NIU administrators will be meeting with students to discuss a proposal to increase student input into management of the Holmes Student Center—a proposal which could alleviate problems which Student Association President Paula Radtke calls “a form of taxation without representation.”

Radtke will meet with students and NIU officials within two weeks to discuss the proposal which, if accepted by NIU President John LaTourette and the Board of Regents, would establish a revised governing board to help manage the student center.

Whether the governing board would be a board of directors or and advisory board is still undecided, since the issue is still young. But Radtke said NIU officials are leaning toward forming an advisory board, which she said could be “a waste of the advisory board members’ time, because (student center administrators) could ignore the advice of the board.”

Jon Dalton, NIU vice president for student affairs, said, “Any director of any operation is going to listen to the suggestions of an advisory board. That’s not a major concern.”

Radtke said she is backing the establishment of a nine-member board of directors, composed of a mix of students and administrators. “But some administrators are shocked by this idea, and have said they think students have no knowledge or expertise in running the building,” she said. “We just want more input regarding its management.

“If the building doesn’t operate well financially, student fees pay for those problems,” Radtke said. “The Student Association feels if (students) are mandated a fee for the student center, we need some say in its operation.”

SA Senator Mike Goldstein said the proposed board of directors would establish policies that the student center director would implement, as opposed to past student center advisory boards that “had to try to convince the director” to act on various issues.