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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media 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

Letter to the Editor: Rumors not helping with pension woes

By Phyllis Livingston | April 28, 2014

There are a lot of us on campus who are still trying to make informed decisions about retirement.With rumors spreading like wildfire about Food Services and Building Services being outsourced, those that are part of these groups are having a very tough...

Faculty Senate draft: Suspend pension law

By Betsy Mathew | April 23, 2014

The Faculty Senate unanimously approved a draft statement addressing Illinois’ pension reform.Pension reformThe draft statement supports the idea of a preliminary injunction to suspend implementation of the pension reform law until its constitutionality...

Editorial: State’s issues will directly affect students

By Northern Star Editorial Board | April 8, 2014

Life at NIU is going to change, and those changes will affect students the most.NIU has planned an $11.6 million budget cut should Illinois’ income tax hikes come to an end. Simultaneously, an estimated 20 percent of NIU’s employees will retire at...

Editorial: Master Plan’s goals too idealistic

By Northern Star Editorial Board | April 7, 2014

NIU’s ambitions are more than its means when it comes to the Master Plan Thesis.The Master Plan Thesis is a series of objectives — remove Stevenson and Douglas, close Normal Road to car traffic, have food trucks visit every Friday in the fall, etc....

Biology professor Virginia Naples speaks during the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday. She said students should be educated about the negative effects of feeding geese. Naples’ comments were prompted by a discussion on the use of the Goosinator to get rid of geese on campus.

Senate: Faculty fear changes in pensions

By Keith Hernandez | March 27, 2014

Faculty Senate President Alan Rosenbaum advised NIU employees to receive pension advising because of the state’s changes to the programRosenbaum spoke at the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday in the Holmes Student Center’s Skyroom.SURSRosenbaum warned...

People ‘annoyed’ over pension plan

By James Green | December 8, 2013

Illinois’ pension plan has NIU faculty and staff feeling ignored while the school contemplates methods of handling the bill.On Tuesday, legislators approved a pension reform bill after years of financial worries in the form of unfunded liabilities and...

Illinois Pensions

Illinois Pensions

By The Associated Press | December 4, 2013

Lawmakers work toward passing controversial pension legislation while on the House floor during a session at the Illinois State Capitol Tuesday in Springfield. The measure passed the House and Senate and is headed to Gov. Pat Quinn, who has said he will...

NIU no fan of pension deal

NIU no fan of pension deal

By Kelly Bauer | December 4, 2013

NIU wanted a resolution to the state’s pension crisis, but it doesn’t like the one it got in a controversial reform bill that passed the General Assembly Tuesday.The measure will reduce and, in some instances, skip cost-of-living increases and push...

Pension concerns shown at legislator, faculty forum

By KeAndre Worthy | November 21, 2013

About 400 faculty and staff, active and retired, gathered Wednesday in the Holmes Student Center to discuss pension reform with state legislators.Representatives Tom Demmer and Bob Pritchard and Senator Dave Syverson attended to get the peoples’ perspectives...

During the open discussion portion of a March 7, 2012, meeting on pension reform, Michael Peddle, assistant dean of academic administration, suggested the state start taxing all pensions in Illinois.

Professors, legislators to meet for pension forum

By James Bartley | November 20, 2013

A town hall-style forum with state legislators on pension reform will be held at noon today in the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium.Representatives Bob Pritchard, Tom Demmer and Mike Fortner will be in attendance, as will Steve Cunningham,...

Pension proposal put in faculty’s hands

By James Green | October 3, 2013

The Faculty Senate hopes to give NIU personnel a voice in pension reform.At a Wednesday Faculty Senate meeting, Senate President Alan Rosenbaum motioned for the Faculty Senate to endorse a pension resolution in response to pension issues in the state...

Pension decision yet to made by Legislature

By Ali Combs | July 23, 2013

Past deadline and without pay, the General Assembly has yet to come to a decision in regard to pension reform.With Illinois state employees’ salaries frozen and pension plans up in the air, a conference committee has been set up to more efficiently...