NIU is above state standards and goals, according to the 2005 Performance Report.

The Board of Trustees reviewed the annual state report during its meeting Wednesday.

The information determines if NIU is meeting certain goals set by the state for higher education institutes.

The report is divided into three parts, including NIU’s performance against the goals set, the university’s ability to report on one effective practice and a report on academic programs.

According to the reports, NIU is exceeding much of the goals the state has set, but there is still room for improvement.

“As good as these results are, there is always room for improvement,” NIU President John Peters said.

Also presented at the meeting were recommendations for a new Family Health, Wellness and Literacy Center at the former Monsanto building, 3100 Sycamore Road.

This center will offer a variety of interdisciplinary services such as bilingual health, wellness and language and literacy services to the public as well as services to faculty, staff and students at NIU.

The project will house the College of Health and Human Sciences Speech and Hearing Clinic, Physical Therapy Clinic, Tri-County Community Health Center and the College of Education Reading Clinic. The Board of Trustees approved the recommendation to spend around $5.7 million for the design and renovation of the NIU Monsanto Property as well as permission to select and hire an architect to develop plans and specifications for the project.

Also approved at the meeting were plans to renovate the current Housing for Students with Dependents, formerly known as Married Student Housing.

The current housing was built in 1960 mainly to meet the needs of military families returning as NIU students. Since then, the housing, which consists of 80 apartments, has been used for NIU students with dependents.

It was brought to the attention of the committee that the building has deteriorated and needs repair.

The committee approved a contract for services to conduct a study for the replacement of the current housing.

Other actions passed included the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget that named plans for future projects including renovations on the Stevens Building and Gilbert Hall. Plans for a new Computer Science and Technology Center were also on the budget that totalled $162,227.18.