Blair Lord, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, told Faculty Senate on Tuesday that even though the money awarded to students from Illinois Monetary Award Program government grants have been reduced, Eastern’s financial aid department will work to make up the difference in student tuition.

He said this will likely be only a one-time waiver.

“The university simply does not have the funds to make up for money the government is not giving out,” Lord said.

John P. Stimac, dean of the Honors College, also spoke with the senate. Stimac’s presentation gave a summary on the student demographic of Eastern’s honors college as well as factors honors students consider important, where they are from, what other schools they applied to other than Eastern, what makes a course honors and whether or not honors students are first generation college students in their families.

Stimac said that the admittance rates of Eastern’s honors college is comparable to other nearby schools even though the pricing is very competitive as private schools can throw out tuition waivers of which Eastern is not capable.

Stimac also hopes to recruit more students from outside America.

“Over 99 percent of our students are U.S. citizens,” said Stimac. “We want more international students.”

Other than presentations, the faculty senate election committee also approved Henry Owen, biology professor, for the University Personnel Committee, which had an open position from the College of Sciences.

John Pommier, faculty senate chair and professor of recreation administration, ended the meeting by discussing future agendas and future dates for faculty senate meetings.

Seth Schroeder can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].