NIU employees, faculty and students who will spend their summer in DeKalb will enjoy a three-day weekend every week this summer.

NIU President John Peters announced last week that NIU again will implement a four-day workweek for this summer.

Steven Cunningham, NIU associate vice president, said it is in response to the continuing negative condition of the state budget and higher education funding.

The four-day workweek schedule will begin June 7 and extend through Aug. 6. The regular five-day schedule will resume as of Aug. 9, Cunningham said.

The operational savings generated from last year’s summer work schedule were sufficient to help fund significant priorities, Cunningham said. About $300,000 was saved.

By condensing the five-day schedule into four days, employees have to work substantially longer days and have more concentrated daily operations, Cunningham said.

“We appreciate the dedication of the campus community and staff in adapting to and accepting the inherent hardships of the summer work schedule,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham said Peters made the decision after consulting with the leaders of the employee councils. He said he is confident the campus is prepared to work with the four-day schedule again this summer.

During the Monday-through-Thursday workweek, university offices will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. All university offices will be closed on Friday with limited exceptions related to essential service functions and other events and functions that may be scheduled at the university during the summer time frame, Cunningham said.

“It is nice because I have the chance to travel, and it is good to have three-day weekends,” said Carolyn Vitkus, Campus Activities Board office manager. “But it could be bad for those employees who have kids and have to rearrange their schedule.”

Employees may adjust the starting and ending times of their daily schedules within a 7 a.m. through 6 p.m. schedule, Cunningham said.

To help employees, supervisors may adjust employees’ rest periods on a daily basis to allow for the additional 30 minutes, Cunningham said.