Western’s projected budget shortfall is $521,000.

President Gary Ransdell said that is how much utility costs will go up.

“That doesn’t mean it’s going to be a deficit,” he said. “I mean, we’ll pay the bills.”

Officials are trying to conserve energy to deal with the shortfall, such as a planned shutdown of campus during two weeks in December and July, said John Osborne, vice president of campus services and facilities.

Students, faculty and staff will be asked to help in the conservation efforts, he said.

The shutdown is expected to cover about $104,000 the shortfall, or 20 percent. said Ann Mead, vice president of finance and administration.

“I don’t know at this point how the rest of the deficit will be covered,” she said.

She said the university’s budget is about $3 million.

“So $500,000 is manageable,” Mead said.

Ransdell said new money could help deal with some of the shortfall.

“The scary part would come if we have no new revenue,” he said. “Now, I don’t expect that, but that would depend on a potential state budget cut.”

Mead said officials will find out in the spring if Western will have to deal with budget cuts from the state, which would increase the shortfall.

“At this point, we haven’t been informed of any budget cuts, but it’s always a possibility with a weak economy,” she said.

Mead said she doesn’t think the projected shortfall or more cuts from the state will make tuition increase more than is already expected because Western has about $2 million in a reserve account to deal with deficits that can’t be covered.

The Board of Regents would have to approve using money from the reserve.

State cuts and budget shortfalls will eventually affect students, said Howard Bailey, vice president of student affairs.

“Well, Western has historically done a pretty good job of trying to insulate the students from budget cuts,” Bailey said. “But we’re at a point where I don’t see how we could take any more budget cuts and it not affect students.”

Ransdell said tuition might go up more than the 6 percent increase that was projected in the strategic plan.

“We know we cannot raise tuition much next year, but it will go up a little,” he said.

Mead and Ransdell said that the only way the shortfall will affect students so far is that the temperature in campus buildings might be cooler to reduce energy costs.

Ransdell said officials are trying to minimize the shortfall so they can increase faculty and staff salaries.

If there isn’t a faculty and staff salary increase next year, then the university won’t retain current faculty or attract new faculty.

“That would affect students,” he said.