The university is looking for alternative methods to cut costs in the face of the ongoing budgetary crisis.

Noah Rosenberg, from the Education Advisory Board, is going to be presenting research to what universities across the country have done to develop other revenue streams to members of the Council of University Planning and Budget today.

“I am hoping this will generate some good conversation amongst CUPB members and possibly also result in CUPB making recommendations as to which ideas might be worth pursuing for Eastern,” said William Weber, vice president for business affairs.

Weber said that the EAB has compiled a list of 200 ideas for that are being used across the country and he is interested to see what ideas the campus community deems appropriate for the university.

“I think that because of the budgetary issues we’re facing now, were always interested in (alternative revenue streams),” Treasurer Paul McCann said. “We’d like to look at items that are not invasive, that may not be terribly difficult for the students to handle.”

The university wants to consider other methods of raising revenue up, other than the standard increasing tuition and fees, McCann said.

Some of the things that the EAB has proposed is using a convenience charge for the use of credit cards around campus, McCann said.

“I really don’t think that we’ve been short on ideas to raise revenue, so some of those issues will be discussed as well,” McCann said.

President Bill Perry said that although Rosenberg is visiting, the university is continually looking at ways to save money. Ideas can be generated from the CUPD, which has a process where individuals can send in suggestions, as well as from other universities.

One method that Perry said the university is considering is choosing a default font for Microsoft Word across campus that would use less space than Times New Roman, such as Century Gothic, therefore saving on paper and printer toner.

Derek Markley, special assistant to the president, said that they are also considering using “Eco-font,” which has small holes in the body of each letter to afford for less toner use. He said that the university is constantly receiving cost-saving ideas.

“That’s part of the process, that’s why we get ideas from all over the campus,” Markley said.

Shelley Holmgren can be reached at 581-7942 or meholmgren@eiu.edu.