Staff from facilities planning and management addressed the Faculty Senate Tuesday with information that would slow the wear and tear university buildings experience year after year.

Currently, Eastern’s budget allows any costs for maintenance to be deferred to a later date, said David Crockett, facilities maintenance manager for facilities planning and management.

Rather than improving conditions effectively and timely, maintenance is not budgeted properly because of lack of funds.

While buildings like the Physical Science Building, the steam plant and Old Main age, major structural problems get more difficult to maintain.

The ultimate solution to this increasing problem is more funding for building maintenance.

According to a report from the facilities planning and management staff, if proper funding were granted, the university would have spent $5.3 million in 2007 to “halt additional accumulation of deferred maintenance.” However, total funds to reduce build-up were estimated at $91.9 million. The university is currently funded at $1.9 million.

“We watch every penny we spend, but we don’t have enough money to go around for all of our buildings,” Crockett said.

Resident halls, dining halls and the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union are not included in the budget. The budget initially goes through the Illinois Board of Higher Education and then must be approved by the Illinois General Assembly.

Gary Reed, director of facilities planning and management, said the entire process of funding is very competitive. The university must prove the necessity of funds based on safety issues within the university.

Eastern Illinois University competes with other higher education institutions like the University of Illinois and Western Illinois University.

Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said due to the current impeachment process of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and lack of funds, any idea of increased funding for the university is unknown and they can only make reasonable guesses.

The facilities planning and management staff also presented the idea of collaborating academics with building management projects.

One project allowed the geology and geography department to work with GIS to develop campus maps.

During the completion of Doudna Fine Arts Center, Reed said they experienced some push backs from contractors because of late timing.

Reed also expressed his desire to find a way to facilitate new methods of introducing upcoming projects.

Cari Wafford can be reached at 581-7942 or at cmwafford@eiu.edu.