Eastern’s Board of Trustees will meet Friday with the hopes of approving the fiscal year 2015 budget as well as submitting a budget for fiscal year 2016.

The board will meet at 1 p.m. Friday in the University Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

The board is being recommended a reduction in the overall operating budget for both FY2015 and FY2016. The reduction from 2014 to 2015 is recommended to be a drop in $5.2 million. The reduction then submitted for 2016 is $1.2 million.

“Through strategic programmatic reductions, Eastern will factor $6.4 million in annual operating expense reductions through FY 2016,” the proposal states.

Operating expenditures include personnel services, contractual services, computer software, equipment, interest and principle, library books, permanent improvements, repairs and maintenance, scholarships and awards, commodities, telecommunications, travel and utilities.

The board will also vote on the purchase of housing and dining equipment and software maintenance, along with a renewed membership to Public Broadcasting Services for WEIU.

The naming of university property is also up for the board to vote on. The board will vote on approving the naming of the athletic training room in Lantz Arena the Dr. Jerry Heath Training room.

The board will also vote on the 2015 meeting calendar, with the first meeting of the new year taking place January 23 on campus.

Bob Galuski can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].