It’s time to take a stand before it’s too late and NIU officials must do so.

A meeting between NIU officials and Illinois Board of Higher Education Executive Director Richard Wagner detailed new programs that could be cut when the IBHE demands NIU to do so.

The cuts are part of the board’s Priorities, Quality and Productivity initiative. This could cut major programs at NIU including the College of Law. But NIU needs to remember that the more programs that get cut, the less valuable it becomes as a learning institution.

NIU President John La Tourette is keeping tight-lipped about what went on in this meeting. The fact is, La Tourette should be more than willing to disclose the events of the meeting. It is the information that was passed back and forth at this meeting that is crucial to all NIU students and faculty members. The university should not hide anything that will affect its main constituents, the students.

NIU developed its own list in conjunction with the IBHE’s list. NIU’s list was different than the IBHE’s when it came to cutting certain programs. NIU should stick to this list and try to hang onto as many programs as possible. If it doesn’t, there’s no telling where the IBHE will stop.

It is up to NIU administrators, such as La Tourette, to speak for students and faculty now. The only thing left for La Tourette to say to the IBHE is no.