DeKALB — The Board of Trustees approved the guidelines request for Fiscal Year 2019 during Thursday’s meeting.

Each year, officials seek the Board’s approval for the budget request guidelines that will be used to develop the university budget request for the upcoming fiscal year.

The state budget developmental process will continue for about the next 10 months.

“The university recommends Board of Trustees’ approval of the budget request of $93,628,600 in order to ensure the timely preparation and submission of the university’s FY19 detailed budget request to the [Illinois Board of Higher Education],” acting President Lisa Freeman said during the meeting.

The requested budget, which was passed with no discussion, would go toward programs such as data sciences, nursing and health information management. It would also fund the expansion of offerings in industrial and systems engineering and mechanical engineering programs, as these are priority programs, according to an agenda item outlining the guidelines.

Officials will also seek reforms that influence university resources but are considered non-budgetary, according to the agenda item. Officials will work with the Illinois Board, the Governor’s Office, legislators and other institutions to seek relief from unfunded regulations related to civil service.

The budget request was based upon NIU’s appropriated budget for FY15 of $91,092,700, which was the last full appropriation before a nearly three-year state budget impasse. About a $2 million increase in this year’s request accounts for “incremental funding for program priority requests,” according to the agenda item. Officials requested $91,092,700 for FY18, but NIU was appropriated $82.8 million.

The final request will be submitted to the Illinois Board for consideration and inclusion in the statewide FY19 Capital Budget Recommendation.