Jon Dalton, NIU vice president for student affairs, is one of four finalists for a similar position at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Dalton said he applied for the position because he “is interested in a good institution.” The position also would entail some teaching, he said.

However, Dalton said he is not sure whether he would accept the position if it was offered to him. “I like my work here. I’m just looking. It’s likely I won’t go. I don’t want to leave the area because my family is here,” he said.

Dalton said it is not unusual for people to look into other positions to see what opportunities are available. “There are few places I would consider looking at,” he said.

The Florida State student affairs department has scheduled an interview with Dalton in early May. The interview will give him “an opportunity to see the campus and meet with the student affairs staff,” he said.

As NIU vice president for student affairs, Dalton is responsible for all NIU functions not related to academic or business affairs. The student affairs office includes University Programming and Activities, housing, financial aid, the Counseling and Student Development Center, the Office of Campus Recreation and the Career Planning and Placement Center, among others.

Dalton began his career at NIU in September 1984, when he was hired as the assistant vice president for student affairs. He was hired to fill a position that had been vacant for two years.

When Margaret Barr, former vice president for student affairs, resigned from her position in June 1985 to take a similar position at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Dalton was appointed interim vice president while a search was conducted to fill the spot permanently. Dalton applied for the permanent position and was selected as vice president for student affairs in May 1986.

Dalton recently has been instrumental in implementing two NIU student assessments. One was a developmental assessment, measuring how 150 NIU freshmen and 150 NIU seniors have grown socially from their experiences at NIU. The other was a telephone poll conducted by the NIU Public Opinion Lab that measured student likes and dislikes of programs and the NIU campus.

Dalton also was involved in the sit-in at Lowden Hall during last Wednesday’s Day of Action. Several protesters questioned Dalton on the NIU administration’s stance on funding for higher education.

In the past year, Dalton has handled matters including the November Sigma Chi skit. Several Sigma Chi fraternity members performed a blackface skit for a sorority fundraiser that ws deemed racist and for which the NIU chapter was suspended for one year. Dalton also was involved in the decision to install condom machines on campus.

Dalton’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1963 from Franklin College in Franklin, Ind. He then attended Yale University in New Haven, Conn., where he received a master’s degree in religion and philosophy in 1966.

In 1971, Dalton received another master’s degree in student personnel administration from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He was awarded a education doctorate in higher administration from U of K in 1975.

Dalton has been involved in student affairs since his days as an undergraduate. At Franklin College, he was involved in the student government, worked in the residence halls and played varsity college football. At Yale, he worked as a social worker for three years. In Kentucky, he was a student activity and foreign student adviser as well as director of the human relations center.

Dalton has had more than 15 articles and book reviews published. He also was named a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow, which allowed him to attend Yale University.