Eastern avoided repeating history after Gov. Rod Blagojevich approved a 2.8 percent increase in state appropriations for universities for fiscal year 2009 in mid-July.

“Last year, in the summer, we were having to let people know if they were going to get paid,” said President Bill Perry. “We didn’t have to go through that this summer.”

The 2.8 percent increase, which translates into $1.4 million more from fiscal year 2008, will go mostly to the academic affairs department, Perry said. The university is projected to receive around a total of $50.6 million in state appropriations this year compared to $49.2 million last year.

Last summer, the state budget was not passed until the end of August – a product of a standoff between Blagojevich and the General Assembly that resulted in many extra sessions to approve a budget.

If the 2.8 percent increase makes it through the General Assembly’s veto session that starts in November, the university will use that increase to rejuvenate programs that were cut as a result of Blagojevich cutting universities’ state appropriations for fiscal year 2003.

Faculty travel to professional meetings, funds to assist students doing research and common expenses like paper will all benefit from the $1.4 million increase, Perry said.

The increase survived Blagojevich’s cuts to the budget in which he cut $1.4 billion to areas such as community colleges and the treasurer’s office. The cuts were made because the General Assembly passed a budget that did not have enough revenue to pay for everything.

“The fact that the governor did not veto those increases is very positive,” Perry said. “I believe the attitude toward higher education is a positive one.”

The approval of the increase came after Blagojevich recommended a 0 percent increase for universities in fiscal year 2009 as part of his budget recommendation in February.

Perry said he is pleased to see the General Assembly respond to higher education’s arguments for the need for increases in state appropriations, which still have not equaled the total of fiscal year 2002 – the year before Blagojevich cut state appropriations to universities.

Jeff Cooley, vice president for business affairs, said the increase would help the business affairs department with the opening of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

More utility workers and building service workers are needed since the university added more square feet to campus with Doudna, he said. The increase in state appropriations will help that slightly, he added.

“It certainly helps, but it doesn’t go as far as we like,” Cooley said.

Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].