One of three Board of Trustee committees today will discuss any potential tuition increases, a recommended fee increase and keeping current room and board rates.

The Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel Committee; the Finance, Facilities and Operations Committee; and the Legislation, Audit and External Affairs Committee will meet to mull reports and other NIU business in hopes to solidify what will be accomplished at the March 19 BOT meeting.

Each committee is made up of a handful of trustees. Through the committee discussions and recommendations, the full board then votes or approves measures and budgets. Because of a state law enacted Jan. 1, there is a section in each committee meeting for public comment. However, the committees ask that any request for time be submitted 45 minutes before the meeting begins.

In the finance committee agenda, tuition matters will be discussed, but no specifics are offered.

Financial matters include a proposed increase of $44.45 per semester to overall student fees if a student is registered for 12 or more hours. This would put the semester bill at $760.96 for undergraduates.

That increase is spread over the athletics fee, the health services fee and the required rise in bond revenue fees to pay for the arena, among others.

Other business for the finance committee includes examining efforts to help the physics department in gaining a $4.146 million dollar federal grant to research and develop new particle accelerator and detector technologies. Also, other capital projects need to go through the committee to gain ultimate approval, including a request to returf Huskie Stadium.

For the Legislation, Audit and External Affairs Committee, the trustees will discuss some of the bills in the state legislature, with topics ranging from mandatory meningitis information to college students each year to the potential rise of the minimum wage.

The academic and student affairs meeting will include: reports detailing a potential of 60 faculty promotions, recommended sabbatical leaves, a request to create a Master of Science degree in sports management and communicative disorders minor and a request to remove the Master of Science degree in finance. Also, the committee will review a report on how the university dealt with complaints regarding instructor communication with students the past year.