DeKALB | The return of a fundraising campaign was announced Wednesday at University Council.

Linda Derscheid, chair of the Rules and Governance Committee, said the campaign started in 2000, but was placed on a quiet hiatus. Derscheid said the campaign has raised $100 million and NIU will publicly celebrate the milestone in May.

The campaign intends to raise an additional $40 to 45 million through private donations, Derscheid said.

“On May 5, there is a plan for approximately 500 people to be invited on campus [for] presentations and lunch,” Derscheid said. “Hopefully, we can really sell the campus and convince people to give more money to NIU.”

Also at the meeting, Provost Ray Alden updated University Council members about two dean searches in progress. NIU is searching for a new dean of University Libraries and dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Alden NIU received nearly 50 applications for the position in Liberal Arts and Sciences, but has since cut the number down to four potential candidates, with one alternative. The University Libraries position has been rounded down to three potential candidates.

Alden headed the meeting in the place of President John Peters, who usually leads the meeting but was attending a meeting at Fermilab in Batavia.

The provost also provided an update on the progress of the Strategic Planning Task Force.