Already stretched financially by a 15 percent decrease in state funding over three years, NIU was asked to return 2 percent of general revenue funding given by the state – with six weeks remaining in the fiscal year, NIU President John Peters said.

In a campus-wide e-mail announcing the state’s request, Peters outlined steps to find the funds, which totalled about $2 million, by the deadline of June 30.

The rescission in fiscal year 2004 came as state legislators continue to haggle over the FY05 budget.

Peters said the deans and division heads quickly found ways to trim the money from “anywhere we could.”

“The response [by division heads] was very very quick; a lot of people made important sacrifices and contributions,” Peters said.

Now that the money has been set aside as untouchable, the restrictions are “slowly and on a case-by-case basis” being lifted, Peters said.

The summer session is unaffected by the loss of the funding, Peters said, and none of the money will come from next year’s budget.

Illinois State Representative Bob Pritchard (R-Hinckley) said he opposed the late rescission from Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

“He did it, but it’s terribly wrong. Higher education is no priority in the governor’s office,” Pritchard said.

NIU still awaits the overdue state budget from Springfield before it finalizes its FY05 budget, Peters said.

“We support the [Illinois Board of Higher Education] recommended budget that was passed by the House,” Peters said.

That budget would end the three years of budget cuts public universities in Illinois faced, he said.

The hold-up in the state budget, Pritchard said, is in disagreements between sides on what revenues are and what priorities for expenditure should be.

He said the issue is complicated, but put simply, the players cannot agree on the rules of the game. Party and legislative leaders sent rank-and-file representatives home as they hammered out a compromise, Pritchard said.

“I hope they can pass a budget tomorrow, but it’s not going to happen,” Pritchard said.

The legislature has until July 1, the end of the state’s fiscal year, to pass a budget before the government begins to shut down, unless temporary appropriations are made, Pritchard said.

The budget proposed by Blagojevich decreases funding to NIU by 2 percent and would require universities to hold another 2.25 percent of the general revenue base appropriation in reserve.

These additional cuts would bring total cuts since FY02 to 15.5 percent and would be “catastrophic in their impact,” according to a letter signed by Peters and representatives of all Illinois public universities.

Representatives of the state Office of Management and Budget, responsible to the governor for budget planning, did not return calls by press time.