The effects of the state budget crisis can be felt across Eastern’s campus.

“Our budget crisis is real,” said Jonelle DePetro, chair of the philosophy department. “And all departments across campus are being asked to do their part.”

To date, Eastern has received $20.5 million of its $50.6 million state appropriations. Treasurer Paul McCann said the university does not know when the remaining money will be paid. To handle the restricted cash flow, the university has been limiting spending and cutting costs wherever it can.

“At this point, we’re allowing people in their departments to decide what’s necessary, but (the purchasing department) second guess everything,” McCann said. “Someone looks at every single item and considers whether each one is necessary.

This is a significant amount of additional consideration paid to every purchase.”

The history department, which chair Anita Shelton said already

had a very limited budget, has cut back or eliminated photocopying and long-distance phone calls.

“We have an inadequate budget to start with,” Shelton said.

“After reductions several years ago, our current operational budget is the same as it was in 1995. There is not much fat to cut.”

Departments use the operational budget for office supplies, phone bills, postage, copying, classroom and lab supplies and other items essential to regular operation.

James Tidwell, chair of the journalism department, said, “That’s going to pretty much wipe out your operating funds right there.”

Making cuts to these purchases can be difficult, and some departments are waiting to make some purchases until the funding can come in. Robert Bates, chair of the health studies department, said he tries to hold off on as many purchases as he

can.

“It is very difficult, as faculty only request essential items,” Bates said. “I review the immediacy of the need, i.e., can I delay it or is it crucial now?”

Faculty and student travel reimbursements are being cut as well, but attending and presenting at conferences is a large part of earning tenure, educating students and keeping up with developments in different fields.

Tidwell said he had $5,000 of travel costs that had not been reimbursed when he was working toward tenure in the early 1990s. He said this personal spending is often referred to as the “tenure tax.”

He said he tries to fund as much departmental travel as he can because it builds both the individual’s and the department’s portfolios. He often uses donated funds to pay for travel.

“It’s really unfair to faculty members to force them to pay for it out of their own pocket,” Tidwell said. “We do have some other resources we can use. I try to be creative.”

Bates said the health studies department currently is only reimbursing faculty who are presenting because of budget constraints.

Many departments on campus are using a similar standard. Shelton said the history department funds as much as they can, but even in better times they could not fully reimburse all travel expenses.

“This is a critical component of academic life and scholarship,” Shelton said. “However, let’s be clear: the funds to support faculty or student travel are limited and have never sufficed to reimburse individuals for anything close to all their expenses.”

William Weber, vice president for business affairs, said faculty and staff who cannot afford to pay for their own travel expenses should look at other options for professional development such as webinars. Weber has paid for all of his own travel since October.

Tidwell offered another suggestion for tenure-track faculty, having work published instead of presenting at conferences.

“It doesn’t cost anything to get a paper published,” he said.

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