NIU President John Peters gave as many specifics as he could at Wednesday’s University Council meeting as to what actions would be taken to cut the now 2.9-percent reserve for NIU’s fiscal year 2003 budget and the 8-percent reserve for fiscal ’04 budget.

Peters reiterated what Governor Blagojevich said in his address to Illinois lawmakers on the budget crisis. Peters said Wednesday’s announcement from the governor will drive NIU’s fiscal ’04 base budget back six years, a level not seen since the 1998 fiscal year. Peters ensured members of the council that he and his staff have been working diligently, remaining loyal to the standards he set two years ago when he came to the university.

One of the actions Peters outlined was to implement a four-day work week for faculty and staff from June to August. Also, buildings, like DuSable Hall, will be looked at to be shut down during the summer. He also mentioned that campus buildings would close by 11 p.m. during the summer. There could be a possibility of an extended winter shutdown and a limitation on admissions.

“I like to think this would work out because it saves money and it saves jobs,” he said.

Jeff Kowalski, head of NIU’s art history division, asked Peters how the budget would affect hiring and hiring freezes.

“I don’t know how you make $9 million without reduction of force,” Peters said. “I didn’t say layoffs, but this will be reduction in force and we’re going to be careful in that we don’t consider it firing.” Peters tried to make light of the situation and said, “It’s going to be a tundra of hiring.”

Peters pledged that he would remain optimistic about the budget cuts.

Later in the meeting, Sue Willis, University Council executive secretary, gave her report on the last Illinois Board of Higher Education meeting she attended. She said Bill 2805 to put faculty on the IBHE was passed, and one concern she had was that the State University Retirement System board could be replaced.

Also, the office privacy policy was motioned to move to rules of governance. The Student Association proposal for instructors and professors to send class syllabi to the SA to put on their Web site was recommended to the general education committee, which will meet next week. The council also passed a motion to discontinue the hard copy of the committee book. The book still will be maintained online.