Hats off to NIU President John La Tourette and Vice President of Finance and Planning Eddie Williams for prudent fiscal planning. While other state universities are scrambling to find ways to offset Gov. Jim Edgar’s proposal of a 3 percent cut, NIU had the foresight to prepare for the worst.

Despite that, perhaps it’s time for NIU administrators to not only look at defenses against budget cuts but to start concentrating on the primary mission of NIU—education.

While the cuts have been expected and NIU will reimpose a strict hiring freeze and cancel all mid-level repair and renovation projects, NIU is still not looking enough at the big picture.

A Chicago Tribune editorial, reprinted in today’s Northern Star, states spending on instruction declined by 11 percent from 1980 to 1990 in Illinois’ public universities. It makes one wonder exactly where NIU’s priorities are when one looks at the enormous athletic fees and the number of closed classes students cannot take.

With tuition increases likely next year, it’s time for NIU to stop costly projects and other follies obstructing higher education. Axing a questionable project such as the Student Life Building would allow for a cut in student fees, offsetting a $72 tuition increase.

While the possible hiring freezes and halted projects are nice responses to offset the cuts, they are only short-term defenses against a sluggish economy. Education should be the first priority.