The Arizona Board of Regents will likely determine NAU's portion of the Legislature's planned
$14.7 million cut to the state universities' fiscal year 2008 budgets during its meeting next week in Tucson.

The state Legislature on Thursday approved the FY08 budget reduction bill, which Gov. Janet Napolitano is expected to sign. The legislation closes an expected $1.2 billion shortfall in the state's current budget.

Though the amount of reduction to Northern Arizona University is not specifically identified, the board of regents has been directed to cut $14.7 million from the university system. NAU's share will most likely be determined at the April 24 and 25 ABOR meeting at the University of Arizona.

"While we do not yet know the precise cut to our budget, Northern Arizona University has been preparing for an '08 reduction without impacting our commitment to students," said NAU President John Haeger. "We have to wait and see what the FY09 budget holds in store.

"The university has been planning several months for an impending reduction in the current budget," Haeger continued. "We have subjected position openings, purchases and travel requests to careful review and reductions."

In addition to the $14.7 million cut to the universities, the Legislature trimmed $5.25 million each from Arizona State University and UofA for one-time schematic design money for the Phoenix biomedical campus and $875,000 from ABOR.

The projected shortfall for the state's '09 budget, which begins July 1, is expected to be close to
$2 billion.