The Council on Instruction met Thursday to discuss changes drafted by the Subcommittee on Constitutional Revision to the proposed University Bylaws revisions.

The University Bylaws revisions first were presented to the COI Feb. 4 by James Banovetz, Presidential Task Force on Constitutional Revision representative. Suggested changes to the proposed bylaw revisions concern sections of Article 13.

Under Article 13.641, Composition of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, the subcommittee proposed changing section A (Faculty Representatives). The subcommittee proposed having 17 representatives on the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, five of whom would be faculty from each undergraduate college and an additional four representatives from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The proposed bylaw revisions include having nine representatives, six of whom would be faculty from each undergraduate college.

This change, under Article 13.641, would entitle LA&S to a larger representation in the committee due to the college’s size and complexity.

Another change proposed for Article 13.641 is to appoint the Associate Provost instead of a faculty member as the chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

The subcommittee also proposed a change for Article 13.642, Duties of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. The subcommittee explained under the present wording of 13.642 the role of faculty in the decision-making process would be reduced instead of strengthened.

The subcommittee also proposed changing Article 13.63 (General Education Committee) by suggesting that the General Education Committee be merged with the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee to avoid confusion and make matters more workable.

The COI will have a joint meeting with the Task Force Feb. 25 to discuss the bylaw revisions.

Also, Director of Institutional Research Nick Noe discussed the impact of enrollment reduction on the university budget.

Noe said, “The undergraduate enrollment problems began in 1985 when undergraduate enrollment went up to 3,900 and it hasn’t been decreasing. Since then we have tried to keep the undergraduate enrollment at around 3,500.

“There are constraints in lowering enrollment because it is not cost free. One result would be fewer dollars in incoming funding. Also, the state does not fund enrollment increases, and NIU over the last few years has been underfunded by 2 to 3 percent compared to statewide funding costs,” Noe said.

Another topic dicussed at the meeting was the possibility of appointing four new members to the Committee for Improving Undergraduate Education.

If this proposal is approved, a director from either Black Studies, Latino Studies or Woman’s Studies will be appointed as a member, and a director from an area of the functionally handicapped will be appointed as a member. In addition, two students from the same representative groups would be choosen to be members of the CIUE.