By Joseph Ryan

Administration editor

Gov. George Ryan has proposed a $4,395,100 fiscal year 2002 increase in Eastern’s operating budget, which is almost $100,000 less than the Illinois Board of Higher Education recommended increase.

As a result of Gov. George Ryan’s cuts in the total Illinois Board of Higher Education FY02 budget recommendations, $98,100 will be sliced off of Eastern’s IBHE recommended $4.5 million increase.

The decrease in funds will be taken directly from a proposed 3 percent increase for utilities, totaling $60,300, and 3 percent increase in library acquisitions, totaling $37,800.

“I would anticipate that the 3 percent increase cut for libraries will have a considerable impact on EIU’s library since the cost for library books and materials continue to rise,” said Shelly Flock, director of media relations.

All public universities, community colleges and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy had cuts related to utilities and libraries that amounted to a total of $3.5 million, Flock said.

According to a memorandum from Keith Sanders, executive director of the IBHE, to Eastern President Carol Surles, the allocation of Ryan’s budget cuts will be presented to the Board of Higher Education for action at its April 10, 2001 meeting.

The budget recommendations have one more final process to endure – the General Assembly.

“We would hope that the General Assembly will support the governor’s recommendation for Eastern, but realize that our budget is one of many that must be considered by the General Assembly during budget deliberations,” said Jill Nilsen, acting vice president of external relations, in a press release.

The General Assembly is expected to finalize the budget appropriation by the end of June.

The allocation of Ryan’s budget will preserve funding for the “3+2+1” initiative for raising faculty salaries across the state, according to the memorandum.

The initiative requires universities to match 1 percent to the state’s 5 percent increase in faculty salaries, resulting in a total 6 percent increase.

At this point in the budget allocation process, the total percentage increase for Eastern’s operating budget will drop to 5.8 percent from 5.9 percent.

Comparatively, for the fiscal year of 2001, the governor’s recommended percentage increase was the same as that of the IBHE, 5.6 percent. However, for fiscal year 2000 the governor’s recommendation dropped the IBHE recommendation by 1 percent.

The governor has also endorsed the IBHE’s recommendation to fund Eastern’s $40 million Doudna Fine Arts Center building project, $676,000 in capital renewal funding to reconfigure space in McAfee Gymnasium and $814,444 to convert Eastern’s public television station to digital operations according to a press release.

However, the budget recommendation does not include funding recommended by the IBHE for a $2.5 million project to extend a chilled water loop south of Garfield Avenue to three major academic buildings and four residence halls on Eastern’s campus.