NIU President John LaTourette said he will continue to speak out for what is in the best interests of Illinois—education. This is in response to criticism by Illinois Auditor General Robert Cronson about President LaTourette’s plan for restructuring the funding and management of state public universities’ budgets,

Cronson had responded on Aug. 24 in the Chicago Tribune to a July 10 Tribune opinion-editorial column by LaTourette.

In the column, LaTourette proposed that an enrollment-based funding system be used to allocate state funds to public universities. He also suggested that universities be allowed to collect, invest, manage and carry over tuition and fee revenues and that governing boards be allowed to approve budgets and determine the level of tuition and fees.

Cronson responded by saying LaTourette’s proposal was “indicative of the mind-set of many in state government today—that it is perfectly acceptable to limit the legislature’s and people’s control over the receipt and use of public monies.”

In the Sept. 26 issue of the Northern Today, LaTourette said, “Far from undermining the controls Mr. Cronson believes the legislature needs to ensure accountability, my proposals could move Illinois onto the growing list of states which have come to the conclusion that traditional governmental mechanisms are not well suited to the management of higher education and that deregulation, accompanied by a periodic review of outcomes, is far more likely to achieve the goals we have set for public institutions.”

LaTourette said Cronson believes tuition and fees are state dollars, but these funds come from students and their families.

“My interests are to serve students better, provide a better base of university support and the development of the state,” LaTourette said.

Although Cronson gave a negative response to LaTourette’s suggestions, LaTourette said his proposal has been widely read and that he received support from some legislators. He said U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., supports the basic thrust of the proposal and that Simon agreed there is a need for a stronger system of higher education in the state.

Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves said he also supports LaTourette’s proposal “in bulk.” However, “there is not a great deal of likelihood” of the proposal being implemented.

Groves said the point he is most unsure of is giving the governing boards authoritative power to manage revenues. “I am not as supportive of that (as LaTourette is),” Groves said.