Cost and Efficiency Initiatives
This is the current list of the cost savings measures and process efficiencies that have been implemented by departments across campus. We will continue to update this list as it becomes available.
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Submission coming soon
Vice President of Business Affairs
Submission coming soon
Vice President of Student Affairs
Health Service - Lynette Drake, Directors
- Canceled some higher dollar programs for this year, saving $ and time with limited staff
- Eliminated fax machine in HERC and phone lines in both HERC and HS.
- Turning down thermostat at night and on weekends in Booth House for HERC
- Default for black and white copies set on copy machine
- Recycle used paper as scratch paper
- Using office copier as network printer, therefore not replacing individual printers
- Eliminated promotional items, hand sanitizer, pens, etc.
- Minimizing advertising in Daily Eastern News and using more social media sites
- Reduced inventory and ordering more often for needed supplies.
- Limited travel, and only for required CE. Utilizing online resources and professional journals for more CE. Eliminating travel in most situations, unless necessary.
- Check university surplus before ordering some kinds of office supplies
Martin Luther King, JR University Union - Cathy Engelkes, Director
- Energy saving bulbs
- Motion lighting in building
- Reduced number of phone lines
- Shared network printer
- No travel
- Reduced janitorial supplies
- Reduced office supplies
- Utilize state contracts
- Use social media for advertising versus paying for advertising
- Reduce promotional items and donations
- Defer maintenance
- Defer replacing carpet, furniture, etc
- Keep inventories low
- Collaborate with departments for paper purchases at Panther Print and Copy Center
Housing and Dining - Mark Hudson, Director
Dining – Gail Abrams-Aungst, Associate Director
Cost Savings:
- Researched and evaluated supplies/sundry items for best prices
- Utilize Pepsi donations for Welcome to Neighborhood
- Utilize e-mail to transmit Student Training materials instead of Printing
- Consolidated multiple events on individual posters
- Preventative maintenance done internally
- Utilized leftover Pepsi donation to purchase drinking glasses
- Utilizing work study students
- Incorporated green nozzle reducing water usage
- Food costs savings
Process Efficiencies:
- Evaluate and distribute labor for efficiency (catering, summer and overtime)
Technology & Business Operations-Pam Naragon, Associate Director
Cost Savings:
- Servers-Reduced hardware costs by utilizing virtualization technology
- Desktops-Reduced hardware and maintenance costs from implementing virtual desktop technology
- Computers-Reduced costs by extending replacement rotation timeframe
- Printers-Eliminated equipment costs by utilizing network copiers
- Bandwidth=Reduced costs and increased bandwidth capacity by renegotiation Consolidated contract
- Software-Elimination of student antivirus, Log Me In license (utilize free software available)
- Eliminated Audible Magic (file sharing monitoring brought in house by ITS)
Process efficiencies:
- Use of wrist bands for summer programs replacing meal cards for each participant - labor & product cost savings
Facilities – Matt Brown, Associate Director
- Carman Complex (Residence Hall and Dining Center) offline:
- Reduced furniture purchasing costs by moving furniture from Carman to other Residence Halls as they were remodeled
- Utilities
- Reduced positions to reflect service level
- Bulk purchase of salt for snow removal instead of bagged
- Phone costs-renegotiated with Consolidated for free residential phone service
- Streamlined maintenance processes for painting student rooms and furniture
- Changed from utilizing carpet by the yard to carpet squares
- Initiated alternative resources to replace office and room furniture
- Extended the life of smoke detectors (purchasing 10 year lithon batteries instead of replacing each year)
- Installed water bottle refill stations in the residence halls & dining centers reducing trash removal costs
- Partnering with local charities for students to donate unwanted personal items at the end of the academic year reducing trash removal costs
Marketing – Kelly Miller, Associate Director
Cost Savings & Process Efficiencies:
- Print & Postage: Utilized Campaign Monitor software, and the use of social media, eliminating printed and mailings of postcards, brochures and newsletters to students/parents while increasing communication opportunities
- Using window clings as signage for building directories through the EIU paint shop as opposed to doing it off campus
Residential Life – Jody Stone, Associate Director
Cost Savings:
- Changed duty phone plans to pay by call instead of monthly fee
- Reduced 5 Resident Assistants positions
- Reduced travel by 50% since 2006
Administration – Kelly Miller, Associate Director
Cost Savings:
- On line contracts through MY EIU reduced paper, toner, postage, and printing costs. Students enter information directly into the system saving labor on entering all residents information.
- Use the back side of used paper when printing on local printers
- Admin and support positions reduced before the campus layoff (excluding Carman positions and BSW reductions) - 3 positions
New Revenue Sources:
- Fundraising for Memorial Garden - Alums donated funds in support of this current campus beautification project
- Alums contribute to our $815,000 in endowments which generates $25,000 annually in scholarships that help students afford the cost of attendance while encouraging volunteer leadership involvement on campus
LGBTQA Resource Center – Lynette Drake, Heath Service Director
- Utilized the State Farm Surplus Center in Bloomington to furnish the office, rather than spend $ on new furniture, after first checking with EIU surplus for needed items.
- Worked with the Development Office to establish a list of needed resources for possible funding through charitable contributions rather than purchase resources through other university funds
Student Insurance - Angie Campbell, Director
- Use of copy machine as network printer
- Recycle paper for scratch paper
Vice President of University Advancement
Marketing & Creative Services
- Move advertising services from outside companies, selected on line ads in-house
- Reduced billboard coverage
Alumni Services
- Did not fill vacant Assistant Alumni Director position
- Eliminated outside professional development staff training
- Limited events and receptions to beer & wine only bars; ticketed and cash bars
Development
- Travel reduced
- Training moved in house
Advancement
- Small cost conscious item were to only email Birthday, Anniversary and Thank you cards etc
- Big temporary savings were staff, kickoff and celebration for the campaign
