An optimistic picture of NIU’s future was painted by NIU President John La Tourette, but not without a tinge of caution.

In the annual State of the University address on Thursday, La Tourette told almost 300 faculty, staff and students that increased funding will enable NIU to proceed forward and grow, but the university is not out of the financially-troubled woods.

The 50-minute address in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center outlined NIU’s status on tuition, faculty pay, building renovations, increased funding and goals that will carry NIU into the 21st century.

“As a result of the General Assembly’s increased support and the governor’s approval, the university will be able to enhance services, improve funding for academic programs and provide needed support for faculty and staff.

“We will be able to accelerate the continuing growth of Northern as a high-quality, multipurpose university,” La Tourette said.

However, La Tourette added that, “I must temper my optimism because there are still many needs on campus. Even though the funding for Northern is the best it has been in years, our requirements still exceed our resources.”

La Tourette praised NIU faculty and staff for their efforts to build and maintain quality academic and research programs “in spite of the lean years” and said he is “particularly pleased” that NIU increased salaries by about 20 percent over the past two years.

Good financial news continued to the students as La Tourette reiterated that there will not be an increase in tuition or fees.

La Tourette said funding also has been provided to complete the development of engineering programs and additional library materials.

Funds for library materials will not reverse the “erosion” caused by double digit inflation in the past two years, but will help to “stave off” future reductions, La Tourette said.

Additional funding for minority student retention and their graduation rates will strengthen an already improving graduation rate over the past five years, La Tourette said.

Support from the business community, public, media and the state legislature meant more money in FY90 and will help in expanding NIU’s influence in the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago as well as Rockford, he said.

One of NIU’s primary challenges will be attracting and graduating more women and minority students. La Tourette said trends indicate that the “traditional student” is changing, and NIU must make accommodations to ensure increases in continued state support for education, overall enrollment, quality education and an employable workforce after graduation.

La Tourette said he expects classes will be increasingly filled with more diverse students from a wider range of ages and experiences that will further challenge the NIU community.

As students compete for classes in the same building that La Tourette delivered his address, La Tourette said NIU must take strides to show the legislature that the increased funding is being used to improve such difficulties as class scheduling, degree completion and expanding educational opportunities for minorities and off-campus adult students.

La Tourette said NIU must begin making an agenda now for progress in the 21st century, including plans for a “major fundraising campaign” and examining the factors and possible trends that might affect NIU in the future.

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