University Meeting focuses on planning, recognition, resilience

Faculty and staff filled the Student Center’s Betty R. Tipton Room on May 9 for the spring University Meeting. As the academic year draws to a close, the gathering recognized employee milestones and excellence, while university leaders provided important updates on enrollment and budget planning in anticipation of the fall 2025 semester.

Federal Funding

President Karim Ismaili opened the meeting by addressing recent losses in federal funding, emphasizing that regional public universities like Eastern are not immune to the same financial pressures facing larger institutions. He noted that three programs at Eastern have recently seen their federal funding withdrawn:

• The LSAMP program (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) from the National Science Foundation, which supports underrepresented students in STEM;
• Jumpstart, a federal early education initiative housed in Eastern’s Center for Community Engagement;
• A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities supporting artificial intelligence curriculum integration.

“These are three programs we support — initiatives that reflect what our institution is all about,” said Ismaili. “We’re not different. We’re also in the crosshairs.”

Despite these losses, he assured the campus community that Eastern will persist in advancing these efforts through other means. Ismaili said the funding challenges posed by the federal government present an opportunity to reimagine how Eastern engages with donors and state lawmakers.

Enrollment Update

Ben Pauley, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, provided updates on fall 2025 enrollment projections. He stated that the size of the incoming class is expected to be comparable to that of fall 2024, with transfer and graduate enrollments trending upward.

Key data points included:

• A 4.6% increase in applications from first-time, full-time students compared to last year;
• A 10.6% increase in admitted students by the end of January;
• An 11.4% rise in attendance at admitted student events, with positive feedback from participants.

“We did that while maintaining our admission standards,” said Pauley. “This tells me we are attracting the kinds of students we know can succeed at Eastern.”

He also reported that 80% of current first-year students are already registered for fall, contributing to Eastern’s leading retention rate within the CSCU system. Pauley emphasized the administration’s commitment to further improving student success and retention — a key driver for budget planning.

Budget Update

Jeremy Campbell, vice president for finance and administration, outlined the University’s budget priorities, which are grounded in student success and institutional growth. He highlighted three guiding principles:

• Enrollment as a key budget driver, with first-year, transfer, and retention numbers directly influencing financial planning;
• Investment over austerity, with next year’s budget anticipating growth rather than cuts, including plans to hire additional faculty/staff and improve campus infrastructure;
• Outreach and advocacy, involving active engagement with state legislators and agencies to secure funding and communicate Eastern’s value.

Campbell explained that the budget shortfall impacting Eastern and all public universities stems from collective bargaining wage increases that have outpaced state funding, compounded by the expiration of temporary pandemic-era federal relief funds.

To address this, he said Eastern will:

• Grow enrollment to boost revenue;
• Utilize Eastern’s $48 million in reserves, which are earmarked for capital improvements and innovation;
• Pursue additional funding from the state.

Campbell underscored a key financial principle: “Never use one-time funds to pay for permanent costs.” He affirmed that Eastern’s fiscal strategy has been prudent, enabling the university to invest in its future.

“The university did the right thing for years,” he said. “We now have money in the bank to protect our assets and continue doing what we’re doing today. … We’ve cut enough. We’re going to bring in more students, more faculty, more staff. It’s time to invest.”

President Ismaili reiterated that message, stating that Eastern has clearly communicated to the system office and Board of Regents that continued cuts are not sustainable. He stressed that structural challenges created by the loss of one-time funding require long-term state support.

Senate Update

University Senate President William Lugo shared updates from a productive year for the Senate, which included restructuring its committees to reflect current staffing levels and completing three major reports:

• · The Board of Regents’ ACT Framework Report (Accessibility, Completion, and Talent);
• · The Scaling Task Force Report, which responded to concerns over the proposed expansion of Charter Oak State College;
• · Feedback on the system office’s guidelines regarding the use of artificial intelligence.

Lugo also commended the successful rollout of the Eastern Liberal Arts Core (ELAC) and encouraged continued faculty participation through course submissions. He concluded his remarks by announcing a new cooperative program in emergency services, launching in fall 2025.

Looking Ahead

Ryan Quigley, director of University Relations, announced the May 27 premiere of Eastern’s The College Tour episode on Amazon Prime, and related advertising at movie theaters throughout Connecticut this summer.

Ismaili concluded the meeting by announcing the release of his Listening and Learning Tour report, which summarizes themes, institutional strengths, and community aspirations gathered during the campus-wide tour. While not a strategic plan, the document will serve as a “compass” to help guide Eastern’s direction in the months ahead, with plans to finalize the vision by the end of the calendar year.

“If you take one thing away from all this, the affection and love for Eastern shines through in every conversation we’ve had. That’s the foundation of our future,” he said.

Ismaili closed his remarks with a call to action on student retention, stressing its importance in Eastern’s long-term success.

“Ask yourself — what more can you do to support our retention efforts? And then ask, what can the university do to support you?”