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[CHERILYN MURER] This resolution is on behalf of the NIU Board of Trustees, whereas in June
2000, John G. Peters was unanimously appointed President of Northern Illinois University,
where he has effectively and faithfully served, and whereas, given the scope and tenure of
John G. Peters' service to Northern Illinois University, it is fitting and appropriate
to give special notice and recognition to John G. Peters, who is retiring from the NIU
Presidency on June 30, 2013, and whereas John Peters developed a student-centered presidency
at Northern Illinois University focused and committed to the needs and welfare of students,
and whereas the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
awarded John Peters its highest honor in 2010, The President's Award, citing John's vision
for and stewardship for Northern Illinois University over the past decade, that continues
to advance the quality of student life on campus, and whereas having a decade of distinguished
and exemplary service as President, John G. Peters stands as a senior and highly respected
dean among the presidents of Illinois public universities, sharing his expertise and leadership,
particularly in the areas of emergency and strategic planning. Whereas, since John Peters
assumed the helm of NIU, NIU was admitted to the Association of Public and Land-grant
Universities, granted full membership in the prestigious University's Research Association,
and earned the Selective Research Universities high research activity designation of the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Whereas John G. Peters' leadership
in garnering private support during his tenure resulted in four new privately funded buildings,
more than fifteen thousand scholarships, twenty-five named professorships, and distinguished faculty
chairs, and more private dollars raised in support of NIU than during its previous one
hundred and five year history, and whereas John G. Peters led the effort for NIU to obtain
tens of millions of dollars in federal funding and support of the academic programs, research
and student public services of the university, and whereas despite serving during a period
of unprecedented state budget reductions, limitations, and uncertainty, President Peters
provided exceptional and dynamic leadership, and forged ahead to preserve this great university,
its quality academic programs and services, and yet held as a priority the welfare of
our faculty, staff, students, and their families despite reduced and uncertain state support.
Whereas in spite of limited resources and state support for capital improvements, President
Peters' leadership and perseverance allowed the institution to address identified health
and safety concerns and obtain funding for the completion of the renovations and reopening
of NIU's signature building, Altgeld Hall, built an extensive new chiller system to efficiently
regulate temperatures in campus facilities, built a high tech state of the art, one thousand
and eight bed residence hall for new students, renovated and reopened to student life Gilbert
Hall, finalized the architectural plans in engineering, drawings to renovate Stevens
Hall- home the university's theater and dance and anthropology programs. Whereas John G.
Peters established a presidency in which he is credited with leading by example the John
G. and Barbara Cole Peters scholarship for outstanding public service was created for
students who intend to pursue a public service career, and whereas John Peters was appointed
to represent the Mid-America Conference, the NCAA Division One Board of Directors that
instituted historic reforms which toughened academic standards, and provided increased
academic and financial support to student athletes, and whereas President Peters was
appointed to represent the Mid-America Conference on the Bowl Champion Series, the VCS Board
of Managers, and worked diligently to ensure greater access by non-automatic qualifying
conference members of VCS Bowl Games, and whereas John Peters elected athletic directors
that significantly elevated the national stature of NIU athletics, while developing champions
in the classroom, in competition and in life, culminating with an appearance in the 2013
Orange Bowl. And whereas the Board of Trustees wishes to officially express its appreciation
and gratitude for John G. Peters' many far-reaching contributions to Northern Illinois University.
Now, therefore be it resolved, that the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University,
in formal meeting herein assembled, extends its grateful appreciation to John G. Peters
for thirteen years of distinguished, dynamic, and exemplary service and leadership, by bestowing
on John Peters the title of President Emeritus of Northern Illinois University. Be it further
resolved that this resolution be presented to John G. Peters, and a copy of this document
be placed in the official files of the Board of Trustees as part of the permanent record
of the university and the state of Illinois, and as a lasting tribute to the ongoing accomplishments
and contributions of John G. Peters as President of Northern Illinois University adopted in
a regular meeting assembled this twentieth day of June 2013.
[JOHN PETERS] I better watch what I say because you haven't voted on it yet (laughter). Believe
it or not I have nothing prepared and believe it or not I don't have much to say beyond
thank you, but let me try. Thirteen years, it's a slice of NIU's history, you can figure
out the percentages. It feels like only yesterday that we came, but it's been a long time and
we've had our ups and we've had our downs, but we leave the university feeling very good
about the people that we've met, the role that Northern Illinois University plays in
the landscape of public higher education in the state, in the country, and the the world,
the contributions that it has made now and will make. We feel very, very good about the
role of NIU in our larger community and what progress will be made in the next years. I
base that upon what I've come to know about the people of Northern Illinois University
that is its governing board, its students, faculty, alumni, community people. We have
been through some great highs and some great lows and have sustained and prospered. So
I leave with, like I said it's bittersweet, but I leave feeling quite good about NIU.
I do want...this is a Board action...and I do want to thank the Board. The key constituency
for a president is the Board, the governing board. They are the constitutionally prescribed,
appointed, and approved people who are ultimately responsible for the university, and I would
not be here if I didn't believe thirteen years ago that we had a governing board that had
the right values in place, and it was a new board. We had been independent since 1996,
so that was an interesting prospect and I do want to thank, there's one member here,
my friend Bob Boyd, who was on the judge search committee, and I even see members of the search
committee here. He's the only member left but there's been such great continuity and
sense of common purpose among the board over the years, so I do want to thank Bob. Also,
Bob co-chaired it with Mandy Sanchez, and actually in the eleventh hour those two people
reached out and convinced me to come because I had, we had, some cold feet , I mean, just
the kind of hesitancies you have when you make that kind of a major move. And they convinced
me that it was the right situation and the support would be there and boy, were they
correct. So I want thank Bob and Mandy, and then there's always a special relationship
between a president and the chair of the board, that's an important person, and so far in
the governance structure the whole board is important, we have this special relationship,
and so I do want to thank all of the chairs. So...Mandy Sanchez, George Moser, Gary, and
Cherilyn twice, and Mark Strauss, and you develop a special relationship with the chair.
And we do want to thank the board for supporting every major initiative that this university
wanted to pursue, even some that were, or had higher risk than others, and that paid
off, and that's the kind of support a president needs. And then of course, all of these things
that you see, it's pretty incredible. It's not the result of me, or even the board, it's
the result of the people sitting out there, and most of the people out here are the worker
bees at this university and I want to salute you for what you've done and encourage you
to do the same as we move forward. This morning, right before I came in, I got a very touching
email from our new president designate, Doug Baker, who was somewhere between here and...actually
he's in Scots Bluff, Nebraska working his way here. I told him to hurry up (laughter),
don't get caught in Nebraska, but I told all the staff and I'm telling all of you we have
a wonderful new president and Dana is going to be a wonderful first lady, and now it is
time we shift our loyalties and our support to the new president. There are issues that
every president has to deal with, but there are also many, many opportunities that are
out there...but it won't happen unless that transition is smooth and positive, and I know
it will be. Of course I see there's students here and that's what we're all about, and,
of everything, we will miss the students, and I will try to find a way every now and
then of touching in with them. I'm not going to teach a course I don't think, I'm not qualified
anymore to teach. I'd have to have, like, lots of years of sabbaticals to get ready
to teach again if I did that, but I do want to thank all of the students who have just,
when I got down low, I just went out and started talking to students, and they just brought
me up...so...and obviously thank Barbara, who it was a major, it was a major decision
in our family, to, a president has to devote all their time and their family to this enterprise
and not take time off. It's 24/7, every day of the year, for thirteen years. Because when
the phone rings and there's an issue you have to be prepared, and family is put back second...and
I'm so looking forward now to having my family sit around my conference table and not be
president. They better be ready, I've got big plans for them...we're going to do Vision
2030. Anyway, I want to thank all of you very much.
[CHERILYN MURER] Barbara, on behalf of NIU, these aren't for John, these are on behalf
of NIU Board of Trustees for you. [BARBARA COLE PETERS] Yes, I'll say a few
words. So to pick up where he left off, it is going to be a transition for John because
his cabinet is growing but its filled with 24 month old, 4 month old, 8 years old and
they have a way of sort of deflating the little bubble of presidency. So, he'll do fine. He'll
have lots of helpers in that regard. Just wanted to add my thanks. We've been at three
institutions: University of Nebraska, University of Tennessee, and NIU, and for all of them,
it really enriched our lives, and it was a wonderful experience, but obviously the institution
closest to our heart is NIU, and, from my perspective, I know it's from John's as well,
it was a wonderful experience from a personal point of view and from a professional point
of view it was really great. Thank you, it was something I will always cherish.