This Wednesday Governor George Ryan will break the silence about state budget problems, delivering the State of the Budget Address and potentially revealing whether cuts to Eastern’s budget will only happen this year or come out of its base funding.

Ryan asked all the state’s public universities to return a total of $25 million last winter and Eastern’s share of that was $624,000. In January, the governor requested another $45 million to cover group insurance, which brought Eastern’s total cut to $2.3 million.

Eastern’s administration developed a plan to come up with the money, but most of the savings will only be available one time. About $260,000 comes from utility savings acquired by lowered heat in campus buildings by two degrees and some water savings. Eastern also put off $300,000 worth of deferred maintenance and drained equipment reserve budgets, for a saving of $800,000.

In addition, all four vice presidents are leaving open some vacant positions in their areas, and some are saving on sick leave payouts due to a drop in retirements.

Eastern and most other state agencies impacted by the state’s budget problems have been holding off on further planning until Ryan’s address.

The possibilty of a base budget cut, which could severely impact Eastern, is still unsure. A 5.4 percent increase in next year’s budget and money for campus capital improvement projects, both approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, hinge on the health of the state budget.

Eastern administrators who are waiting to develop strategies will be watching the address carefully.

“We don’t know what to expect,” said Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs. “What we do know is that various legislative staff have said that … fiscal year 2003 will be a ‘difficult’ year.”

What “difficult” means is what Eastern will be listening to find out, Lord said.

It won’t be easy to tell right away how Eastern will be impacted, Lord said, since it will probably only be referred to under the umbrella term of “higher education.” The state’s realm of higher education includes Eastern, 11 other universities and numerous community colleges.