The possibility of a split between NIU and the Board of Regents, teacher evaluations and the rewording of University Council bylaws headed the agenda of the council’s Wednesday meeting.

While neither NIU President John LaTourette or Provost Kendall Baker were in attendance, the “record-breaking,” 50-minute short meeting ran smoothly.

No discussion followed NIU regency professor William Monat’s announcement that the UC’s external affairs committee “D” will convene Jan. 30 to discuss proposed Senate Bill 0001. Under the bill proposed by Sen. Patrick Welch (D-Peru), NIU would establish its own governing body separate from the Board of Regents.

Monat said the committee will consider whether or not to “offer its support with respect to this legislation.” In 1986, NIU’s Faculty Assembly had supported the proposal of a governing board for the university separate from the existing regency school structure.

The UC’s Ad Hoc Committee on teacher evaluations, also presented a four-part proposal to the council from its findings following a year and a half of research.

Alan Voelker, chairman of the ad hoc committee, said the evaluations should be used for more than reflecting students’ opinions of teachers’ performances.

He said attempts to improve teaching should be the major focus of the evaluation system. In addition, departments should develop and make available to students and faculty, policies and procedures concerning evaluations. Voelker’s final suggestion for the evaluations included better coordination and focusing of university resources, such as pursuing general themes and technical assistance.

He said further uses for evaluation results included departmental development of a system that evaluates “more than students’ opinions.”

The council will vote on the ad hoc committee’s proposal at its March 8 meeting.

In other business, all proposed amendments to UC bylaws, including the proposal of committee membership to be inclusive “of women and of minority members,” were unanimously approved by the council. The proposed amendments had been brought to the UC at their Dec. 14 meeting.

Possible changes to the council’s constitution to establish a faculty senate will be presented to the council at its Feb. 8 meeting.