NIU President John Peters asked university staff and students to prepare for further budget cuts during his State of the University Address Thursday.

There is an expected $300- to $500-million shortfall in the state budget for this year, and a possible $2.5-billion gap for the next fiscal year.

“Short-term, we need to prepare for the possibility of additional budget cuts,” Peters said, “possibly a mid-year recision.”

If additional budget cuts are made, they will not be taken “across the board,” Peters said. Additional cuts instead will be targeted toward specific programs so the educational mission of the school is not damaged.

There is no word yet on which programs would be affected most.

“We will do all we can to ensure that the quality of our students’ education is not compromised,” he said. “We will do everything we can to avoid layoffs or salary reductions, and we will under no circumstances compromise the health and safety of our campus community.”

Peters tried to remain positive about the budget news and NIU’s current situation.

“At least we didn’t have layoffs,” he said. “At least we have been able to maintain an acceptable level of academic quality. At least we’ve been able to help students get all the classes they need.”

Last year, a more extensive crisis was averted because of unexpected savings from mild weather, Peters said. Last year’s mild winter left the university with a utility surplus that was a relief from the budget crunch at the time. But that money has been spent, and there is no way of predicting whether the university will be spared expenses this season.

The president and the Student Association have appealed to legislators in Springfield in an attempt to avoid possible budget cuts.

“In the Student Association, we’re gearing up for some lobby days,” SA President Kevin Miller said. “I know the university is [preparing] to go down and lobby for the state budget. That is going to have an impact on the student population.”

With state funding uncertain, NIU turned to external funding, like grants and donations, to pay for new projects and renovations.

Peters announced $4 million in federal grants for three NIU projects. The first, a $2 million grant, will be used to establish the Laboratory for Nano-science, Engineering and Technology.

President Peters said the lab, headed by physics professor Clyde Kimball, will put NIU “on the cutting-edge of research into what many believe will spur the next technological revolution.”

Another $500,000 grant will be used to establish the Laboratory for Structural Analysis and Computer Modeling. This lab will be run by the department of chemistry and biochemistry and will give researchers and students access to advanced computer-modeling tools.

The final federal grant of $1.5 million is going to the department of literacy education. It will be used to develop bilingual education programs in regional school districts.

These grants may help the university grow during the budget crisis, but keeping operational costs low remains a problem. Student Trustee Jesse Perez believes that is one area where students’ opinions matter.

“I think it’s a call for more students to be involved with what’s happening,” Perez said. “This year we’re going to have a lot more student involvement, a lot more input, a lot of different opinions so that we can make sure that everybody is equally represented.”

In a change that will not affect the budget, Peters announced that the top research position on campus will be elevated to the title of vice president of research and dean of the graduate school. The school is in the middle of a search for someone to fill the position. In the interim, professor Dan Griffiths has that title.

Also mentioned in Peters’ presentation were issues of increased enrollment and community outreach.

For a full transcript of his speech, visit the news section at www.niu.edu/president.