Interim President Lou Hencken said state Republican senators lent a sympathetic ear when the Senate Republican Higher Education Task met Friday in Urbana.

Eastern and University of Illinois administrators, faculty and students met to voice concerns over this and next year’s fiscal budget woes.

Three state senators, Rick Winkel, R-Champaign, Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, and Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, listened.

The state has proposed Eastern cut $1.4 million or 2.7 percent from its Fiscal Year 03 and 8.2 percent from FY04.

“It was an undivided opportunity to share how we thought the budget would affect us,” said Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs.

“They asked good questions – not all of them positive ones – and they asked for specific examples how we would be affected,” said Hencken.

He cited larger class sizes and the cancellation of courses with low enrollment as places to feel an impact.

Student Body President Alison Mormino, who represented Eastern students, left the meeting with a positive note.

“My feeling was pretty good,” she said. “All three legislators seemed very intent on what we had to say, in how we felt about budget cuts.”

The meeting is the second of its kind, with two more planned at the campuses of Northern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. The first meeting was at Illinois State University April 15.

All public institutions, except for the U of I, were given the same proposed budget cuts for this fiscal year.

Caleb Judy, student body president-elect, said students were afraid of the consequences larger class sizes would bring.

“I didn’t conduct a survey or anything, but I asked students how they felt,” Judy said. “I had some friends who were taking summer classes tell me they were afraid they wouldn’t graduate on time.”

Tuition increases for next year are uncertain.

Hencken said an increase couldn’t be fully decided until accurate Fall 2003 enrollment numbers and definitive budget cuts are in, which he said he could not see happening until June 1.

“Right now there are more questions than answers,” Lord said.

Tuition could increase by 7 or 8 percent, if not more, Hencken previously said.

Hencken said the university is running through all possible scenarios.

He said after the budget cuts are announced, he must determine if raising tuition 2, 3 or 4 percent higher than the university normally would.

“It is our belief from what we have heard from the leaders of Student Government, that the feelings on campus are to pay a little more,” he said.

Regardless, Hencken promised the university would do everything it could to maintain Eastern’s academic quality by cutting from the budget elsewhere. He said a selective-job freeze for non-faculty members is in place.

Hencken used the resignation of Director of Enrollment Management Registrar Frank Hohengarten as an example. Hohengarten, who is leaving Eastern for a similar position at the University of South Florida at the end of the year, will not have an immediate replacement.

Some 80 percent of Eastern’s budget, Hencken said, is personnel.

“We’re going to save a lot more dollars … by telling everyone to use both sides of the paper,” he said.

Nevertheless, suggested budget cuts have already been enforced by cutting a “modest number” of intercession and summer classes, Blair said, with low enrollment and turning off air conditioning in certain buildings after noon May 12 until Aug. 18, 2003.

Classes that would be affected would be moved to buildings where the air is turned on. The university suggested students apply for summer and intercession classes before Monday to ensure spots in their respective classes, a press release stated.

Judy said the administration has done a good job on keeping budget consequences invisible to students.

“(Most students) are not going to see the air conditioning shut down early in the summer because they aren’t there.”

The fall semester is still up for grabs.

“We are very concerned about the possible budget cuts and their potential impact on our educational programs,” said Doug Bower, associate dean of the college of education. “At the present time we are waiting to see what the final budget totals look like. No final decisions are able to be made until then.”

Mary Anne Hanner, dean of the college of sciences, said she has already looked into alternatives.

“We are presently studying the impact of reduced funding on the academic programs and looking for the best strategies for maintaining the high academic quality to which we are committed,” Hanner said. “We are considering our options along a continuum of budgeting levels.”