Having Northern Illinois University’s name attached to the Northern Illinois Proton Treatment and Research Center is an extraordinary opportunity. This project could potentially help thousands of cancer patients by treating them with non-invasive proton therapy. By the fourth year of its operation, the center could be treating approximately 1,500 patients a year.

But with this privilege comes great responsibility. Since the project has been launched, it has come under scrutiny. In July, it was announced that a lawsuit crying conspiracy was being filed against NIU by ProCure Treatment Centers, who intended to open up a different proton treatment center just six miles from the site of NIU’s project, but the lawsuit was withdrawn in September.

The NIPTRC has hit another road block with the current economy. The NIPTRC is set to be funded by tax exempt bonds which are not easily obtained in such a volatile economy. The bond offers have been taken off the table for the next couple months. The project is still going forward with interim financing, or a loan that is taken out while the economic climate improves. The risk factor in this seems extreme. Does NIU really want its name tied to a sinking ship?

The NIPTRC said their construction is still on schedule, but the physical building of the project should be the least of their worries. They should be concentrating on how the building will be funded. Even though the NIPTRC is a private entity, there will be egg on NIU’s face if the project goes under. No matter how independent the proton center is and how much the university insists that they are separate from the project, it is still the project that NIU has touted as its own. The NIPTRC is led by a seven-member Board of Managers, four of which are NIU officials.

Hopefully, everything will go according to plan, and this project will be completed without any more major roadblocks, but NIU has to be prepared to take part of the blame if this $159 million project is to fail. It is understandable that any project taken up in this recession is susceptible to some stumbles, but NIU should remain hopeful that this project does not crash and burn. There is a great opportunity for NIU to be a university that can provide Illinois with state-of-the-art medical care, but NIU has to make sure the risks of the project do not become a reality.

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.

• Your name:
• Enter text from image:
  

• Your comment:

* 300-character count. HTML formatting will not display.