Northern Star Monday, June 15, 2015
Volume 115, Issue 90
The Truth Shall Bear All Light
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Program review task forces formed Northern Star staff
Ryan Ocasiwo | Northern Star File Photo
Matthew Cunningham (left), senior special education major and member of B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S., grills with junior sociology major Alex Nichols in front of the Center for Black Studies during Fun In the Sun on April 30.
Black studies major stalled Proposal remains in discussion phase until prioritization process Satta Kendor Staff writer T @SattaKendor13
DeKalb | The Center for Black Studies
and NIU students said they hope to expand black studies from a minor to a major pending program prioritization. NIU administrators met with the Center for Black Studies on April 29 to discuss the possibility of black studies becoming a major — a program request made by students, according to an April 9 Northern Star article
— however the process remains in the discussion phase as more than 260 academic programs will soon be under review by the program prioritization academic task force. Program prioritization is the process NIU will undergo to determine mergers, cuts and increases in funding for academic and administrative programs. Members of the two task forces that will review programs have been appointed, but their names will not be announced until all letters of agreement have been signed. “Right now we’re just talking about it because ... we have the prioritization process going forward this summer and so we would put that in as something that we would like to see,” said LaVerne Gyant,
Center for Black Studies director. “I think people don’t tend to see black studies as a viable discipline; they see it as a feel good discipline. So because they think they’ll get an easy A they don’t think the work is rigorous — and that is not true.” Ashley Palmer, junior English major and black studies minor, said students can go a lot further with a black studies major. “I think that there are a lot of relevant career paths that a person can take with a black studies major,” Palmer said. “I think that it’s important because of contributions that African Americans have made since we have been in America.”
Read Black studies | Page 3
DeKalb | A shared governance group of faculty, staff and a student has chosen the members of the academic and administrative task forces, but the names of the task force participants will not be available until mid-June. The task forces, comprised of 20 members each, will determine mergers, cuts and increases in funding for academic and administrative programs. Each participant must sign a document explaining the terms of his or her service before the names of task force members can be released, according to the program prioritization website. All forms are likely to be signed around midJune, according to NIU.
Program inventories A list of the 265 academic programs to be peer reviewed was not yet available on the program prioritization website Sunday. The anticipated completion date for the administrative program inventory is late June, according to NIU.
Revised timeline • June 2015: Task forces formed, program inventories created • Fall 2015: Task forces trained for peer review • Spring 2016: Programs analyzed, prioritized; resources allocated based on peer review
Group requests Lincoln Hall for vet housing Alexander Chettiath Staff writer T @Achett2
DeKalb | A military veteran organization is seeking to use Lincoln Hall as a living facility for disabled veterans attending NIU and retired military and police dogs that would otherwise be put down. Save-A-Vet, a group that rescues retired military, police and other service animals and shelters them with disabled veterans, wants to reach an agreement with NIU to allow enrolled veterans and rescued dogs to live in Lincoln Hall rent free, said Danny Scheurer,
“
We appreciate the work of Save-A-Vet program and also the program’s desire for a location on campus. However, re-opening Lincoln Hall is a complex issue.” Paul Palian NIU spokesman
Save-A-Vet founder and a disabled Army and Marine Corps veteran. The plan to convert Lincoln Hall began about two years ago but talks with NIU have since halted, Scheurer said. NIU officials told
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the organization they are looking for alternative uses for Lincoln Hall such as office space, said James Johnson, finance professor and supporter of Save-A-Vet. “If they don’t want to give us the property or give us a longterm lease on it then just say no,” Scheurer said. “We can’t get a straight answer.” Eric Weldy, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, was not immediately available for comment. “We appreciate the work of Save-A-Vet program and also the program’s desire for a location on
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campus. However, re-opening Lincoln Hall is a complex issue,” said NIU spokesman Paul Palian. Save-A-Vet is also looking at other DeKalb locations including an old General Electric building on the outskirts of DeKalb and unused fraternity houses on Greek Row, but Lincoln Hall would be the best option because of its capacity to house 800 veterans and because of its proximity to NIU, Scheurer said. “We want to get Lincoln Hall because it has been vacant for so long, it’s a beautiful structure and it doesn’t need as much work for us
to use it than the school to use it,” Scheurer said. “It’s a win win.” Save-A-Vet is not looking for funds from NIU for the project but plans to work through volunteers and contributions, some of whom have already expressed interest including unnamed celebrities, Home Depot and an elevator contract union, Johnson said. “Save-A-Vet not only helps veterans but canines as well; two segments, which I think is great,” said Frank Lamar, second-year executive MBA student. “It is a great program with a great objective mission.”
Event and Summer guides
NIU may not be as heavily populated as it is during the fall, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. Check out Pages 4 and 5 if you’re looking for DeKalb events and activities.