NIU updates given at Town Hall - Julia Martinez, Northern Star

President Doug Baker and Provost Lisa Freeman discussed important updates about the state of NIU’s budget, enrollment and Program Prioritization “I think this lays the context for us that we need to be making some serious changes at the institution,” Baker said. “We are doing that. Over the last three years, we have reduced our expenditures by about $45 million dollars.” Baker said it is difficult to sustain higher education for the students anywhere in the state with the level of funding NIU is receiving, but administrators plan on spending the budget on necessities like the Holmes Student Center renovation. Baker said the decreased enrollment is another issue affecting revenue, as student fees and tuition are NIU’s main source of income. However, NIU’s enrollment fell 5.5 percent this fall, with the biggest decline being the freshman class. http://northernstar.info/campus/updates-given-at-town-hall/article_6380291c-837a-11e6-a6ba-0bf41bfd0581.html