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Northern Illinois University was founded on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as a training institution for teachers, and was called Northern Illinois State Normal School. Today, Northern Illinois University is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with a student enrollment of more than 25,000. Its main campus is located in DeKalb, 65 miles (104 km) west of Chicago.The DeKalb main campus can be easily accesible via I-88 that runs east and west from Chicago. Illinois Rt. 38, also known as Lincoln Highway, borders the NIU campus to the south. NIU also operates satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon, Illinois. The university is composed of seven degree-granting colleges that together offer 52 undergraduate majors and 74 graduate programs, including 10 Ph.D. programs, doctoral degrees in Education and the Juris Doctorate. NIU is an NCAA Division I school and the NIU Huskies compete in the Mid-American Conference.
Academics Northern Illinois University has seven colleges: Highlights Northern is a member of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC). * The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognizes Northern Illinois University as an elite institution of higher education, based on breadth of research and academic programs. Carnegie categorizes Northern as: "RU/H: Research Universities (high research activity)." * Northern is a full member of the Universities Research Association (URA), a group of 90 top research universities from around the globe. Illinois has only five members: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Northern Illinois University. * Membership in URA places Northern among the top 4% of universities in the United States. For the last ten years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Northern Illinois University College of Business as among the best business colleges in the country. In 2006, the NIU College of Business continued to be ranked as among the nation's best by making the listing of "America's Best Colleges and Programs" (2007). The Northern Illinois University Department of Chemistry and BioChemistry was cited in the American Chemical Society's trade journal Chemical & Engineering News on September 26, 2005 as one of the top 25 producers of Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry in the United States. Northern Illinois University's Accountancy program is nationally prominent. In 2005, Public Accounting Report ranked NIU's graduate program 10th in the nation, while undergraduate ranked 11th. According to Public Accounting Report, NIU has remained in the top twenty programs for 18 consecutive years. In the 2006 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Accountancy program in the top 25, out of 450 programs nationwide. * Thanks to a donation provided by Dennis and Stacey Barsema, NIU's College of Business moved to its new building in Fall 2002. The 144,000 square foot facility combines classrooms, computer labs, a 375-seat auditorium, specialized labs, faculty and staff offices, and spaces for studying, meeting, and even eating. The core of the building contains a large atrium space complete with a cafe. Northern is a member of the country’s most prestigious public university association – the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC). This exclusive association represents only about 5 percent of American colleges and universities. According to Donald Trump, "Northern Illinois is really doing a terrific job, I hear it’s a hot school. I want to hand it to Northern Illinois University’s College of Business. They are just a little bit ahead of the pack." * Northern Illinois is also home to Garrett Wolfe, tailback for the Huskies football team. Wolfe is ranked as the top returning tailback in the nation. Though he's very small (5 feet, 7 inches.), Wolfe is considered one of the best running backs in college football, and is considered a Maxwell Award hopeful. Residence Halls Northern Illinois University has five dormitory complexes. All freshmen attending NIU are required to live in the residence halls their first year; after that, they can choose to continue living on-campus or choose to move off-campus. Neptune Hall, which actually is comprised of a series of buildings is the original residence hall, and the only hall located east of Annie Glidden Road. Neptune Hall is centrally located on campus, right next to the Holmes Student Center, and serves a large population of art students. The buildings are made of red brick and are about 3-4 stories. The remaining dormitories were built in the 1960s and are located west of Annie Glidden Road. All of them were named after famous Illinoisans. Lincoln Hall and Douglas Hall are the oldest of these halls. Each hall consists of four five-story wings which meet at the center, forming a cross- or X-shape, in which a cafeteria, lounge, and multi-purpose rooms can be found. Grant Towers and Stevenson Towers lie to the northwest of Lincoln and Douglas and were built in the latter half of the 1960s. These two complexes are also nearly-identical and each features four 12-story triangular-shaped towers which connect to the main-floor which features cafeterias and multi-purpose rooms. An extensive bus system serves all of the above residence halls with several stops accross campus. Off-Campus Housing In addition to the residence halls, there is a considerable amount of off-campus housing, which is heavily populated by upperclassmen and graduate students. This includes apartments, townhomes, and the houses of "Greek Row". Among these, Eco Park, sometimes refered to as Echo Park by students, is a newer subdivision consisting mostly of apartment buildings and townhomes that houses a large number of students. Located west of Annie Glidden Rd. and along Hillcrest Drive, Regent Drive, Pappas Court, Aspen Court, Varsity Blvd., and Spiros, this subdivision provides both students and residents with an alternative to on-campus traditional housing. Farther north, is a neighborhood called Suburban Estates, located along Twombly Road, which also provides townhomes and apartments. Both neighborhoods are served by the In addition, University Plaza, just to the north of campus and east of Annie Glidden Road, provides students dorm-style living, including food service and maintainence, but with a more affordable cost. Additionally, several older apartment buildings exist in the area north of campus, along Ridge Road, Hillcrest Drive, Greenbrier Street, Normal Road, and Blackhawk Drive. This is also the area where the houses of "Greek Row" are found, primarily centered on Greenbrier Street. Several upperclassmen, graduate students, and full-time residents live here. This neighborhood transitions well into a residential area and the rest of the City of DeKalb, often making the distinction between student housing and resident housing somewhat blurred. This area is also served by its own route on the Huskie Bus Line. South of campus, along Lincoln Highway, west of Annie Glidden Road, is also a large section of off-campus housing. Lincolnshire West, Stadium View Apartments, High Meadows, and other such apartment complexes provide students with apartment living, in close proximity to Huskie Stadium and the retail offerings of Lincoln Highway. This section of housing is easily accessible by the Student Life NIU's Student Association governs the NIU community and makes decisions which affect the quality of life of students at NIU. The association is organized similar to that of the U.S. government, with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The NIU Student Association is one of the largest student governments in the United States and has a $1.3 million budget. Much of the money goes to the University's extensive bus system, which is one of the largest student-run bus systems in the United States. Additional resources are provided to Health Enhancement, Recreation Services, Campus Childcare, the Campus Activities Board, and every registered group on campus. Much of the activity on campus is headquartered out of the Campus Life Building. The Campus Activities Board is responsible for bringing activity to the campus, and is also responsible for bringing the many high caliber performers which have come to the Convocation Center. In addition, 200+ student organizations on campus exist, including a large community of Fraternities and Sororities, political groups, including the College Democrats and College Republicans, advocacy groups such as the LGBT Resource Center and Black Student Union, special-interest groups, academic clubs, and so forth. The Student Association operates Organizational Expos throughout the year which gives all the ogranizations on campus the opportunity to showcase their groups and recruit students. Facilities Facilities that exist on campus to enhance Student Life include: The Campus Life Building, which serves as the headquarters for the Student Association, Campus Activities Board, Northern Star newspaper, and offices for a variety of important groups on campus. There is also a meeting room here. Additional facilities include the Holmes Student Center, which serves as the headquarters for visitors on campus, featuring a hotel, numerous offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, banquet halls, lounges, and a food court anchored by Subway. A branch of TCF Bank is also located here. In the basement of the Holmes Student Center is the Huskie's Den, which features bowling lanes, billiards, video games, and other entertainment offerings for students. On the west side of campus near the residence halls is the sprawling Campus Recreational Building, which offers students a weight room, aerobics mats, a gymnasium, and a large room featuring dozens of treadmills. Also on the west side of campus is the recently-built Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, located just west of Huskie Stadium, which serves as an important visitors center and banquet venue for formal events on campus. 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