As we reported earlier this week, the University of Montana must find another 9 million dollars to cut in the coming year - on top of the 6 million cut from this year's budget. President Royce Engstrom outlined the need for the cuts - and potential money-saving steps - in a campuswide letter this week.
Enrollment began dropping at UM in the wake of a student sexual assault scandal that led to a U.S. Justice department investigation - and eventual agreement to address it. That bad publicity - and changing demographics and competition for students - continue to impact how many students choose to attend UM, especially those from out of state.
In this feature interview, News Director Sally Mauk talks with UM's Vice President for Administration and Finance, Mike Reid, about how the drop in out-of-state students is affecting the budget - and how the university is responding.