The Illinois Board of Higher Education’s decision to re-recommend programs for elimination and to lift the threat of a moratorium on new programs led to debate and discussion during Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting.

The IBHE re-recommended 30 programs statewide for elimination or consolidation this year, including NIU’s doctoral programs in economics, geology and special education.

NIU Provost J. Carroll Moody said, “I am pleased the IBHE has removed the College of Law and the Ph.D. in psychology from consideration for elimination.”

Moody reported to the FS about Tuesday’s IBHE meeting and the decision not to impose a moratorium on new programs.

“There is still a question on whether a moratorium on some institutions that have not done as much as expected on programmatic reviews will be used in the future,” Moody said.

On the moratorium, FS President Curtiss Behrens said, “Based on Provost Moody’s comment and what I’ve read on the coverage of the IBHE meeting, I don’t believe there is a threat of it.”

The IBHE declared the recommended programs for elimination as educationally and economically unjustified and now “the ball is in the Board of Regents’ court,” Moody said.

The Board of Regents is the governing board of NIU, Sangamon State University in Springfield and Illinois State University in Normal. While the IBHE has the authority to grant new programs, only the Regents have the power to eliminate new programs.

“How the Board of Regents will proceed with these programs, that the IBHE have cited as unjustified, I really can’t tell you at this point,” Moody said.

He said the same report NIU presented to the IBHE this year was presented to the Regents. “The Regents accepted our report. I don’t know if they will let their original report stand.”

Jo Anne Fox, professor of theater arts, posed a question to Moody about the program review process. “Lynne Waldeland (of the Academic Planning Council) said we are not going to review them again, is this true?”

Moody said the APC, a council in charge of program reviews, “has done its work” and will not review the programs that are re-recommended for elimination this year.

David Ripley, a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the IBHE, also reported to the FS about the recent meetings.

“The Board of Regents review process has been mandated and no threats were made to the moratorium,” he said.

Ripley said he raised the issue of the separation of the graduate and undergraduate education programs in the review process.

“They were astonished that there was a relationship between undergraduate and graduate education studies,” he said.

Ripley also brought up the IBHE’s discussion on the affordability of intercollegiate athletics.

“Think about Division II or Division III athletics. It may be a part of our future,” Ripley said.

Ripley also attended the new Committee to Study Affordability on Monday.

“This committee will be looking at tuition costs, fees, time to degree and maybe even a three-year degree program,” Ripley said.

He mentioned one member, Silas Purnell, who “ranted and raved for about an hour” on the opportunities of lower economics individuals and their need to have access to higher education.

Ripley said the argument of accessibility was an important one regarding the NIU Law School because it was saved this year due to its access to minorities and women.