DeKALB – Amid attempts by the university to reduce its budget deficit, the University Council proposed reestablishing the Resources, Space and Budget committee at its meeting on Wednesday.

BUDGET GOALS

NIU Provost and Executive Vice President Laurie Eilish Piper addressed the projected state budget increase mentioned by NIU President Lisa Freeman in her State of the University address.

“She (Freeman) also mentioned that, in the governor’s (J.B. Pritzker) budget address, he requested a 3% increase for higher education, which for NIU would equate to about $3 million additional,” Elish-Piper said.

The modified zero-based budgeting approach is meant to force a justification for each expense from a “zero-base,” meaning the allocation of any money is to be justified starting at the beginning of each year.

RESOURCES SPACE AND BUDGET COMMITTEE

Council Chair Ben Creed said the Resources, Space and Budget committee, which had its duties absorbed by the University Council, will be reestablished pending a vote on April 2.

“Based on conversation from staff, administration and faculty, we’ve decided that reestablishing that RSB committee would better enable the University Council to fulfill its core duties and ensure shared governance principles were brought into conversations and decision-making around resources, space and budget,” Creed said.

The next University Council meeting will be held on April 2.