State budget cuts necessitated by the failure of Gov. James Thompson’s proposed tax increase will affect NIU’s budgetary process drastically, said NIU President John LaTourette.

Although the exact extent of effects on the university’s budget cannot be determined until Thompson makes cuts in the state’s budget, LaTourette said each 1 percent cut in the higher education budget will result in a loss of $734,000 for NIU.

State Rep. John Countryman, R-DeKalb, said, “It’s my understanding that the governor will cut 4 or 5 percent (from higher education).”

Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves said the worst scenario would be a 5 percent, or $66 million, reduction in the higher education budget, which would be a $7 million loss for the Regency system.

Although the figure most often given for the budget cut’s size is $47 million, Groves said, even then “it’s a very significant crisis situation for the regency system on a whole.”

LaTourette said a request for a tuition increase beyond the 4 percent already approved will be brought up at the next Regents meeting July 23 at NIU.

“I deeply regret having to make such a recommendation because the added tuition burden might mean some current NIU students will not be able to return and access to quality education will become further limited,” LaTourette said.

Countryman said, “The only alternative available would be raising tuition rates. But that is up to the Board of Regents. It may be the only prudent thing it can do.”

Other ramifications from the failed tax hike include faculty hiring and admissions freezes for the upcoming spring semester. About 700 students who would expect to begin attending NIU in January will be affected by the admissions freeze.

Cuts in equipment purchases, travel allocations, hiring of extra help, overtime spending, library acquisitions and all other operating expenses are other areas possibly affected by the budget cut, LaTourette said.

An early cut-off date for admissions was imposed because of overcrowding, but LaTourette said due to underfunding, this action might not have been enough. He said NIU faces a reduction in the base budget and the possibility of having more students than can be served.

Dianna Strink, Operating Staff Council vice president, said, “It’s going to be a disaster for the university.

“We’re already underfunded. We have twice as many students as Southern (Illinois University) and half as much money,” she said.

Due to the budget cuts, NIU’s reputation also might suffer, LaTourette said.

“The university’s integrity and the quality of its programs could be severely damaged,” he said.

The governor could call a special session of the General Assembly as a last effort to pass the recommendation before the next regular session. However, approval of the increase would be “no more conceivable today than when the legislature failed to act two weeks ago,” Groves said.