(Radio Iowa) — Several people spoke out against the closing the University of Iowa Labor Center Thursday, during the public comments portion of the Board of Regents meeting Iowa City. U-I president Bruce Harreld acknowledge those concerns in his monthly report to the board. Harreld says the continued cutting of state funds has forced the school to review how they use their resources and he says tuition cannot be used to subsidize some activities.

)”We’re very cognizant in light of the state’s generation disinvestment that the actions we are taking…will create uncertainty in our community and across the state. And frankly I am as devastated as you are, my team is, and the group that was just with us,” Harreld says. He says they will continue working to implement their strategic plan and focus their resources on three areas.”One, student success. Two the research agenda for this institution, and finally, economic development for out state and region,” Harreld says.

University of Northern Iowa president, Mark Nook, opened his report to the board by talking about the death of an employee on campus Monday. Sixty-one year-old Kevin Bley died from injuries while working on a steam line. “The impact of Kevin’s death has been felt across our campus and across our community,” Nook told the board.

Bley had work at the Cedar Falls school for 10 years. “When most people think of colleges and universities — they see professors and students and perhaps advisors and deans — but there are so many people behind the scenes that make it possible for the universities of this state to provide the high quality of education our students deserve. Kevin was one of those people,” according to Nook.

The board held a moment of silence to remember Bley. The school has hired an outside engineering firm to review their procedures following Bley’s death.