Gov. George Ryan’s budget calls for a deep cut to higher education in fiscal year 2002, and his recommended general funds increase probably won’t bring the total up to this year’s level.

“I’d be surprised, when you look at our spending authority, if we even meet the (fiscal year) 2002 level,” said Kim Furumo, director of Eastern’s Budget Office.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Illinois House Appropriations Committee in Springfield the Illinois Board of Education distributed a report breaking down the governor’s latest plans for higher education.

In November, Ryan called back $25 million from higher education, of which Eastern’s share was $624,000. In December, universities had to start paying for group insurance, bringing Eastern’s total cut for this fiscal year to $2.3 million.

The administration made plans to come up with the money by slicing reserve accounts, stalling deferred maintenance, cutting back on utility spending and leaving unfilled positions open in various offices – all one-time savings.

The state will ask Eastern for the $624,000 cut and then some permanently, Furumo said Thursday after returning from the State Capitol. On top of that, universities will still have to pay for group insurance, which accounted for the additional $1.7 million of Eastern’s fiscal year 2002 callback.

Ryan has recommended a $75 million increase to higher education, of which only about $26.8 million goes to universities. Some in the General Assembly and higher education community have suggested the $45 million total cost for the group insurance come from that increase.

While the $624,000-plus reduction is a permanent base cut, the insurance costs may or may not be assessed year after year, Furumo said.

The IBHE will work to distribute the new cuts at their next meeting on April 4.

In short, the budget for the upcoming year “looks very poor,” Furumo said, and worse than the series of cuts in 1991 and 1992.

The IBHE originally recommended $7.5 million for the moveable equipment for the new Doudna Fine Arts Center, but the revised recommendations only supply $6 million. Eastern will try for the other $1.5 million next year, Furumo said.

At the Appropiations Committee meeting, Western Illinois University and Governors State University testified about how the first round of budget cuts impacted them and how cuts to next year’s budget could affect them.

Eastern’s day to testify is March 7, and Furumo will make the trip to Springfield with interim President Lou Hencken; Jill Nilsen, vice president for external affairs; Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs and Jeff Cooley, vice president for business affairs.

On March 20, the Student Action Team will lobby for financial support for Eastern and on April 8 Eastern administrators will testify before the Illinois Senate Appropriations Committee.

The adminstration must start from scratch to come up with more ways to save money on top of the cuts already made this year, Nilsen said.

Hencken will again meet with groups on campus to gather input on how to reconfigure Eastern’s funds.

“We’ll look at some long-term planning,” Nilsen said, stressing that the budget recommendations are still in the very early stages because Eastern just received the governor’s figures this week.

The highest priority now is maintaining academic quality, Nilsen said, something Hencken spoke of often when planning for this year’s cuts.

Eastern will also remain in close contact with “legislative friends” in Springfield and Washington, Nilsen said.

Several Illinois representatives offered suggestions for alleviating the pain of the cuts, Nilsen said.

Rep. Judy Erwin, D-Chicago, whom Nilsen describes as “a good friend of higher education,” suggested that higher education and K-12 share resources, such as using high school computer labs in the evening after students have left for off-campus college programs.

Rep. Rick Myers, R-Colchester, suggested moving money away from low-priority items into higher priority projects that won’t get new funds, Nilsen said.

The governor’s budget must still pass through the General Assembly, which can and often does manipulate it.