Iowa, UNI decide to opt out of furloughs

The Associated Press

DES MOINES — The University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa will not follow Iowa State University’s action and have top officials take furloughs to offset budget cuts.

Both Iowa and Northern Iowa instead will use across-the-board cuts to save money from their budgets.

Iowa must find $4.45 million. Northern Iowa is looking for $1.55 million to cut.

Both schools say they will exempt key programs from the cuts, such as the student financial aid and campus safety departments.

Gov. Chet Culver has detailed across-the-board cuts to the state budget. Earlier this year, Iowa State announced that top administrators must take five days of unpaid leave as part of the Ames university’s budget cutting measures.