In a unanimous vote Monday, NIU’s Board of Trustees approved the purchase of the PeopleSoft Student System, a Web-based information system that will integrate all campus data.

The board approved an initial project cost of $820,000 that will be financed at 3.75 percent over five years.

The trustees met after reports that Oracle planned to buy out PeopleSoft.

The BOT first recommended the system at its June 5 meeting, but put it on hold June 19. The trustees wanted to know more about the possible buyout’s potential effect on NIU’s computer system, which PeopleSoft currently runs.

“After the meeting, they announced their intended takeover,” said Eddie Williams, executive vice president of finance and chief of operations.

Steven Pace, associate director for finance and facilities, said people need to realize that the buyout hasn’t happened yet.

Pace said Oracle’s current deal will expire July 7, so the university should know within a couple of days.

He also said Oracle will honor the contracted agreements in place, should the deal happen.

“In the next couple of years, it will have no effect at all,” he said.

The new system will allow the integration of all campus systems, Williams said.

“It really is the 21st-century application of the latest technology being brought to the campus,” Williams said.

The BOT held Monday’s special teleconference meeting at the Holmes Student Center’s University Suite because many of the trustees couldn’t be at the meeting in person. The board voted via phone lines through which members could hear each other.

Williams said the whole project will cost about $8 million.

“Today is the first step,” he said. “You’re not going to see changes overnight.”

Nationwide, 653 universities use PeopleSoft.

The new program will ease the services provided by the bursar’s office, registration and records, admissions, financial aid and online registration.

“One of the things we really want to be able to do is integrate enrollment services together,” said Don Larson, director of enrollment services and university registrar.

When students sign up for classes, they’ll be able to see their bill in real time and can drop the class if the fee is too high.

Steve Cunningham, associate vice president for enterprise planning and human resources, said the program will take a few years to be fully implemented.

“As you develop this type of system, it cuts across your business procedures and policies,” he said.

A big advantage to the system is that it won’t become obsolete since PeopleSoft will send updates.

News Editor Libby John contributed to this report.