NIU professor Clyde Wingfield will be taking an “administrative assignment” with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington D.C. for the next 12 months rather than the nine-month academic year.

NIU Student Regent Nick Valadez said Wingfield signed a 12-month contract with the AASCU and will be working as a consultant for the organization.

Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves said Wingfield’s leave of absence is “an administrative assignment” and not a paid leave.

For the 1987-88 academic year, Wingfield received more than $7,000 a month as a political science professor in that department’s division of public administration.

Wingfield will be receiving more than $85,000, not including 1988 faculty salary increase payments, for 12 months serving in a senior fellow position with ASSCU.

Valadez said, “This is not a vacation for Wingfield. He is expected to work and report back occasionally to NIU. Any experiences or influences he might have while working for AASCU and representing NIU will be of benefit to NIU. Any knowledge which he gains while in Washington will also be a benefit.”

Groves said he has commented on the benefits NIU will gain with Wingfield’s position before and does not care to comment further.

Groves also had no comment when asked what other NIU faculty members had received similar fellowships and where.

The Academic 1987-88 Faculty Salary Report, published by NIU’s personnel office, states that Wingfield is a tenured professor and has been working at NIU for five years.

The report, dated Nov. 17, 1987, also stated that Wingfield took a sabbatical leave of absence for an irregular period of time last year and that the number of months in his contract will change for the next contract year.

Groves said it was not decided at the time the report was released that Wingfield would be assigned the administrative position with AASCU.

Valadez said it was hoped Wingfield would find other employment while on his leave in Washington for the year.

“The board was seeking to resolve an uncomfortable situation between Wingfield and the university to the benefit of both parties,” he said.