The university’s budgetary council will meet Friday as administrators are still learning details of what Eastern can expect from state funding in the next fiscal year.

Administrators and students visited Springfield Thursday to lobby for the university the day after a budget proposal was released detailing Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s recommendation to take $953,000 from Eastern.

If approved by the Illinois Legislature, that would leave the university $46.6 million in appropriated monies for fiscal year 2005.

Some of those administrators will be back in Charleston to discuss the budget with the Council on University Planning and Budget Friday.

“I would not be surprised if the president doesn’t have something to say about it,” said Hencken’s executive secretary Judy Gorrell.

The council will hear a report from a special committee created by Hencken to look at the budget. The committee, composed of students, members from the CUPB and Faculty, Staff and Student Senates, was formed before the Illinois Board of Higher Education recommended Eastern receive $47 million and not take a cut in state general funds next financial year.

The council will hear a presentation from Budget Director Jim Shonkwiler and Director of Planning and Institutional Studies Julia Abell offering updates on how the university is spending and receiving money over the three most recent fiscal years, including fiscal year 2005 that the governor addressed this week.

“We’re still trying to analyze rumors and figure out what’s going on,” Shonkwiler said Wednesday. “We’re all disappointed if there are indeed cuts to our budget request for next year.”

The CUPB also will hear reports from the Legislative and Student Action Teams about their visit Thursday for Eastern Day at the capital.

The teams, composed of students and others who promote and lobby for the university several times each semester, filled four charter buses, said Bursar Linda Coffey, when she delivered the report.

She said the purpose of Eastern Day was to “showcase the university,” but the council will hear more of a general report of what happened during the team’s visit.

CUPB Chair Christine McCormick said the council might also discuss its own membership. The Faculty Senate has discussed making the CUPB a smaller council for reasons of representation and efficiency.

The CUPB will meet at 3 p.m. in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.