It seems like every year, student fees go up right along with faculty salaries.

And at the same time, student benefits suffer. Fewer summer classes are being offered and academic departments lack the paper to print syllabi and other materials. At least there’s still toilet paper on campus. For now.

The Board of Trustees just approved an almost 9 percent increase in students fees, to $983.79 a semester for a full-time undergraduate. These were unanimous increases. Even Student Trustee Eric Johnson didn’t stand in the way of the increase.

At the same time, the BOT unanimously approved a pay raise for President John Peters, including 4 percent retroactive pay increase and 3 percent raise in July and 1 percent in January. Peters already makes about $265,000 and gets numerous other benefits. It’s not like he’s hurting for money here.

NIU is not a private corporation. These are public funds being spent on employees’ salaries. There’s no reason for so many departments to be hurting for basic supplies and faculty members while administrators’ salaries soak up funds.

More and more classes are being taught by instructors instead of actual professors. Isn’t providing a quality education the most important goal of a university?

As if raising student fees and Peters’ salary weren’t enough, the BOT also approved increases in residence hall room rates. For example, a double room in Grant Hall will cost 19 percent more next year, from $1,590 a semester to $1,892. This doesn’t include Dining Dollar plans, which are mandatory for residence hall students and start at $55 a week. Although it’s true the cost of living goes up, it’s also true that NIU should do everything in its power to keep student fees down – starting with Peters’ salary.

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