Western Michigan University launched an early retirement and tenure buyout program aimed at easing budget pressure as enrollment and operating losses continue to weigh on the regional public institution. Tenured faculty aged 60 and over can apply in September, with the program contingent on unit participation sufficient to save at least $5 million. The buyouts would pay 50% to 100% of salary for fiscal 2027, with departures scheduled for the end of 2026. The announcement comes as WMU’s fall enrollment fell 22% between 2019 and 2024 and its fiscal 2025 operating loss widened by more than 26%, according to university data. The plan highlights how colleges increasingly use workforce-offramps rather than across-the-board cuts to manage deficits while trying to preserve academic unit capacity.