Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow2013 President’s Report

Northern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees approved a new institutional vision and mission for the university in May 2012.

NIU Statement of Vision and Mission 4The vision of Northern Illinois University is to be the premier

student-centered, research-focused public university in the Midwest, contributing to the advancement of knowledge for the benefit of the people of the region, the state, the nation, and the world.

With this vision, the mission of the University is to promote excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry, and outreach and service.

4In pursuing our vision and fulfilling our mission, the University values:

• A community of diverse people, ideas, services, and scholarly endeavors in a climate of respect for the intrinsic dignity of each individual

• Access for a broad spectrum of students to high quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs that prepare them to be lifelong learners and productive, socially conscious citizens

• Engaged teaching and learning that evolves from the synergy of research, artistry, and service

• Research and artistry in creating, transmitting, expanding, and applying knowledge

• Student success supported through academic and co-curricular programming and activities

• The application of current technology in enhancing and broadening all institutional endeavors

• A system of shared governance that incorporates input from faculty, staff, and students in decision and policy-making

• Commitment to a public purpose addressing regional, state, national, and global challenges and opportunities

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As I approach my final days as president at Northern Illinois University, I invite you to see for yourself the change that has taken place at NIU as it moves forward, together forward into a new chapter.

- John G. Peters

Board of Trustees4Northern Illinois University is governed by the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University. Seven voting members, appointed by

the governor and confirmed by the Illinois Senate, serve six-year terms. One voting student, elected by the NIU student body, serves a one-year term.

Cherilyn G. MurerBoard ChairMember - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Finance, Facilities and Operations CommitteeMember - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance Committee

Robert T. Marshall, Jr.Board SecretaryVice Chair - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance CommitteeMember - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Finance, Facilities and Operations CommitteeLiaison - Universities Civil Service Merit Board

Wheeler G. ColemanChair - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Finance, Facilities and Operations CommitteeMember - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance Committee

Marc J. StraussVice Chair - Finance, Facilities and Operations CommitteeMember - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance Committee

Robert T. BoeyBoard Vice ChairChair - Finance, Facilities and Operations CommitteeMember - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance CommitteeLiaison - Northern Illinois University Foundation

John R. ButlerVice Chair - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Finance, Facilities and Operations CommitteeMember - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance Committee

Anthony IoscoFourth Member of the Executive CommitteeChair - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance CommitteeMember - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Finance, Facilities and Operations CommitteeLiaison - Northern Illinois University Alumni Association

Elliot M. EcholsStudent TrusteeMember - Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel CommitteeMember - Legislation, Audit, External Affairs and Compliance Committee

Contents1 NIU Statement of Vision and Mission 3 Board of Trustees4 Message from President Peters5 President’s Cabinet6 NIU’s First Lady Barbara Cole Peters7 Lady in Red and Black8 13 years of progress with president John G. Peters and first lady Barbara Cole Peters10 Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow...11 NIU at a Glance13 University Honors14 Global Impact17 Research Rookies18 Themed Learning Communities20 Campus Renaissance 21 Barsema Hall22 Altgeld Hall23 Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center24 Yordon Center25 Northern View Community26 Family Health, Wellness and Literacy Center27 Grant Tower North Renovations

29 Cole Hall30 New Residence Hall33 Unprecedented Growth In Alumni Engagement 34 Steady Leadership and Strong Financial Stewardship 36 Roadmap to the Future 38 Nationally Renowned Faculty Engaged in Teaching, Learning and Research40 NIU Research Earns Global Acclaim42 Scholarship44 Creativity and Artistry46 Outreach and Service48 Outdoor Intramural Complex49 Gilbert Hall Renovation50 Stevens Building Overhaul51 Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Practice Center53 Elevating NIU’s Athletics Profile54 Destination DeKalb: IHSA Football Championships55 2012 MAC Football Champs56 How Sweet it is...Orange Bowl Bound

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President’s Cabinet

Ray Alden Executive Vice President and Provost

Walter Czerniak Associate Vice President for Information Technology

Christian Spears Acting Associate Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics

Eddie Williams Executive Vice President / Chief of Operations

Lisa Freeman Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies

Kelly Wesener Michael Acting Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

Jerry Blakemore Vice President and General Counsel

Anne Kaplan Vice President for Outreach, Engagement and Information Technologies

Kathy Buettner Vice President for University Relations

Mike Malone Vice President for University Advancement

Steve Cunningham Vice President for Administration

Bill Nicklas Vice President for Public Safety and Community Relations

Message from President Peters4I am proud to present to you Northern Illinois University’s 2013 President’s Report. NIU has long been known for its excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry, and outreach and service. This year, these attributes were codified in the university’s mission and vision as the university strives to become the premier student-centered, research-focused public university in the Midwest, contributing to the advancement of knowledge for the benefit of the people of the region, the state, the nation, and the world.

2012 was a year of great transformation at NIU. In January, a renovated, state-of-the-art Cole Hall—long the center of campus and shuttered since 2008—was back online as a symbol of the university’s resilience and commitment to the spirit and ideals of higher learning. A new residence hall was opened—the first in over 40 years—for the fall semester, enhancing the living, learning environment for years to come.

Work is underway to renovate Grant Towers North and Gilbert Hall, providing the latest amenities for student living. And we are completing a new outdoor recreation complex and the new Ken and Ellen Chessick Indoor Practice Facility. Each is slated to open Fall, 2013.

Northern Illinois has experienced record growth in the University Honors Program and in other academic enrichment and engaged learning activities. Our Vision 2020 Initiative seeks to continue the

transformation of our academic programs to further integrate these hallmarks of the NIU experience and elevate the academic profile of our student body.

In many ways, 2012 is a microcosm of the transformation that has occurred at NIU over the past decade, as the university has moved forward despite challenging times, including two recessions and a period of steady decline in the state’s investment in higher education.

This transformation within our university community is not limited to specific programs, nor to particular faculty, staff, or students. This president’s report shows the myriad of ways in which the Northern Illinois University community has transformed lives through teaching, research, and service while at the same time reinvigorating itself for service to the next generation of students and beyond.

As I approach my final days as president at Northern Illinois University, I invite you to see firsthand the change that has taken place at NIU as it moves forward, together forward into a new chapter.

Sincerely,

John G. PetersPresident

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Lady in Red and Black4Created by Barbara Cole Peters in 2006, “Lady in Red and Black: Ode to Northern Illinois” told the history of women at NIU through period clothing, news clippings, images, and personal remembrances. The exhibit was displayed at galleries throughout DeKalb County.

The exhibit found a permanent home online in 2012 thanks to the work of NIU students. NIU’s Digital Convergence Lab recruited an interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students to expand Peters’ original concept into a virtual exhibit that allows online visitors to explore NIU’s past through the eyes of the women who experienced it. Organized by decade, the site gives an over-view of the times and their fashions, provides a timeline of campus events, and offers news articles, letters, and poems. To visit the site, go to http://ladyinredandblack.niu.edu/.

A book written by Barbara Cole Peters on the topic is to be released in May 2013.

NIU’s First Lady Barbara Cole Peters4Barbara Cole Peters, first lady of NIU, was

awarded the F.R. Geigle Service Award for her tireless work in support of the university in 2010. Over the years, she’s represented NIU with grace and dignity as she has helped alumni, donors and students feel like a part of the NIU family.

Peters’ enthusiasm for NIU spans multiple generations of students, employees and com-munity members as a professional exhibition curator for the NIU Interdisciplinary Certifi-cate of Graduate study in the Museum Studies program, the NIU Art Museum, activities surrounding Women’s History Month, as well as for the community-based Nehring Art Gallery in DeKalb. Her fascination with the important role women had in shaping NIU’s

culture has resulted in her manuscript on the topic.

In her capacity as first lady of NIU, Peters has represented the university with dignity, compassion, intelligence and charm. Through countless events and meetings, many held in the president’s residence, she has hosted a wide variety of guests and dignitaries from new student orientation leaders to foreign delegations on exchange missions.

Those who watched closely as the university responded to the tragic events of February 14, 2008, will always remember Mrs. Peters’ compassion and grace as she represented NIU in its darkest hours.

1. John and Barbara Peters

2. John and Barbara Peters reflecting at the Forward Together Forward Memorial

3. “Some Enchanted Evening” – a 2007 exhibit in the Altgeld Art Museum by Barbara Peters

6 7First LadyFirst Lady

13 years of progress with president John G. Peters and first lady Barbara Cole Peters

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NIU at a GlanceDate Chartered: 1895

Location: DeKalb (population 44,098); 65 miles west of Chicago

Alumni of Record: 225,000

Total Student Enrollment: 21,869Undergraduate: 16,552Graduate: 4,984College of Law: 333

Total Faculty/Staff: 4,648Instructional faculty: 1,185Administrative and professional staff: 1,000Operating staff: 2,463

Student/Instructional Faculty Ratio: 18:1

Campus Size:DeKalb main campus: 756 acres; 64 major buildingsLorado Taft Field Campus (near Oregon, Illinois): 144 acresNIU Rockford: 10 acresNIU Hoffman Estates: 3.93 acres, plus an additional land donation of 20 acresNIU Naperville: 11.2 acresStudent Housing Capacity: 6,000 (on campus)

Radio Stations: WNIJ 89.5 FM, 50,000 watts; WNIU 90.5 FM (National Public Radio); WKDI 93.5 FM (student operated)

College Structure: Seven (7) degree-granting colleges—Business, Education, Engineering and Engineering Technology, Health and Human Sciences, Law, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts

AcAdemic informAtion

Number of academic departments: 39

Degrees offered (24): Au.D., B.A., B.F.A., B.G.S., B.M., B.S., B.S.Ed., D.P.T., Ed.D., Ed.S., J.D., M.A., M.A.S., M.B.A., M.F.A., M.M., M.P.A., M.P.H., M.S., M.S.Ed., M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teach-ing), M.S.T. (Master of Science in Taxation), M.S.T. (Master of Science in Teaching), Ph.D.

Undergraduate:57 undergraduate majors71 undergraduate minors85 emphases8 pre-professional programs

Graduate:80 graduate programs54 specializations

Student Profile

EnrollmentUndergraduate: 16,552Graduate: 4984College of Law: 333Total: 21,869

Average Student AgeUndergraduate: 22Graduate: 32

Degrees Awarded, 2011–12 Academic YearUndergraduate: 3,972Graduate: 1,561J.D. Professional/Law: 93Doctorate: 108Total: 5,734

International Students685 international students from 116 different countries

Ethnic/Racial Categories–UndergraduateWhite: 61.3%Black: 16.3%

Hispanic/Latino: 11.7%Asian: 4.9%Other: 7.6%

Male/Female CategoriesUndergraduate: 49.8% male; 50.2% femaleGraduate: 42.0% male; 58.0% female

Average High School Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) for NIU Freshman: 3.11

AthleticS

National Affiliation: NCAA Division 1

Conference Affiliation: Mid-American Conference

Men: baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, tennis, wrestling

Women: basketball, cross country, golf, gymnas-tics, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, indoor/outdoor track and field

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Status

Athletic Colors: Cardinal and black

Mascot: The mascot for all NIU athletic teams is the Huskie.

Athletic Department Logo: The Huskie logo is a licensed property of NIU; its use is restricted to promoting sports activities.

Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow...4Under President Peters’ leadership, NIU became a member of

the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), a non-profit association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. and the Universities Research Association (URA), a prestigious international consortium of 86 leading research universities.

NIU is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the category of Research Universities (high research activity), a designation reserved for universities that award at least 20 research degrees annually.

NIU was awarded a second Carnegie classification for Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships, which recognizes institutions of higher education for their collaboration with larger communities (local, regional/state, national and global).

U.S. News & World Report ranks NIU in its elite “National Universities” category in 2012; NIU is ranked third in Illinois in the magazine’s High School Counselor Rankings of National Universities.

NIU’s academic programs are nationally accredited (in business, engineering, nursing, visual and performing arts, and all teacher certification programs, among others) for meeting the highest standards of academic quality and rigor.

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University Honors4Since fall 2010, the University Honors Program has

grown from 861 to 1,083 students, a 25 percent increase. In fact, this year’s incoming class of 226 University Honors freshmen was the largest since 1987.

“Vision 2020 makes the success of University Honors an institutional priority, and I’m very pleased with the trajectory of the program,” said President John G. Peters.

The program has experienced significant qualitative growth as well. The Fall 2012 class of University Honors freshmen had an average ACT score of 29, an average high school GPA of 3.94, and an average class rank in the top 12.5 percent of their high school graduating class.

“By attracting more top high school students, providing significantly more academic scholarships and engaging more students in University Honors, we are meeting our objectives and demonstrating NIU’s commitment to providing a world-class education for high-performing students,” Peters added.

1312 Academic Success Academic Success

Global Impact4Over the past decade, Northern Illinois University has developed into a global institution, with university-wide support for study abroad programs in any NIU major or field of study, undergraduate and graduate, in 75 different countries.

Students have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of a particular region of the world through several different study abroad options including internships, university-sponsored semester studies, and opportuni-ties through partnerships.

Among those opportunities is a 12-month fast-track MBA program that allows students

to graduate with two advanced business degrees – an MBA from NIU and a master’s degree in international management from a partner university in Europe.

The program kicked off three years ago when NIU established a partnership with IAE, the Bordeaux University School of Management in France. A second track was recently added, this one in partnership with the ENAE Busi-ness School in Murcia, Spain.

P11: NIU Global Impact

President Barack Obama holds a bilateral meeting Monday, Nov. 19, with President Thein Sein of Burma at the Burma Parliament Building in Rangoon, Burma. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

4Following President Obama’s historic trip to Myanmar in 2012, the Institute of Interna-tional Education launched an institute-wide initiative involving the participation of NIU and eight other U.S. higher education institutions in a strategic planning process for developing institutional partnerships with universities in Myanmar to assist in rebuild-ing higher education capacity in the country.

1. Italy study abroad trip

2. Day break at Machu Picchu

3. Student in London

4. Students Shay Galto and Lauren Bell on Cambodia study abroad trip

14 15Academic Success Academic Success

Research Rookies4First formed in 2010 as a pilot program,

NIU’s Research Rookie program provides freshmen, sophomores and transfer students the opportunity to participate in research projects with NIU faculty ranging from investigations of cellular activity to assessing customer satisfaction among attendees at Huskie football games. The program now encompasses all six undergraduate colleges on campus and includes students pursuing 24 different majors including biology, philosophy, marketing, mechanical engineering, graphic design, special education and speech-language pathology.

The research program is geared toward “rookies,” or students who are typically in their first or second year at NIU who interview

and choose a faculty mentor who helps guide them through the research process as it applies to their field.

The yearlong program prepares students for pursuing a master’s degree or eventually a doctorate degree, culminating at the end of the spring semester when students show their projects at the Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day.

1. Sarah Stuebing con-ducted an indepen-dent research project on horses

2. Research Rookie Evan Wittke worked as a member of biological sciences professor Barrie Bode’s laboratory team

3. Anthropology student Lindsey Komes with professor Creamer

4. Psychology Research Rookie Lauren Boddy

Photo courtesy the Daily Chronicle

16 17Academic Success Academic Success

Themed Learning Communities4Incoming Northern Illinois University

freshmen have a unique opportunity to engage with a course theme, connect learning across courses in collaborative and active ways, develop relationships with peers and faculty, and ease the transition into college by enrolling in one of NIU’s Themed Learning Communities during registration.

“People told me that for the first two years of college all you do is take general education courses that you won’t remember,” said par-ticipant Mike Theodore. “Well, I’m pretty sure this experience turned that idea on its head.”

Typically, a TLC consists of two or three courses taken together to examine a

common theme across disciplines such as the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. Faculty members create assignments that require students to draw on concepts from the other TLC classes for an enhanced, integrative learning experience.

A variety of TLCs are available to incoming freshman and many offer professional development opportunities, field trips and the opportunity to work with faculty from different fields.

1. TLC Study Group

2. TLC outside Wirtz Hall

3. Students walking to class

4. Business TLC outside Barsema Hall

18 19Academic Success Academic Success

conStruction timeline

2002 n Barsema Hall opened

2002 n Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault opened

2004 n Altgeld Hall renovation completed

2004 n Chick Evans Field House renovation completed

2005 n Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center opened

2007 n Jeffrey and Kimberley Yordon Center opened

2008 n Northern View Apartments opened

2008 n Family Health, Wellness and Literacy Center opened

2011 n Grant Tower C renovation completed

2012 n Fay-Cooper Cole Hall renovation completed

2012 n New Residence Hall Complex opened

2013 n Outdoor Intramural Sports Complex (scheduled completion)

2013 n Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Indoor Practice Center (scheduled completion)

2013 n Grant Tower D renovation (scheduled completion)

2013 n Gilbert Hall renovation (scheduled completion)

2013 n Stevens Building renovation (scheduled to begin)

Barsema Hall4Thanks to the generosity of Dennis and Stacey

Barsema, NIU’s College of Business moved into Barsema Hall in 2002.

Barsema Hall sets the standard for the learning environment of the 21st century offering a place for business students to learn, study, meet, or just relax among their fellow students as well as with faculty and staff.

The Barsema’s vision of NIU becoming a key participant in the development of a major Chicago technology center was a step closer with the completion of the 144,000 square foot facility, which combines classrooms, computer labs, a 375-seat auditorium, specialized labs, faculty and staff offices, and spaces for studying and meeting, complete with a cafe.

“This building is a concrete example of my com-mitment to that goal, and a demonstration of my belief that improving higher education in the Chicagoland area is key to making the vision of the ‘Silicon Prairie’ a reality,” Dennis Barsema said at the time.

Campus Renaissance 4Over the past decade, NIU embarked on a beautification effort

that transformed the face of campus. Included among the initiatives is the university’s New Northern Lifestyle, a residential renaissance underway to enhance students’ living-learning environment.

“We need a campus in which faculty, staff and students can take pride, and one that potential students want to call home,” noted President Peters.

Built in 2002, Northern Illinois University’s Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, located on the west side of campus, was the first building at NIU funded entirely by federal dollars. The Center promotes research that informs prevention, intervention, and treatment related to family violence, child abuse prevention and sexual assault.

20 Campus Renaissance 21Campus Renaissance

Altgeld Hall4After five years of restoration and renovation work,

Northern Illinois University’s flagship building, Altgeld Hall, reopened for business in early September, 2004. The building today is home to the offices of the President, Provost, Student Affairs, Finance and Facilities, University Relations, Univer-sity Council, General Counsel and the offices of University Advancement and NIU Foundation.

Of all the spaces in Altgeld, the Auditorium most closely resembles what students would have seen in 1899.

“We felt it was important to include some wonderful historic public spaces in this building,” said President Peters. “While the work of administering the university takes place here, this is much more than an office building. Altgeld Hall is a direct link to our roots as an institution, and we wanted it to be welcoming to our faculty, students, staff and alumni.”

Other public spaces in the building include a permanent home for the NIU Art Museum, which occupies the west wing of the first floor, and an Instructional Technology Teach-ing Laboratory located in the old gymnasium, where faculty and staff master the latest in teaching technologies. There also is a Board of Trustee Room, located on the west end of the third floor, where the board conducts its public business.

Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center4The Barsema Alumni and Visitor Center

opened October, 2005 as the gateway to campus.

The two-and-a-half story, 37,000-square-foot Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center includes a faculty library, state-of-the-art meeting and conference facility and office space for the NIU Alumni Association, the NIU Student Alumni Association and representatives from the admissions and orientation offices. Its centerpiece is the Great Hall featuring plaques, displays and exhibits highlighting the history of NIU and the accomplishments of the university’s alumni.

“Honoring the great achievements of our graduates allows them to make a powerful contribution to the students who follow them on this campus: providing the inspiration to succeed,” said NIU President John G. Peters about the building.

The building has been transformational for NIU in reaching out to alumni as well as attracting new students.

22 Campus Renaissance 23Campus Renaissance

Yordon Center4Located adjacent to the North end zone

of Huskie Stadium, the Jeffrey and Kim-berly Yordon Center--which opened in 2007--houses nearly all of Northern Illinois’ student-athlete support units and serves as the home for the Huskie football team.

From the “smart” classrooms in the Frances and George Wilkins Academic Support Center to the state-of-the-art rehabilitation pools in the athletic training center to the expandable storage area in the equipment room, everything about the Yordon Center says “first class.”

Construction on the $14-million privately-funded facility began in June 2006, and NIU Athletics staffers moved in during August 2007. The building is named for NIU sup-porters Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon, who in November 2006 announced a $2.5 million gift to the project, making it the largest gift at the time to Huskie Athletics in its history.

Northern View Community4Opened in 2007, the Northern View Community is intended primarily to serve students who are married, have a domestic partner or children, as well as graduate and professional students, international students and non-traditional undergraduates for whom typical residence hall life might not be attractive or feasible.

“It represents a dramatic improvement in the level of service we provide to our graduate and professional students, international stu-dents, and to all students who have a spouse, domestic partner or children and wish to live on campus,” said NIU President John Peters.

“It is an upgrade that is long overdue, and one I am very proud to advance.”

The $20 million project was built through a public-private partnership with Collegiate Development Services, a Texas-based not-for-profit organization offering turn-key real estate development services to colleges and universities across the country, specializing in residence halls.

Each of the 120 units are handicap accessible/adaptable, equipped with full kitchens, wash-ers and dryers and Internet access. Amenities within the complex include a community center equipped with a state-of-the-art com-puter lab, community rooms, study areas and a playground for the children of residents.

24 Campus Renaissance 25Campus Renaissance

Family Health, Wellness and Literacy Center4NIU’s Family Health, Wellness and Literacy Center, which opened in 2008, is home to the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Speech-Language Hearing Clinic, Physical Therapy Clinic and Community Cares Clinic and the College of Education’s Literacy Clinic.

Purchased in 2005, the center features more than 65,000 square feet of remodeled, state-of-the-art clinical space. NIU received federal appropriations to fund remodeling of the building, as well as the purchase of existing furnishings and equipment and specialized, health-related equipment for the center.

The center provides a variety of services in speech, language and hearing, physical therapy, primary care and literacy and serves as a clinical teaching site for a wide range of academic programs. Students receive hands-on experience working with clients and patients of all ages and backgrounds, under the supervision of experienced faculty and clinic professionals.

Grant Tower North Renovations4A newly renovated Grant Towers North

offers a fresh new look and feel. Available for both new and returning students, the newly renovated C Tower provides NIU students with the modern lifestyle they seek. Tower D is slated to re-open Fall 2013.

“I am delighted to say that it sets a high standard for the rest of our efforts to revamp our housing stock,” President Peters said. “As those projects come online, NIU will be one of the most attractive campuses in the state when it comes to living quarters.”

The towers feature state-of-the-art amenities, such as individualized temperature controls,

modular furniture and advanced security measures. Personalized proximity cards are issued requiring students use in elevators and at their room. Other perks include washing machines that automatically send text messages to students once their laundry is finished, 50 percent more living space in each room and modernized restrooms with increased privacy.

26 Campus Renaissance 27Campus Renaissance

Cole Hall4In January 2012, NIU unveiled a new

crown jewel in the heart of campus — the renovated and super-high-tech Fay-Cooper Cole Hall. Shuddered since February 2008, Cole Hall has been transformed into a collaborative learning setting that university officials believe will be looked to as a national model.

In addition to being the new home of the NIU Anthropology Museum, the renovated Cole Hall is now home to two premier educational spaces: the Collaboratory Classroom, which boasts 48 computer stations divided among six separate learning pods equipped with a 65-inch, high-definition digital touchscreen that enable students to interact with educational material in the same way users interact with touch-screen iPads; and the 351-seat Jameson Auditorium, which

has been completely overhauled with the addition of improved sightlines and access, technology supporting up to 750 wireless devices, comfortable seats that swivel 360 degrees to allow for small-group interactions, the highest quality HD projection system on campus, and a full complement of smart technology to meet the needs of students and educators.

“Cole Hall has been at the heart of the NIU community since it first opened its doors, and it is personally inspirational for me to know that this building now will foster learning for tens of thousands of 21st century students,” NIU President John Peters said. “We believe the newly renovated Cole Hall embodies the Forward, Together Forward spirit that binds us all together.”

29Campus Renaissance28 Campus Renaissance

New Residence Hall4For the first time in nearly a half-century,

NIU students, university leaders and partners in the construction industry gathered to cut the ribbon opening a new residence hall in 2012.

The New Residential Complex features two identical structures featuring “cluster-style” living arrangements that house 12 students together in separate single bedrooms and six shared bathrooms with a common space that includes a furnished study area, living area and kitchenette as well as a washer and dryer.

The community center features an “all-you-care-to-eat” menu with a variety of food options, a social lounge and a gaming area where students can socialize with fellow residents or visitors and a fitness center equipped with modern workout equipment and meeting spaces.

Outdoor amenities include a sand volleyball court, basketball half-court and bean bag courts grouped together with picnic tables.

“This building is the embodiment of our Vision 2020 goal of becoming the most student-centered regional public research university in the Midwest,” Peters said. “It is the crown jewel of our Residential Renaissance, a four-year effort to dra-matically upgrade our housing to meet the modern-day needs of students.”

30 Campus Renaissance 31Campus Renaissance

Unprecedented Growth in Alumni Engagement 4Under President Peters’ leadership, alumni

engagement and giving soared, and private fundraising became a top priority. Shortly after his arrival, Peters helped NIU secure a transformational gift --$20 million from Den-nis and Stacey Barsema to build a new home for the College of Business.

NIU’s first capital campaign, True North, was launched under his leadership, and since the start of the Peters’ presidency at the turn of the millennium, NIU raised more than $187 million, compared to $37 million raised the decade prior to his arrival.

“True North is a value and a direction. It’s a celebration of everything NIU stands for – its core values of initiative, hard-work and access,” said NIU President John Peters.

“It’s also about an appetite for opportunity, and above all, an abiding belief that focus, generosity and dedication can make the world a better place.”

“Many of our students are the first in their families to attend college; some work full-time in addition to their coursework; some put themselves through school one class at a time,” Peters continued. “Endowed scholarships keep them in school and help us keep NIU accessible to all students with the capacity to achieve and the willingness to work hard.”

1. True North banner in Altgeld Hall

2. Three Sons Cafe in Barsema Hall

3. Kicking off the True North Campaign in 2007 with a perfor-mance by NIU alumna and Broadway actress Melissa Dye

4. President Peters (right) with Dennis Barsema (left) and John Castle (center)

3332 Capital CampaignCapital Campaign

2012-2013

revenueS

= Auxiliary Enterprises (17.9%)

= State Appropriations (37.2%)

= Pell Grants (5.2%)

= Gifts and Investment Income (0.1%)

= Tuition and Fees (23.5%)

= Grants and Contracts (11%)

= Other Income (5.1%)

exPenSeS by function

= Staff Benefits (21.2%)

= Instruction (23.9%)

= Auxiliary Enterprises (14.9%)

= Depreciation (2.8%)

= Academic Support (5.6%)

= Institutional Support (5.4%)

= Public Service (8.9%)

= Operation of Plant (4.8%)

= Research (3.1%)

= Student Services (2.6%)

= Student Aid (3.9%)

= Interest Expense (2.9%)

Steady Leadership and Strong Financial Stewardship Northern Illinois University continues to build upon its strong financial foundation despite declining state general revenue appropriations support and increases in health care costs. This financial health reflects the prudent utilization of the financial resources, including careful cost controls, management of the endowment, conservative utilization of debt and adherence to the long range capital plan for the maintenance and replacement of the physical plant.

niu StAtement of finAnciAl PoSition(in thousands) 2012 2011Total revenues $ 588,149 $ 540,788Total expenses $ 572,948 $ 525,011Increase in net assets $ 15,201 $ 15,777

3534 University FinancialsUniversity Financials

Growing enrollmentAccelerated growth in NIU’s share of students in the large and growing market of off-campus, part-time, adult learners will depend upon new online delivery modes and new academic programming as well as outreach activities that raise the visibility of engaged learning, research and service opportunities throughout the region. The Division of Outreach and Engagement has piloted a number of initiatives to meet these challenges, including a new online service that allows students from any community college to immediately and easily match courses at their schools with courses at NIU.

Distributed LearningThis past year, NIU’s Distributed Learning Taskforce developed its major goals for a start-up model as well as revenue development and distribution. The program

will better serve non-traditional students and also offer a path to degree completion. Curricular and administrative details are in development and will be finalized and implemented by Fall 2013.

TechnologyNIU is building a 21st century learning experience with wireless communications, smart classrooms and cloud computing capabilities. ITS also successfully migrated student email to the Google platform, offering access to apps that permit a more collaborative learning environment and cloud printing.

Roadmap to the Future Vision 2020Intended to secure NIU as the most student-centered public research university in the Midwest by 2020 and beyond, NIU’s Vision 2020 Initiative represents an extensive benchmarking effort with input from across campus on academic excellence, campus improvements and fiscal sustainability.

“We are transforming the way we deliver knowledge to our students, especially in the way large classes are taught,” said President Peters. “Significant grant support has helped restructure large lecture hall classes to include media-rich interactive activities and small group experiential learning that emphasizes relationships with faculty and peers.”

Improving OutcomesNIU’s Office of Student Academic Success operates MAP-Works (Making Achievement Possible), a program that empowers faculty

and staff to positively impact student success and retention by identifying at-risk students early in the term. Faculty and staff are provided with the right information to focus on the critical issues for each individual student. Faculty and staff can effectively invest their limited time and resources into helping students who display risk factors.

ResearchNIU is becoming more competitive by investing in temporary research personnel to accelerate completion of existing research projects, new equipment for areas that have the highest probability of attracting research dollars and faculty who have a history of the best propensity to several areas to obtain external funding.

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Nationally Renowned Faculty Engaged in Teaching, Learning and Research4More than a century past the careful

selection of the university’s first faculty, NIU is now home to nearly 1,200 world-class and often world-renowned teachers and research-ers, artists and scientists. They publish articles, edit journals, write books and produce films. They guide students on adventures in the classroom and around the world, engaging them in the practice of asking questions, searching for answers, analyzing data and documenting results.

With mobile technologies including smart-phones and tablets, students can access course materials from anywhere and faculty can update materials or communicate with students.

A growing number of online and mobile technologies enable new channels for social collaboration in teaching and learning. These include social networks and web conferenc-ing tools that facilitate communication, plus tools that support collaborative writing, like

blogs, wikis, Google Drive, and more. Using these tools to create a social layer can foster a sense of community, promote engagement between faculty and students, and provide opportunities for a variety of 21st century learning activities.

The Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees Professorship was established in 2007 to recognize international prominence in research as well as excellence in all facets of teaching. Historian Heide Fehrenbach, chem-ist Chhiu-Tsu “C.T.” Lin and geologist Reed Scherer were selected for the honor in 2012.

The trio works in fields that seem far removed from each other. Fehrenbach illuminates post-World War II European history. Lin mixes up the chemistry for new inventions. Scherer conducts climate research in the most remote region of the planet.

But all bring uncommon creativity to their work that ignites a passion for knowledge among their students.

“The latest round of Board of Trustees Professorships confirm what colleagues and students have known all along – that Heide Fehrenbach, C.T. Lin and Reed Scherer are among the very best at what they do, not only at this university but anywhere,” NIU Presi-dent John Peters said. “We’re indebted to all of them for their scholarship, tremendous work with students and service to our community.”

1. Historian Heide Fehrenbach

2. Chemist Chhiu-Tsu “C.T.” Lin

3. Geologist Reed Scherer

4. Reed Scherer working in the Antarctic

5. Reed Scherer and his team’s campsite with the Transantarctic Mountains in the background

38 39Faculty Faculty

NIU Research Earns Global Acclaim2012 was a year filled with breakthrough research at NIU.

4Highlights included work by NIU Department of Biological Sciences professor and noted Vitamin K expert Rangaswamy

“Nathan” Meganathan, as well as his former student, Janaka N. Edirisinghe, part of a team that found that Vitamin K can mitigate some of the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

Meganathan, a Distinguished Research Professor at NIU and world expert on vitamin K, has been shedding new light on scientists’ understanding of the vitamin’s biosynthesis for much of his long career.

“We have learned, especially in recent years, that vitamin K deficiencies appear to be linked to a number of inherited diseases in humans, such as certain types of bladder cancer and eye diseases,” Meganathan said.

4NIU Department of Management profes-sor Don Kluemper became a Facebook sensation when his research about using Facebook in the hiring process went viral in 2012.

Kluemper and a team of researchers found that impressions gleaned from a five- to 10-minute perusal of Facebook pages were actually a stronger predictor of a candidate’s likelihood to excel in a job than the person-ality surveys that many companies require job candidates to complete.

4NIU chemistry and biochemistry profes-sor Tao Xu received a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant of $400,000 to support his nanoscience re-search and teaching efforts to improve solar energy conversion in future generations of solar cells.

“Because of environmental concerns related to nuclear and fossil-fuel-based energy, people are demanding clean alternative energies that can help build up our power grids,” Xu said. “Solar cells are quite safe, but we need to enhance their overall efficiency and affordability. To accomplish this, our group is trying to gain a better understanding of the fundamental processes at work in solar cells.”

Xu’s group also is developing novel, environ-mentally friendly materials that use sunlight as an energy source to burn away organic pollutants from wastewater. Xu hopes the technique could be used for purification of sewage or even oil-contaminated water.

40 41ResearchResearch

Scholarship4Elaine Rodriguez, Noemi Rodriguez

and Guadalupe Lopez submitted abstracts based on work they completed in the Research Rookies program to the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and were selected to present at the national “Science, Technology, and Diversity for a Healthy World” conference in October 2012.

“This is the first time that NIU students have ever received travel scholarships and been invited to present their research at this national conference,” said Emily Prieto, director of NIU’s Latino Resource Center, at the time. “These students will be able to interact with researchers and scholars from across the country. This will undoubtedly be a life changing experience for them.”

4A team of NIU scientists, with a major role played by NIU Ph.D. students, discovered a convenient and inexpensive way to make high performance hydrogen sensors using palladium nanowires. The technology could help enable a scale-up for potential industrial applications, such as safety monitors in future hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Their research was published in the American Chemical Society‘s prestigious journal Nano Letters.

NIU Presidential Research Professor of Physics, Zhili Xiao is leader of the research team. Other members of the research team include lead author and NIU Ph.D. student in chemistry and biochemistry Xiaoqiao (Vivian) Zeng; NIU Chemistry and Biochemistry professor Tao Xu; NIU physics Ph.D. candidate Michael Latimer; NIU physics graduate student SriHarsha

Panuganti; and physicist Ulrich Welp and senior physicist Wai-Kwong Kwok of Argonne’s Materials Science Division.

4NIU senior biological sciences major Mischelle Nelson earned a Presentation Award at the 2012 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in San Jose, Calif.

Nelson attended the conference to present research she conducted in the laboratory of Narayan Hosmane, a Board of Trustees Professor of chemistry at NIU.

“I gave a poster presentation on the synthesis of hybrid graphene h-Boron Nitride nano material,” Nelson said. “It was an amazing opportunity to network and learn more about research programs in the biomedical field.”

1. Elaine Rodriguez, Noemi Rodriguez, Guadalupe Lopez

2. Zhili Xiao, Xiaoqiao (Vivian) Zeng

3. Mischelle Nelson

4. Mischelle Nelson and Narayan Hosmane

42 43

4Caitlin Cavannaugh is an artist who in

2012 spent three months in Russia at the world-renowned Moscow Art Theatre School. But whether she’s strumming the strings of a harp, writing award-winning plays or performing opera

competitively, she doesn’t lose sight of what matters most: sharing her talent for the benefit of others.

The Willow Springs native created Healing Harps, a volunteer organization to provide

music for people in nursing homes, retirement homes and hospices within her community.

“I never understood the power of music until I started Healing Harps,” the BFA acting major says. “I suppose I caught the community service bug.”

Although school, charitable efforts, intern-ships and side jobs keep her busy, she has maintained a 4.0 GPA each semester since arriving at NIU in 2010.

Creativity and Artistry4Scholars and artists from around the world

convened at NIU for Imagining Cambodia, the first international Cambodia Studies Conference to be held in the United States, as part of the university’s celebration of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies 50th anniversary.

Through NIU’s CSEAS, a Title VI National Resource Center since 1997, undergraduates can earn a minor or contract major in South-east Asian Studies while graduate students can add a concentration in Southeast Asian Studies to their field. NIU currently offers six of the seven major Southeast Asian languages,

more than any other U.S. institution.

“This year presents a unique opportunity for NIU faculty and students to experience Southeast Asia from music, dance and art to film and

lectures on the region,” said CSEAS Director Judy Ledgerwood, an anthropologist who specializes in Cambodia.

1. The Temple Wat Ounalom in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2. Monks against the jungle canopy from inside the Temple of Angkor Wat

3. Woman selling food in Cambodia

4. Caitlin Cavannaugh per-forming in the NIU School of Theatre and Dance pro-duction of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale”

5. Caitlin Cavannaugh (center) plays Dorcus in “The Winter’s Tale”

44 45

4Nationally-recognized for community serviceNIU was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. To be admitted to the Honor Roll, a school must demonstrate that its students, faculty and staff are engaged in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community.

8,000 students are regularly engaged in projects that benefit the community and region each year. In all, NIU students spend approximately 60,000 hours each year volunteering their time to serve others in projects that include:

• NIU Cares Day (day of service)• Spring break service trips• Community after-school programs• Mentor projects focusing on the

development of young people

4College of Law strengthens clinical program with new Juvenile Justice Clinic in RockfordAfter more than 10 years of assisting clients and providing valuable experience to law students, the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic has expanded its program to include a Juvenile Justice Clinic.

“The Juvenile Justice Clinic is adding to the established reputation of the NIU Law clinical program in the Winnebago County area,” said NIU Law Dean Jennifer Rosato.

In 2011, the clinic celebrated 10 years of service in the community, serving nearly 300 students and more than 2,000 clients on elder law cases, domestic abuse cases, adult crimi-nal cases and mediating cases, all pro bono.

Outreach and Service4NIU outreach initiative brings

opportunityIn 2003, NIU launched NIUNet, spawning other successful broadband-related projects such as the Illinois Rural Health Network and the DeKalb Advancement of Technology Authority.

NIU continues to establish itself as a leader in increasing high-speed broadband awareness and availability in Illinois. In September 2010, NIU was awarded a $68.5 million grant – the largest grant in university history – by the National Telecommunications and Informa-tion Administration to develop a broadband network that spreads across nine counties in northwest Illinois.

The university’s participation in the iFiber consortium was critical in providing high speed (1Gb) network transport services to both the public and private sector, in nine counties of northwest Illinois.

4NIU-led collaborative strengthening Rockford’s aerospace clusterNorthern Illinois University and a group of partner organizations in the community are working together to help ensure the develop-ment of the high-tech workforce needed to support Rockford’s growing aerospace cluster through the creation of the community-based Joint Institute for Engineering and Technol-ogy – Aerospace (JiET-A). JiET-A links students from Rockford area higher educa-tion institutions with new internship and mentorship opportunities, creating a path to employment with local aerospace companies.

Ten regional companies have welcomed NIU College of Engineering and Engineer-ing Technology students to work on special projects as Engineers in Residence.

1–3. Students participating in community service on NIU Cares Day

4–6. Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic 10 year anniversary event

46 47

Gilbert Hall Renovation4Gilbert Hall, which has not been used to

house students since 1995, is undergoing a major renovation and is scheduled to reopen in fall, 2013. Gilbert will maintain its traditional charm but feature modern amenities for students. The facility’s location on the east side of campus is expected to be an extremely popular student living option.

Some of the anticipated features include:

• Enhanced privacy• Replacement of 60-year-old heating/

ventilation/air conditioning system, electrical, and plumbing.

• New windows• A new dining facility open to all faculty,

staff, and students• Internet café• Fitness center• Outdoor patio area

Outdoor Intramural Complex4In October 2012, NIU broke ground

on a new, 27-acre Outdoor Recreation Sports Complex to be located north of the Convocation Center--a key component of the “New Northern Lifestyle” and Vision 2020 initiatives.

The complex, expected to open for the Fall 2013 semester, will feature lighted multi-use sports fields where soccer, rugby, flag football, lacrosse, baseball, softball and Ultimate Frisbee can be played.

The new facility means the university can host competitions for sport clubs as well as large-scale weekend tournaments. It also allows flexibility in scheduling more intramural sports.

“The complex will create opportunities for our students to forge new friendships, help them connect to campus and stay healthy,” President Peters said. “And happy, healthy students who feel connected to campus not only have a much more fulfilling college experience, they are much more likely to graduate – all important attributes of a student-centered university.”

48 49Promising FuturePromising Future

Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Practice Center4Northern Illinois University broke ground

on the Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Practice Center in the spring of 2012.

The 83,500 square foot facility will house a full-size, 120-yard artificial surface football practice field with buffer space surrounding the field on all sides. It will stand 65-feet tall in the center and 45-feet at the sidelines. Preliminary plans feature a four-lane track, batting cages and a retractable center net, al-lowing multi-sport use throughout the winter months. Other planned features include a long jump pit, storage cages, field goal nets and a play-clock system.

Acting director of Athletics Christian Spears said the Chessick Center will only add to the success of NIU Athletics; the Huskies

claimed three Mid-American Conference Championships in 2011-12.

“We will make the Chessick Center one of the finest facilities of its kind in the country,” Spears said of the facility, which is scheduled to open in fall 2013. “The Chessick Center will not only maintain our success it will put us in high gear and help accelerate the momentum we have gained. It clearly demonstrates our continued commitment to our student-athletes and their success. This facility will have a huge impact on every student-athlete and every team. To be able to practice and prepare on a year-round basis is essential for any team’s continued development.”

Stevens Building Overhaul4Rehabilitating the Stevens Building has

been a priority on campus for nearly two decades. In 2012, the State of Illinois green lighted the renovation process.

Plans for the rehabilitation of the Stevens Building include the following:

-New Auditorium- 200-400 seat auditorium- Tiered seating- State-of-the art teaching technology

General building upgrades will include:

- Reconfiguring, remodeling and modernizing all classroom spaces and laboratories

- 18,000 square foot expansion of theater scene shop

- Expansion of Black Box Theatre by approxi-mately 10,500 square feet

- Roof replacement- Replacing heating, cooling and ventilation systems

- Modernization of the plumbing and electrical systems

“Overhauling the Stevens Building will be a major undertaking, but it is exciting to know that we can begin planning in earnest to bring the quality of that facility up to a level that reflects the excellence of the programs it houses,” President Peters said.

5150 Promising Future Promising Future

Elevating NIU’s Athletics Profile4Throughout his presidency, NIU president John Peters has sought to elevate the univer-sity’s national athletics profile. For two years

in the early 2000s, President Peters served as chair of the Mid-American Conference Council of Presidents. Dur-ing that time, he led the conference on a benchmarking and visioning effort that

positioned NIU and the MAC for the success the league and NIU enjoys today.

In his role on the Presidential Oversight Committee for the Bowl Championship Se-ries, he was among 12 presidents to approve a plan for a four-team college football playoff put forward by commissioners of the top athletic conferences in 2012.

“It was a historic day, and I was very pleased to be a part of it – not that the work is done yet, since there are many details to be worked through,” Peters said. “This has been an evo-lutionary process, and I believe that the BCS

model has contributed to the development of a national championship format that is good for the fans and our student-athletes.”

Instead of simply matching the nation’s top two teams in a title game after the regular season, as has been the case since 1998, the new format will create two national semifinal games. Beginning in 2014, four semifinal teams will be chosen by a football selection committee, taking into consider-ation won-loss record, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and whether a team is a conference champion.

Peters--who represents the Mid-American Conference on the 18-member NCAA Division I Board of Directors—played a part in adopting historic reforms that toughen academic standards and provide increased academic and economic support to student-athletes.

“Student-athlete success is our first priority with an eye on the end goal of graduating students.”

The most visible reform is the measure allowing conferences to vote on providing student-athletes up to $2,000 toward full cost-of-attendance.

Along with this measure, the board of directors passed a plan to phase in new four-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) requirements, which raise the APR cutline and link the cutline to eligibility for postseason play. Schools failing to meet the APR standard will be ineligible for postseason play, including bowl games.

Eligibility requirements increased from a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 to 2.3 for incoming freshman and a 2.5 GPA for junior college transfers.

1. Women’s softball

2. Men’s basketball

3. Men’s soccer

4. Women’s Volleyball

5. President Peters getting fans excited at the 2012 MAC Football Championship

6. Student-athletes working in the Yordon Center computer lab

7. President Peters and Victor E. Huskie at a football game

5352 Athletic SuccessAthletic Success

2012 MAC Football Champs4Football wins second consecutive MAC crown, 44-37For the second straight year, Northern Illinois won the Mid-American Conference Champi-onship “The Hard Way,” as the Huskies won a battle of ranked teams with a 44-37 double overtime win over Kent State at Ford Field in Detroit.

NIU quarterback Jordan Lynch capped a Heisman-worthy performance with his third touchdown run of the game in the second overtime, and Demetrius Stone intercepted Kent State quarterback Spencer Keith to end the game and give Northern Illinois its school record 12th win of 2012.

Destination DeKalb: IHSA Football Championships4In June 2012, the Illinois High School Association announced Northern Illinois University will host the IHSA state football finals in odd-numbered years beginning in 2013 and running through 2021. A joint campus-community steering committee was responsible for bringing the state playoffs to DeKalb, but ultimately, it was the area’s reputation that swayed the IHSA Board of Directors to choose DeKalb.

“Athletic Directors from over 100 IHSA mem-ber schools signed the bid, pledging their support for playing the games in DeKalb,” said IHSA executive director Marty Hickman.

“Schools from as far away as Galva, Peoria Richwoods and Zion-Benton, places you don’t necessarily associate with DeKalb. It went a long way to showing us how much it meant to the entire region to have the state champion-ships played there.”

Huskie Stadium, which boasts a seating capacity of 24,000, will be the site for each of the eight classes of the state football playoffs. With its FieldTurf playing surface, the state-of-the-art Yordon Center and the soon to be constructed Chessick Practice Center, Huskie Stadium is the perfect venue for hosting the championships.

“It has long been the desire of our community to host the IHSA Football Championships,” said NIU President John Peters. “We are extremely excited … and look forward to the opportunity to showcase all that DeKalb and NIU has to offer to high school football teams and fans from across the state.”

For more information, visit www.IHSADestinationDeKalb.com.

54 55Athletic Success Athletic Success

How Sweet it is...Orange Bowl Bound4Huskies earn historic bowl berthThe Huskies capped a historic 2012 football season with the first Bowl Championship Series bowl appearance in school and Mid-American Conference history, facing Florida State in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl.

The Orange Bowl berth marked NIU’s 13th-ever bowl invitation. In January 2012, NIU defeated Arkansas State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala., 48-20. The year before, the Huskies beat Fresno State in the 2010 uDrove Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, 40-17.

Campus buildings were splashed in orange throughout the month, students took to the streets of Chicago to show their NIU pride and hand out oranges to Huskie fans, and NIU and Orange Bowl mer-chandise flew off the shelves.

Top 25 Finish for NIU4The Huskies finished the season ranked 22nd by the writers who vote in the AP poll and came in at No. 24 in the coaches’ final rankings following a 31-10 loss in the Orange Bowl in which NIU trailed by just a touchdown at the end of the third quarter. The appearance in the final rankings was the first Top 25 finish in Huskie football history.

Approximately 35,000 Huskie fans supported the team in South Florida, including 26 buses carrying 1,300 students. They were treated to great weather, a bevy of activities and a game day full of pageantry.

56 Athletic Success 57Athletic Success

Northern Illinois University is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, status based on the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran. Further, the Constitution and Bylaws of Northern Illinois University provides for equal treatment regardless of political views or affiliation, and sexual orientation. Inquiries concerning application of Title IX, Section 504, and other statutes and regulations may be referred to the Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources Center, 1515 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115, telephone 815-753-1118. Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. E176 5/13 2.25M

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