The first serious economic downturn in a decade has forced many states, including Illinois, to rework their budgets because of a projected loss of revenue.

Illinois Gov. George Ryan announced recently that the offices directly under his control would undergo a $50 million reduction in spending.

According to state figures, education will have a hefty chunk ($9 billion) of the state’s $50 billion 2002 budget. Many predict that if the economy continues on this path, deep cuts will be needed to balance the budget.

Where the cuts would come from remains to be seen, but the preliminary consensus is that universities would certainly feel the budget squeeze.

J. Ivan Legg, NIU’s executive vice president and provost, said he’s heard the opposite, that schools would remain untouched by budget cuts.

Kathryn A. Buettner, NIU executive director for state and federal relations, said Ryan is “restricting expenditures from the general funds.” NIU currently is taking measures such as a general hiring freeze and limiting travel expenses to curb its spending.

This news comes on the heels of the NIU Board of Trustees’ $117 million budget proposal.

“The governor is only asking all government offices to be careful with their funds,” Buettner said. “We will comply with whatever the governor asks from us and go on with the process of educating our students.”

It’s premature to speculate on what budgetary concerns the universities will have to consider, but it is something administrators are anticipating. Some of the measures the governor may take in order to balance the budget may be in the form of tax increases or an overall 1 to 2 percent cut in each government agency.

“We won’t know anything until January,” Legg said. “I’d be very surprised if the school’s budget is touched.”