© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Illinois Universities Won't Fault Incoming Students Disciplined For Protesting

Susan Stephens
/
WNIJ

Several Illinois universities are reassuring future students that disciplinary action resulting from recent protest activity will not affect their admission to those schools. Northern Illinois University officials said in a statement this week that the admissions status of prospective students will not be affected due to any detentions or suspensions imposed for protests after the Parkland, Fla., shooting.

Credit Susan Stephens / WNIJ
/
WNIJ
Sol Jensen, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications at NIU

“Here we have a group of students who wanted to share their freedom of expression,” said Sol Jensen, NIU Vice President for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications, "and especially here at NIU, we support that."

Jensen says NIU’s statement resulted from discussions over a couple of days among NIU vice presidents and acting president Lisa Freeman.

“We were all in support and just wanted to then share our support with the prospective student population that’s out there,” he said.

Jensen says NIU will handle similar instances on a case-by-case basis in the future.

Officials from Illinois State University, University of Illinois and Judson University also say that suspensions from recent walkouts will not affect their admission policies.

Susan’s parents should have known she’d end up in radio: her favorite toys were tape recorders, cameras, notepads, and books. Many years later, she’s an award-winning reporter at her favorite radio station. Formerly WNIJ’s News Director, she asked to return to the role of full-time reporter/anchor/utility player in 2010 (less paperwork, more reporting!). Her #1 goal is to tell the most compelling stories in the fewest words possible…all the better if a little humor can be thrown into the mix. It should come as no surprise, then, that she can whip up a haiku for any occasion. She also enjoys the Detroit Tigers, learning pioneer skills (Gardening, canning, and the like. Just in case.), traveling with friends, and pretending she’s going to get around to playing her theremin.