An e-mail from President B. Joseph White was sent out to students on Wednesday morning, again acknowledging the effects of the current recession on the University.

While the e-mail contained a lot of information previously sent out, it also outlined a few things the University will be doing in order to combat tough economic times.

“Our plan is to handle a rescission by continuing the freeze on all except essential hiring that has been in place for the last three months and substantially reducing purchases, travel and other expenses,” White said in the e-mail. “We will

do our best to avoid significant budget-driven layoffs. However, in light

of the financial circumstances some units of the University may face, I

cannot provide complete assurance, especially if the rescission is large.”

The e-mail also said that the state of Illinois is estimated to have a $2.1 billion shortfall, in addition to a $4-5 billion worth of unpaid bills.

White also mentioned that each of the University of Illinois campuses will be holding town hall meetings to discuss the budget. The Urbana-Champaign campus will be holding its meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m.

This is not the first time the University has sent out e-mails talking about the recession. White sent out an e-mail to students on Oct. 28 about the affects of the recession on the University, as did Chancellor Richard Herman on Oct. 30.