Many students have noticed the campus streets lacking potholes, but NIU has accomplished much more in the past than fixing roads.

William Monat, a former NIU president and provost, recently has published a book on NIU’s evolution from a quiet teacher’s college to a thriving university. In “The Achieving Institution: The Presidential Perspective of NIU,” Monat covers many events on campus.

“The book focuses on the accomplishments of the institution since 1978,” Monat said.

A few achievements he included are the building of the law school (1979) and engineering school (1985), and expansion of regional campuses in Hoffman Estates and Rockford.

Monat had quite a few pages to fill with other NIU accomplishments over the past 20 years.

“It was a labor of love in many respects,” he said.

Earl Hayter, a former NIU history professor, wrote a book years ago concerning NIU’s growth. “Education in Transition” discusses NIU’s achievements from 1899 through 1974. “The Achieving Institution” picked up where Hayter left off.

“The book is about the history of transition and a search of identity,” Monat explained.

Jerrold Zar, dean of the graduate school, has read Monat’s book twice. He appreciates Monat’s compelling writing style and the honesty that he brings to the history of NIU.

“There were so many major events that contributed to the development of the university and he was involved with all of that,” Zar said. “He experienced it in a way nobody else did.”

Monat’s revealing look at university life is available in campus and area bookstores.