University of Montana president requests information on buyouts for budget planning

University of Montana President Sheila Stearns said Friday she asked the Commissioner's Office of Higher Education whether UM may offer early buyouts to personnel.

"It wasn't a formal request at all," Stearns said. "I'm curious. At this point, that would probably be good information to have."

UM announced in fall 2015 it needed to make cuts later estimated at $12 million due to falling enrollment. Last month, Stearns took the helm, and in her midyear update last week, she said the university remains personnel-heavy, with employees comprising 81 percent of the budget.

Planning for the 2018 fiscal year is starting, and Stearns is asking her team to plan for another enrollment drop, saying it's a wise way to budget.

Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/local/university-of-montana-president-requests-information-on-buyouts-for-budget/article_ccab6613-2a10-5462-8de5-21d15c8b819b.html