Photos: Protest Draws Price Lab Families, UNI Faculty, Lawmakers

A light rain drizzled over a crowd of about 100 community members who gathered in front of the Maucker Union before marching across the campus today in protest against funding and program cuts at UNI.

One of the proposed program closures is , and many of the marchers were Price Lab parents, teachers and students.

The march was quiet, without the chanting and singing that marked held days after the school's planned closing was announced.

Two Cedar Falls Democrats, Rep. Bob Kressig and Sen. Jeff Danielson, addressed the crowd.

"The University of Northern Iowa is about education. Our state is about education," Danielson said.

He encouraged the protestors to advocate for increased funding for higher education at the Iowa Legislature in the coming weeks.

On March 21, a panel of the Iowa House of Representatives approved a $3 million decrease in funding for UNI, a matter that must still be voted on by the full House.

In contrast, the Iowa Senate recently approved a $11.2 million increase in funds for UNI. The two bodies will have to reach a compromise, and Danielson said those present at Thursday's march could help influence that process by writing letters, calling lawmakers and showing up in Des Moines.

Kressig criticized the to higher education.

"This is an important institution. This is a community institution," he said. "We have to stop the cuts."