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The Arizona Board of Regents approved nearly $142 million in previously announced state budget cuts to the three public universities during a special meeting on Thursday.

Legislators had mandated that all three universities reduce their budgets as part of an effort to overcome a $1.6 billion deficit, giving regents the power to split the cuts among the three institutions.

After reviewing the cuts during a subcommittee session earlier in the day, the full board apportioned the cuts relative to how much state funding each university receives.

The result, as expected, was that the University of Arizona reduced its costs by $56 million, Arizona State University took a $63 million hit and Northern Arizona University cut $21 million. The remaining cut — less than $2 million — was covered by the board's central office.

The UA's total includes:

• $20 million from a 5 percent budget reduction to all departments across campus.

• $15 million in excess tuition and merit aid awards that the UA collected but never spent.

• $12 million in one-time cash operating reserves.

• $6 million in contingency funds that came from a hiring freeze and other measures.

• $3 million in savings after renegotiating a contract with a gas utility.

The cuts come on top of a $20 million reduction the UA took last summer.

Some of the practical effects of the belt-tightenings have been felt already, as close to 600 jobs have been lost either to attrition or layoffs.

On top of that, the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium plans to shut down at the end of the semester and the Arizona State Museum and UA Museum of Art plan to open fewer days each week.

The UA also has turned off all campus water fountains and won't be replanting grass and flowers to save more money.

UA President Robert Shelton said before the Thursday board meeting that the university achieved the cuts by reducing costs early in the academic year and planning conservatively in anticipation of further cuts.

With regard to tuition, the UA budgeted for a low enrollment. When enrollment soared, the UA held back on spending the extra tuition money or offering any additional merit aid.

No student's offer of merit aid was rescinded, Shelton said, as the UA honored previous commitments but didn't expand any programs. "We were prepared for some kind of hit, although we didn't foresee a cut of this magnitude," he said.