NIU’s Student Association will begin its study of the Illinois Student Association April 21, about two weeks after the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana completed its investigation of the ISA.

Greg Kurth, U of I Student Government Association community affairs chairman, said their task force, which formed to investigate the ISA, decided that there is no reason for U of I to withdraw from the ISA.

However, several SA members decided a study of the ISA should be conducted to determine if NIU students should pay the $1 refundable ISA fee approved by the Board of Regents in January. The Regents govern NIU, Illinois State University at Normal and Sangamon State University at Springfield.

Five SA members will attend an ISA workshop in Springfield to discover how the ISA operates and how the organization benefits NIU students. Members of the NIU task force include SA Public Relations Adviser Tana Titre, SA Mass Transit Board Adviser Dave Emerick, SA Vice President-elect Steve Coloia, Sen. Mike Murvihill and Sen. Russ Stewart.

The SA Senate Sunday approved funds from the SA budget to pay for task force members’ trip. The budget will pay for transportation, hotel and registration fees for the five members.

The senate also approved five additional students to attend the workshop. SA Senate Speaker Phill Buoscio said any five students that are interested in the ISA are welcome to attend.

SA Treasurer Diana Turowski said she does not know the exact cost of the ISA trip because the amount depends on how many students attend and the number of NIU vehicles needed. She said, however, that there is enough money in the SA budget to fund 10 students’ attendance at the workshop.

U of I began its investigation of the ISA in February. A task force’s report on the ISA stated that the ISA is unorganized and questioned the need for the organization’s services.

However, after recent discussion of the ISA, U of I’s student government decided the task force’s report lacked documentation supporting earlier allegations, Kurth said.

Political ramifications during an election for ISA chairman of the board also prompted U of I to stay affiliated with the ISA, he said.

The report stated that one reason for forming the task force was to investigate the removal of U of I’s ISA Director Wendy Donnell as ISA chairman of the board.

Donnell was elected chairman in August, but the election was deemed invalid because several ineligible members voted. Kevin Lamm from the University of Chicago was voted in after a second election in September.

Kurth said a new U of I administration will come into office soon and will try to smooth out any problems with the ISA members.

U of I students pay 50 cents per year to the ISA, totaling about $17,500 to support the organization. U of I funding of the ISA is supposed to end Jan. 1, he said. The U of I student government then will decide if students should pay the $1 refundable fee that NIU students will begin to pay this fall.