Hazel Loucks, deputy governor for education and workforce, said “it looks pretty assured” that Eastern will face an estimated $2.3 million in cuts to its current budget, a possibility that had been announced but not yet confirmed.

Loucks was on campus Thursday for a tour and to discuss budget matters with interim President Lou Hencken.

Gov. George Ryan is calling back about $600,000 from Eastern’s state allocation this year, and he also has asked state universities to begin paying for employee health insurance, which was previously picked up by the state, at a cost to Eastern of nearly $1.7 million.

Eastern has already lowered the thermostat 2 degrees in university buildings to save about $250,000 because of the budget cuts. Hencken said he plans to present further cost-cutting measures to the Council on University Planning and Budget Friday.

However, higher education and K-12 educational institutions were the only state agencies currently suffering cuts that have not yet been required to make a base budget cut, which would mean that the decrease in allocation would carry on into the next fiscal year.

“That doesn’t mean that they won’t,” Loucks warned.

Hencken said he will be planning next year’s budget both with the base cut and without.

“We’ll wait and see after the governor’s budget address,” Hencken said. The governor is supposed to make his address in February.

Loucks also said that the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s recommendation for state university funding increases for next fiscal year will likely pass through into the governor’s recommendation without modification.