Jon Dalton, vice president for student affairs, will meet Thursday with various campus groups to determine next fall’s university tailgating policy.

Dalton said representatives from the Student Association, Athletics, University Programming & Activities, University Police and students will attend the meeting.

“This group will discuss and follow-up on changes in tailgating (policies),” Dalton said.

Questions about tailgating arose after the first tailgate of he tseason. A corn-cob fight occurred and several students were injured.

Administrators said they were concerned about the number of people who attended the game after tailgating.

Five NIU marketing students who researched the issue last semester were asked to attend the meeting. The students surveyed people as part of a marketing research project.

Group member Cara Zonka said the group presented the survey results to Dalton during finals week last semester.

“We found that 83 percent of the total sample who attended tailgating also attended the game afterward,” Zonka said.

“This showed it was an incentive to attend the game,” she said.

Group member Richard Jackowski said the group gave Dalton some recommendations about a new tailgate policy.

He said tailgating should be “marketed as a place to do more than drink. Some schools hire bands to play during tailgating.”

Zonka said another recommendation was to allow students and alumni to tailgate in the same area. “We surveyed alumni and most of them wanted to be with the younger students.

“Most people also wanted to get rid of the fence (that surrounds the tailgating area). They felt it made the area seem like a ‘pen,'” she said.

The issue of alcohol consumption during tailgating was explored in the survey.

The survey found 67 percent of the tailgaters do consume alcohol.

Of the minors (17 to 20 years old) who attend tailgating, 42 percent said they drink alcohol. Of the 21 to 24 age group, 51 percent said they drink during tailgating.

Dalton said the survey results and recommendations would be used as one piece of information on the tailgating policy problem.

“The survey is not scientific, so we have to be cautious. However, it does give good ideas about what can be done (to improve the current situation),” Dalton said.

The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. in Holmes Student Center Room 304.