Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Morning shorts

Posted in:

Illinois

* Capitol Fax Blog readers quoted about Obama campaign

* County’s high paid jobs escape ‘chop from top’

* Springfield tax dollars not hurt by smoking ban

* Editorial: No smoking ban exemptions for casinos

* Global warming, price of gas raise interest in high speed rail

* Amtrak sees record ridership despite problems

* Developer still plans resort in So. IL, local officials say

* SIU officials mull court response in FOIA challenge

* Editorial: Mixed news on tollways next moves

* Obama: a fresh face or an old school tactician?

* Cable competition looms

* Using state budget money, NIU can operate but not improve

* New law lets schools partner to own wind farms

posted by Paul Richardson
Monday, Sep 10, 07 @ 7:58 am

Comments

How much does the NIU president make? A hefty sum, I would imagine. And a big part of any university’s president’s job is fundraising. NIU, after all, graduates a lot of students. Some of them presumably would be responsive to a fund raising drive.

Sounds like the NIU Prez is getting a little too comfortable with the shower of free public money. Instead of whining to local legislators, why not go out and fund raise to make up the lost funds.

Or, I’m sure there are lots of other wannabee university presidents out there these days.

Comment by Cassandra Monday, Sep 10, 07 @ 8:24 am
Cassandra,

NIU’s endowment is about $36 million, not great but not shabby either. The state has inadequately funded higher education for the last several years and has forced colleges and universities to either cut services or to maintain on the backs of students in the form of tuition hikes.

Higher education is an investment, and the public receives a benefit from a more educated populace in revenue and community service. Companies want to locate in areas with an educated workforce. State funds for higher education are well invested.

Comment by Fan of the Game Monday, Sep 10, 07 @ 9:18 am
state funding for our universities has been declining for a long time and they increasingly are becoming de facto privatized. there isn’t much of a “shower of public money” to be comfortable with.

NIU is in the latter stages of its first major fundraising campaign but asking the state to take care of state facilities is not unreasonable.

Comment by a Huskie Monday, Sep 10, 07 @ 10:54 am
Cassandra-who don’t you rip on? Do you have a clue as to how underfunded the states universities are? Only Chicago State thanks to Emil Jones seems to get any cash. From 2005 to 2007 tuition from my first to second son rose over $2000.00. Whether you believe it or not, a college education benefits all of society. These are state owned universities and the state should take care of them.

Comment by Leigh Monday, Sep 10, 07 @ 3:34 pm