The NIU Board of Trustees discussed fears of future state budget cuts and the low amount of donations given this year during its Thursday morning meeting.

The board also took action on several funding requests, approved a new doctor of audiology degree program and authorized the signing of the Metropolitan Planning Organization agreement.

BOT Chair Manny Sanchez expressed his concern about cuts in higher education budgets next year and what might happen in Springfield because of changes resulting from this year’s elections.

“I’m hopeful that this new governor and his staff will do the right thing, particularly with higher education,” he said.

Sanchez thinks NIU and the other public universities in Illinois should continue to control their own income funds. In the past, the state maintained a tighter control over universities’ budgets that Sanchez feels would have been detrimental this year with high student enrollment. He hopes the new administration will not go back to “the old ways.”

“That would wreak havoc,” Sanchez said.

Even though budget cuts will still trouble the board and NIU, Sanchez said they will continue to push NIU’s needs in Springfield. Sanchez will begin to influence the new administration as a member of Gov. Elect Rod Blagojevich’s Higher Education Transition team.

“I’m confident our case will be made through this transition team,” President John Peters said.

The board also addressed the amount of donor gifts to the university.

NIU Foundation President Mallory Simpson said giving to the foundation is behind.

“We are working 100 percent harder and raising about 50 percent less money,” she said.

Simpson said the reason for the decline is the recession and until the economy recovers, the foundation will “lay the ground work, and build relationships with as many potential donors as possible.”

The board’s agenda included approving funding requests by the university to pay for consulting services for the Altgeld Hall construction, a change order for licensure and support for a customized comprehensive knowledge Web portal, and the purchase of a laboratory system for the nanoscience and materials science laboratory.

The trustees also approved a request for a new audiology degree in the department of communicative disorders. The move doesn’t require any new financial resources and is expected to use many of the resources provided by the current graduate program.

Changes in the minimum requirement to receive the Certificate of Clinical Competence in audiology have made it necessary to implement the new program.

“It is an absolute must if we are going to retain the ability to produce audiologists,” said Ivan Legg, executive vice president and provost.

Concerning the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the board agreed to sign the agreement that establishes NIU as a representative on the MPO Policy Committee.

The meeting ended with a special resolution being passed to recognize the service of retiring NIU General Counsel George Shur.