NIU faculty will be entering a new phase, if the union application filed with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board is approved. Hopefully, this move will lead to more constructive communication between the faculty and administration and yield positive outcomes for all of the NIU community. I witnessed the hard work of many faculty members who spent their time to communicate this move to all faculty since its first meeting in early 2015, and I would like to thank them for taking the responsibility to make a positive change.

Meanwhile, the union also ran a campaign to support Monetary Award Program grants and showed they are not there only for themselves but also for students. Last but not least, the support of the American Federation of Teachers and American Association of University Professors deserves recognition. Their success story at the University of Illinois Chicago inspired many at NIU and their partnership with NIU faculty will continue to be a valuable one.