A starving budget requires a tight belt to keep it up.

Eastern is looking to reduce operating costs wherever it can, including a hiring freeze and maintenance deferral.

The exact amount of cost savings is unknown, and searches that have already begun will still be continued.

“It’s too early to say because we have allowed searches that were in progress to go through, so we’re just really beginning the process of stopping all but critical searches,” said Bill Weber, vice president for business affairs.

President Bill Perry must approve any new searches.

“If a search had already been initiated, then it can go forward,” Perry said. “If a search had not already been initiated, then it must be approved by me.”

Reorganizations, such as combining the budget and planning and institutional studies offices, are reducing salary costs by cutting some unnecessary positions, Weber said.

“I’ve cut two positions out of that office, one director position and one budget analyst position,” Weber said. “Combining the two director positions into a single position should save in the neighborhood of $70,000.”

The budget analyst was moved to the Academic Affairs Office to take on some of Weber’s former responsibilities as associate vice president.

“There is no new associate replacing me, instead they have a budget analyst,” Weber said. “Not filling my former position should save the provost’s area about $60,000.”

Perry said the generated savings would be put to use as the university struggles to get by with just a fraction of its state funding.

“We clearly are going to have to see what kind of savings we are generating now that these actions are being taken to see what kind of money will be available for us to meet our cash flow needs,” Perry said. “Cash flow for the state affects cash flow for us.”

Deferred maintenance is adding some padding to the budget as well.

Gary Reed, director of facilities planning and management, said anything not safety related or necessary to daily operations has been put on hold until funding becomes available.

“We’re re-prioritizing, so anything safety related or anything necessary for daily operation can get taken care of,” Reed said. “We’re taking them on a case-by-case basis as we go through the painful process of budgeting.”

Reed defined repairs critical for daily operation as anything that could shut down a part of the campus if left undone. Weber said he and Reed would be meeting this week to evaluate the different projects in queue.

“He and I will go through a list of projects and make a determination of what to go forward with and what not to,” Weber said.

“If there were things in the works that really need to be completed, such as moving into the new textbook rental facility, it has to go forward.”

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].