Budget woes forces U of I to start furlough plan

URBANA, Ill. (AP) -- The University of Illinois says its faculty and staff will be forced to take four unpaid furlough days as part of a plan to trim $82 million from the university's operating budget.

President Stanley Ikenberry announced the furloughs and a hiring freeze in an e-mail to faculty and staff Tuesday. Ikenberry says the cuts are the university's response to a financial crisis resulting from a $436 million backlog of unpaid state appropriations.

Ikenberry calls the financial outlook "grim and worsening."

Faculty and academic professional staff will take four furlough days between Feb. 16 and May 16. Ikenberry says he, university chancellors and other senior administrators will take 10 furlough days between February and June.

Employees who make $30,000 or less are among the exceptions to the furlough plan. The program will impact more than 11,000 employees and is expected to save $17 million.