From all outside appearances, the Illinois Student Association’s decision Sunday to lobby for two bills that would create a new NIU governing board seems great for students.

See, the ISA is moving to help attain much-needed autonomy for NIU in its own governance. The ISA is opposing the Board of Regents for ineffectiveness. The ISA is truly concerned about fulfilling the wishes expressed by students for separation from the BOR—right?

Wrong. Close examination of the ISA’s motives reveals what the ISA is really after in their “support” for NIU’s own governance: a sweeping reexamination of the entire state’s university and college governance as it is set up in the System of Systems.

ISA Executive Director David Starrett has made it explicitly clear the ISA does not really believe in the specific establishment of NIU’s own governing board. In fact, he has said the majority of the ISA board’s members are opposed to that very idea. Their sights are not on NIU, even if they give that appearance.

Hmmm. Students were just walloped in January with an annual $1 refundable ISA fee to ensure they have “representatives” in Springfield to lobby for their wishes and needs.

And it seems one of those wishes and needs is NIU’s autonomy in running its own business. After all, the NIU Student Association has expressly endorsed both bills currently in the legislature which deal with that matter. Sen. Patrick Welch’s bill received the SA’s favor weeks ago, and Rep. John Countryman’s bill was lauded just Sunday.

Would someone please remind us, we seem to have forgotten: what are we paying this annual ISA fee for?