discuss proposed policy changes.

egents Chairwoman Carol Burns said she will meet with Regent and committee member Harry Wellbank this week to agree on the committee’s operations before contacting the three Regency schools. The Regents govern NIU, Illinois State University in Normal and Sangamon State University in Springfield.

The committee will consult with Chancellor Rod Groves, the Regency presidents and three representatives from the Joint University Advisory Committee: JUAC Chairman Doug Anderson, NIU’s University Council Executive Secretary J. Carroll Moody and ISU’s Academic Senate Chairman Leonard Schmaltz.

The JUAC representatives had not been contacted by either Burns or Wellbank as of Wednesday morning.

Moody said he is surprised he has heard nothing about the committee meeting and that nothing was said to the campus consultants before the Board meetings were over.

Moody and Schmaltz have agreed that the two weeks the committee designated for the discussions does not seem to be enough time to address the changes Groves proposed in July.

“This does not mean that JUAC won’t cooperate,” Moody said at last week’s Regents meeting. “Cooperation is fine—we certainly intend to cooperate, but it’s still the results we’ll have to judge.”

Schmaltz said that while waiting for word on the committee, he has consulted with members of ISU’s Academic Senate regarding an acceptable compromise. Their main concern is increasing the “concreteness” in differentiating the responsibilities of the chancellor and the Regency presidents. Burns said this will be a committee priority.

Moody said he has not consulted with NIU campus members yet. “I haven’t felt it particularly necessary until I know what the (committee) process will be,” he said.

Moody said committee members might receive proposals to present to their respective campuses or all consultants could meet with the committee and then with the campuses for discussion.

Moody said the “real sticking point” might be when presidents can have access to the Board without going through the chancellor. The proposal has been seen as expanding the issues that require Groves’ approval.

Moody said the issue of the presidents’ direct contact with the Board is not a matter of compromise because a president either has access or does not.