NIU’s Board of Trustees were to be briefed Friday morning on the findings of an 18-month study aimed at examining the university’s identity. However, the meeting was canceled because of a lack of quorum.

When the meeting is rescheduled, trustees will hear results of the study that will help lay the groundwork for establishing NIU’s long-term mission.

The study will assist in long-range planning for the university, maintaining a visual identity with consistent themes and presence, said Melanie Magara, NIU vice president of Public Affairs.

“I think that the president regards this as a jumping-off point for board members to set some direction and clarify issues with respect to institutional identity,” she said. “Much of what the study is about is what is NIU’s mission and how well are we meeting that mission.”

The study, performed by Chicago marketing firm Lipman Hearne, was funded entirely through the NIU Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization responsible for securing and managing private gifts for NIU.

With members of a Higher Learning Commission review team on campus this week to evaluate NIU for reaccreditation, Magara said the timing of the study results melds well with the campus-wide discussions about mission and identity that already are being held.

BOT Chair Gary Skoein said he doesn’t have any preconceived notions about the results of the study but is enthused by the opportunity to listen.

“We all feel like NIU is kind of surging upward in terms of its place in northern Illinois and the nation,” he said.

Phase one of the study began in August 2002 when Lipman Hearne began surveying prospective students and the general public about their impressions of NIU. The second phase of the study began in April when the firm surveyed NIU alumni.

“We’re looking at a number of issues,” Magara said. “The variables that go into making up an institution’s mission and identity are quite diverse.”

Results of the firm’s findings will be released when the meeting is rescheduled.

Legislation forces trustee to resign

When BOT members gather next, it will be the first time they meet without former trustee Catherine Adduci.

Adduci resigned from her secretary position because of a new ethics legislation that took effect this month.

The act prohibits lobbyists and their spouses from serving on state boards and commissions.

Adduci’s husband, Al Ronan, is a top lobbyist in Springfield.

“We already miss her,” Skoein said.

Adduci retains an executive position with Chicago-based Unisys Corporation. She served the board since 2001. Adduci also is an NIU alumna who earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing.

The new legislation also forced two trustees from Eastern Illinois University and a trustee from Southern Illinois University and Western Illinois University to resign from their positions.

Skoein said there’s been no indication of when Gov. Rod Blagojevich will appoint a replacement for Adduci.