Trustee Marc Strauss is the new NIU Board of Trustees chair for Fiscal Year 2010.

Strauss served as vice chair in FY09 and is taking over for Cherilyn Murer, who has served as BOT Chair since 2005.

Strauss thanked the BOT for electing him and briefly discussed the board’s plans to work through the current state budget crisis at the June 25 meeting.

“These are economic times unlike any other we’ve seen on this board, or frankly, in our lifetimes,” Strauss said at the meeting. “The pressures on higher education and specifically on NIU will be unprecedented.”

Strauss also discussed the necessity of working with Illinois government to work through the financial crisis.

“Recognizing the challenge this creates is the first step in dealing with the consequences,” Strauss said. “In the coming months [the BOT] will be working diligently within our shared governance system to look in greater depth at our budget resource allocation.”

Several other trustees changed positions on the board.

Trustee John Butler is taking over as vice chair for Strauss, and Trustee Robert Boey is replacing Myron Siegel as secretary. Murer follows trustee Giorgi Vella as the fourth member of the Executive Committee, while Vella is taking over for Strauss as board liaison to the Universities Civil Service Merit Board.

Murer was recognized for distinguished service to the BOT, while student trustee DuJuan Smith was also honored for his service on the board.