Where Town Meets Gown

Mayor John Rey has called a special Town Hall Meeting for 10am Saturday, May 3, in the City Council Chambers at 200 South Fourth in DeKalb. The purpose of the meeting as stated in the agenda emailed to local media is to discuss recent planning activities by NIU.

Bill Nicklas, Vice President for public safety and community relations at NIU will provide information on the Bold Ideas initiative to refit the DeKalb campus to meet the demands from students (and parents) in an increasingly competitive field of higher education. No one is more qualified in the area of town and gown issues and cooperation than Nicklas.

Prior to joining NIU, Nicklas served 13 years as chief administrative officer for the City of Sycamore, where he had responsibility for the city’s management, planning and economic development and oversight of the municipal public safety functions. Before that, Nicklas had similar responsibilities as city manager in DeKalb from 1992 to 1997.

The Bold Ideas initiative has some residents of the Ellwood historic and Hillcrest neighborhoods concerned. Two well attended meetings have been called, led by District 7 county board member, Misty Haji Sheikh. The second meeting was attended by NIU President Doug Baker, along with Mayor Rey and several city council members.

When a sitting university president attends a public neighborhood meeting that’s where town meets gown.

Higher education is changing so must NIU. Bricks and mortar universities that do not account for those changes may not survive.

NIU has experienced four consecutive years of declining enrollment. Similar declines have been reported nationwide. US News and World Report reported overall college enrollment fell for the second year in a row in 2013, from about 20.2 million students in the fall of 2012 to about 19.9 million this year, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse.

The enrollment drop nationally has been attributed to rising tuition and fees, high debt loads amid lower job prospects for university students and graduates. That would include NIU.

One third of the full time undergraduate students who enter as freshmen at NIU do not return as sophomores. Only 23% of those graduate in four years though that percentage increases to 48% after six years. That’s not a national statistic.

Why do so many freshmen not return? Is it the campus? Is it DeKalb? Is it lack of preparation for college by the students not returning? To survive as an institute of higher education NIU must identify and address all issues to improve retention. It cannot cater its campus to its mission to the needs and wants of DeKalb residents living in any neighborhood.

But while DeKalb is indeed a company town and that company is NIU city leaders do not represent the gown, they represent the town. NIU is a big part of the community but not the whole. Any investment or debt incurred by the City of DeKalb into NIU’s plans is likely backed by the full faith and credit of its taxpayers. Financial details should be discussed early and vetted publicly.

Misty Haji-Sheikh deserves kudos for what some have said is rabble rousing. There seems to be a disconnect between governmental units in DeKalb County. Those units do not appreciate other units meddling in their affairs. Former DeKalb mayor Kris Povlsen was beyond annoyed when DeKalb Township electors (and DeKalb residents) put an advisory referendum question pertaining to Home Rule on their agenda. How else can you explain the Cortland Elementary School site selection? To her credit Haji-Sheikh listened to the concerns of her constituents and contributed to getting the word out and making meetings happen.

Her constituents are also represented by Bill Finucane as residents of the 2nd Ward in DeKalb as well as some in the 5th ward (Ron Naylor). As a result of the neighborhood meetings those who attended are now more informed.

A concern among residents of all seven wards in DeKalb is how the NIU Bold Ideas initiative connects to the DeKalb City Center initiative spearheaded by Mayor John Rey. Any plans to invest more public dollars, even if they are of the magical TIF variety, should be the subject of public hearings and scrutiny.

A burning question remains what is the real financial picture of the City of DeKalb? One picture has the City with $17.5 million in surplus funds inching ever closer to the lofty goal of having 25% of the operating budget in reserves painted by the mayor, city council and administration. Another has the City headed back to the dire straits that resulted in major staffing cuts and reorganizations with $3.5 million deficits in non-budgeted spending.

Another growing concern held by private investors is no one seems to know where the opportunities and pitfalls are in NIU and DeKalb’s plans.

The more meetings the merrier so attend the special Saturday meeting to express your concerns and/or record the video on Comcast Channel 14 for further review.

Related:

Bold idea moves forward: NIU to extend Lucinda west — NIU Today

DeKalb City Center Plan — City of DeKalb