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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student news organization since 1899

 

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

At the 50: Huskies anchored by experienced defense in win over ISU

By Mike Knapp | September 1, 2019

DeKALB —The Huskies entered the 2019 season with a defense that has a chance to be very, very good.While there were some question marks on the offensive side of the football, the defense was back with a deep and experienced unit. The Huskies were ready...

Head coach Thomas Hammock addresses the team during Spring football practice.

Huskies ready for Illinois State visit for programs’ 57th meeting

By James Krause | August 30, 2019

Head coach Thomas Hammock addresses the team during Spring football practice.

Offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness addresses the quarterbacks during practice Wednesday at Huskie Stadium.

Starting quarterback will remain unknown until Saturday’s season opener

By James Krause | August 29, 2019

Senior quarterback Ross Bowers rolls out of the pocket during practice Wednesday. “It was a blessing in disguise,” Bowers said. “The majority of people who transfer, I’d assume, leave with some type of bitterness or feeling that [they] missed an opportunity. It’s been so nice getting out here to put all those regrets and frustrations to rest and learn from them.”

Thomas Hammock (middle) poses for a photo with a few key members of the NIU football team.

The ‘Hammock Era’ Begins : Chicago Media Day

By James Krause | August 1, 2019

DeKALB  —NIU’s football team held its annual Chicago Media Day on Monday, just days before the start of the first season under new head coach Thomas Hammock.Hammock and several members of the team spoke to the media at Ditka’s Steakhouse in downtown...

Students and faculty commend appointment of Freeman

By Sophia Mullowney | October 7, 2018

DeKALB — Following Lisa Freeman’s appointment as NIU’s first female president, women across campus shared their perspectives regarding the milestone.Freeman’s designation made her one of 89 women currently serving as a university president or...

Student leader honored

By Batul Cutlerywala | April 19, 2018

DeKALB — An undergraduate student will be recognized as the 2018 Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education, or ILACHE, Emerging Leader Award recipient Friday.Laura Vivaldo Cholula, DREAM Action NIU co-president, will be presented with the award during...

Presidential Search Preparation Committee continue search for the university’s next president

By Jessie Kern | February 26, 2018

DeKALB — With the university presidential search being put on hold during the 2017 fall semester, administrators are taking extra precautions to assure the process is as thorough as possible.The Presidential Search Preparation Committee is researching...

President Baker in review

President Doug Baker’s performance in the infancy of his tenure at NIU set the university back to a point in which it is struggling to return.

As the end of the spring 2017 semester approaches, the Board of Trustees is preparing for its annual review of Baker. It is important to remember what has come to light of Baker’s early performance as president.

Referenced in a Dec. 22 Baker Report, “complaints regarding procurement practices, employment decisions, and contractual arrangements that occurred in 2013-2014” have put a cloud of suspicion upon Baker and his administration.

Although Baker said the allegations had been investigated and “strategic initiatives” were implemented to address these issues, the extent of these practices and actions are still being discovered today. This continued lack of clarity to faculty and students who deserve to know what is going on at their university is unacceptable.

NIU has paid $189,145.46 to the law firm Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC as representation for Baker in an Office of Executive Inspector General investigation, according to payment documents received on April 27 through a FOIA request submitted to NIU by the Northern Star.

“Whenever there is an investigation by an agency — in this case, it’s not a legal suit, but it’s an agency looking at internal policy kinds of issues — it’s common practice or best practice that outside counsel be used for [the] president,” Baker said, according to a May 1 Northern Star article. “I’m sorry we’re having to do it, but that’s part of the indemnification clause that a president of a university has.”

However, the OEIG investigation is not the only instance for which Baker has required legal counsel. There is an ongoing lawsuit against Baker, the university and one of Baker’s controversial hires, Nancy Suttenfield, former interim chief financial officer, filed by former NIU Controller Keith Jackson.

The suit alleges Suttenfield hired a forensic audit firm to “dredge for evidence of wrongdoing” by Jackson and other employees that she and Baker wanted to terminate.

Baker is paid an annual base salary of $450,000, according to his contract received on April 5 through a FOIA request submitted to NIU by the Northern Star. In comparison, Illinois State University, which had an enrollment of only about 2,000 more students than NIU in 2016, pays its president, Larry Dietz, an annual base salary of $350,004, according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education website.

While the Northern Star Editorial Board understands complaints are filed, rumors spread and investigations unfold at such a large state university, the amount of money spent on Baker — from legal fees, to travel expenses, to his large salary — is too much when keeping in mind the lack of a state budget for the past three years.

To account for part of a $35 million budgetary gap for Fiscal Year 2018 that may result from the Illinois budget impasse, a portion of university employees will be losing their jobs, according to an April 28 Baker Report. As these employees are laid off, it stands Baker will continue collecting a healthy paycheck.

Baker opened up the annual presidential review conducted by the Board of Trustees to faculty, staff and students in an April 17 Baker Report. The Editorial Board urges the participants of this review to pay close attention to what Baker has cost the university in money and peace of mind.

Forward regains confidence

By Krystal Ward | February 6, 2017

DeKALB — Cassidy Glenn, women’s basketball redshirt senior forward, had a mental breakthrough in the midst of a game on Dec. 13, 2015 against Illinois State University.Glenn was hesitant at the beginning of the game and passed on taking a couple of...

Lisa CarlsenHead Coach

Basketball blows 4th quarter lead

By Eddie Garcia | November 21, 2016

DeKALB | Women’s basketball (2-1) fell short, 83-79, against the Western Illinois University Leathernecks (3-1) to record its first loss of the season.The Huskies led the game 77-73 with less than a minute remaining in the second half when the Leathernecks...

Work-hour cap limits students

By Northern Star Editorial Board | October 11, 2016

NIU should increase its hour cap from 20 hours per week for student-employees so students can earn living and tuition expenses easier.The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was fully implemented in 2015, and as a result, all hours for part-time...