University of Illinois schools' furloughs expected to save $17 million

Faculty, coaches and academic staff at the school's Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and Springfield campuses will be required to take four days off by May. Some 100 top administrators, including many making more than $200,000, will have to take 10 days off by June. The move will save $17 million, officials said.

Workers who earn less than $30,000 won't participate.

Although the school won't prohibit professors from taking off on a day when a class is scheduled, president Stanley Ikenberry said at a news conference Tuesday that "we don't expect that [the furloughs] will affect classes.'' University spokesman Tom Hardy said other faculty or graduate assistants -- who aren't required to take the furloughs -- could teach the impacted course.

U. of I. officials say they were forced to take "drastic'' action because the state hasn't -- or can't -- pay its bills. The university has only received 7 percent of its state appropriation for fiscal year 2010, which began in July. The school is still owed $436 million.