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KU, K-State Take Different Strategies For Cutting Budgets

Universities in Kansas have been taking steps to absorb state funding cuts. As Stephen Koranda reports, the University of Kansas and Kansas State University are adopting different approaches.

KU announced this week that there would be positions left unfilled and targeted budget cuts, including some significant reductions to certain programs. At K-State, the strategy is a little different: Spokesperson Jeff Morris says K-State officials gave all departments an equal cut of just under 4 percent.

“A lot of people have decided they were going to not hire people for a while, reduce positions possibly through attrition or delay some programs in some situations," Morris says. "We wanted to give them flexibility based on what was the size of the cut for us."

Gov. Sam Brownback trimmed higher education funding $30 million in May as a way to help balance the state budget.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.