Vision 2020 goals may be dependent on the approval of the Board of Trustees, said NIU President John Peters at Wednesday’s University Council meeting.

During his State of the University address Sept. 1, Peters announced his intentions to follow suggestions provided by Vision 2020 working committees. In order to move forward, those plans will need official approval by the BOT when it meets next week.

Peters also discussed progress the university has made over the summer, especially in relation to campus aesthetics.

“A lot of people have worked really hard on the campus,” Peters said. “We have made the campus beautiful again.”

Also discussed was a 6.8 percent increase in tuition for the 2012 school year, approved by the BOT last spring. Incoming students will pay $270 more per semester.

The tuition increase will not impact students who were already enrolled at NIU prior to 2012, said Alan Rosenbaum, University Council executive secretary.

“It is important to keep tuition affordable for our students,” Rosenbaum said.

The council also discussed the addition of an NIU faculty member to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

The IBHE is responsible for accrediting universities, administering federal and state grants, monitoring legislation that affects universities and proposing budgetary needs of universities.

“Involvement of our faculty in the IBHE is very important to the university,” Peters said.

The council approved revisions to the Committees of the University Book, which is a collection of all the committees on the university. The approved revisions included changes of position titles as well the ability for certain positions to appoint interim representatives.

“This is all part of a larger project to bring the Committees of the University Book up to date,” Rosenbaum said.