NIU President Doug Baker announced the return of the Bold Futures workshops in his biweekly Baker Report Tuesday.

The Bold Futures workshops were first implemented in the fall. The four-hour workshops were held through 10 days in October, and hundreds of members of the NIU community explored ideas to better the university.

Facebook groups were created for each workshop and discussion between participants continued beyond the workshop day.

Spring Bold Futures workshops will be March 19 to March 25 for participants of the fall workshops, while workshops for new participants will be March 28 to April 2.

“Spring workshops will focus on university finance, especially recruitment and retention,” said Paul Palian, director of Media and Public Relations. “The focus is on students before they’re here, while they’re here and when they leave.”

Mike Theodore, chief of staff of the Student Association, said the SA was involved in earlier workshops that included administration and faculty members.

“The administration wants to hear new ideas,” Theodore said. “There is a new, active and engaged culture at NIU.”

Theodore said new participants will be motivated by the return of fall participants to the spring workshop series.

“[The workshops] are a new realm,” Theodore said. “Most students feel like they have no voice, but the workshops provide a direct outlet.”

Palian said ideas discussed in the fall Bold Futures workshops were being executed.

“We all have a stake in the future of NIU,” Palian said. “Everybody has valuable input to provide.”