The Office of the President is accepting nominations of staff, faculty and students to the four presidential commissions, which will advise the president for the 2014-2015 academic year.

The four presidential commissions — Persons with Disabilities, Status of Minorities, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Status of Women — will accept self- and other nominations until May 2.

Greg Long, professor in the division of Allied Health and Communication Disorders, has been the chair for the Presidential Commission on Persons with Disabilities for seven years.

“We want to ensure people with disabilities have fairness, accessibility and rights,” Long said of the presidential commission’s goal.

Long said the commission is looking to fill student, at large and appointed positions, like a coordinator for the American’s With Disability Act, a law banning discrimination based on disability, and a coordinator for Section 504 legislation, which grants rights to people with disabilities.

Commission positions are one year terms for students, faculty and staff. Long said the commission has been established for more than 20 years.

“Accessibility and social justice require work,” Long said. “Nothing is easy, but with persistence, change can happen.”

Felicia Bohanon, director of the Office of Precollegiate Programs, is the chair for the Presidential Commission for Status of Minorities. The commission is made up of 16 members, and nominations are open for two replacement faculties, three operating staff members and two students.

The commission’s goal is to advise the president on the status of minority students, faculty and staff to improve the quality of life for minorities.

The commission had a Diversity and Inclusion Summit April 3 where it presented an annual report describing the status of minorities and recommended activities to improve opportunities of minorities to NIU President Doug Baker.

“There are a lot of good things going on…on campus and [in the] community concerning diversity,” Bohanon said. “However, based on a recent report, there are improvements that can be made around diversity [for] students, faculty and staff.”

Bohanon said her commission is working with other groups on campus to promote NIU’s diversity program.

The Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, chaired by Health Enhancement educator Andrea Drott, advises the president on issues and concerns affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals at the university.

Anthropology professor Winifred Creamer chairs the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, which advises the president on issues and concerns related to the status of women at NIU. The commissions are comprised of 15 members. Drott and Creamer did not respond to interview requests.

Eddy Carreno, senior family and consumer science major, said if given the chance, he would want to be a part of one of these commissions.

”I feel that these commissions offer some sort of accommodation for these type of populations, and I feel that it is beneficial for students because it provides them equal opportunities,” Carreno said.