Difficult circumstances await the Council on University Planning and Budget and the university as a whole.

Eastern stands to lose more than 6 percent of their government funding for fiscal year 2011.

The council will discuss ways the university can save money at its meeting at 3 p.m. today in the Rathskeller Loft, located in the 7th Street Underground of the Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union.

“CUPB’s focus is now on cost containment,” said Karen Drage, chair of CUPB. “Therefore, the executive committee discussed some of the cost containment suggestions received through the furlough comments, and we will be bringing those ideas to the Council on Friday.”

The council continues to collect comments on furloughs and other containment suggestions on its Web site, www.eiu.edu/~eiucupb/.

Some suggestions that have been made in the past include turning off computers at night, not leaving lights on in empty rooms and other energy conservation measures.

The council is finalizing speakers to talk about ways they can reduce costs in different areas.

“One area we feel we needed more information on is how we can use technology to contain costs,” Drage said. “Mike Hoadly (assistant vice president of academic affairs for technology) will be providing us with more information on this topic at our meeting.”

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or seruholl2@eiu.edu