The sudden cancellation of today’s scheduled Council on University Planning and Budget meeting has left certain faculty members confused and concerned.

John Allison, Eastern’s University Professionals of Illinois’ representative on CUPB, said he is not satisfied with the explanation he was given for the cancellation from CUPB Chair Bob Augustine Wednesday night.

Augustine indicated a motion made by David Carpenter, professor of English, to create a CUPB subcommittee in the presidential area cannot be voted on yet, Allison said.

The council’s bylaws require two weeks notice before voting on a motion, but Allison said the bylaws also call for a presidential subcommittee, though one has not been created.

“It’s a good idea because athletics reports to the president,” Allison said. “CUPB meets only once a month, and it seems extremely sudden to cancel on the basis they need two weeks notice to vote on the motion.”

Allison was also told the meeting was canceled because Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, cannot attend to make a report on installing a CUPB Legislative Action Team.

The cancellation concerns Allison and faculty members for a number of other reasons.

He said the executive committee should have met in a more timely manner to determine if Carpenter’s motion was covered in the bylaws or not, and he’s

concerned with the committee’s decision to cancel the meeting rather than bring its judgment to the CUPB as a whole.

“I believe the CUPB should meet to provide information on the state of the budget, even if we don’t have a lot of business,” Allison said.

The CUPB’s next scheduled meeting is Dec. 14, the Friday before finals week, which Allison said is a terrible time for faculty.

“It’s almost like they don’t want the faculty to participate. It’s a maximum inconvenience as far as I am concerned,” he said.

David Radavich, president of Eastern’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois, said in an e-mail he is alarmed the administration apparently does not want to discuss the university’s budget and spending priorities in public.

The agenda was not posted at least 48 hours before the meeting time, Radavich said, which violates state law.

“The truth about how university monies are spent should be neither secret nor frightening,” Radavich said.

Augustine was not available for comment Thursday