Western Michigan University launched an early retirement and buyout program for some tenured faculty to reduce budget pressure, the university announced. Tenured faculty age 60 or over can apply starting in September if they have worked full time at WMU for at least a decade. WMU’s stated target is minimum savings of $5 million, and accepted applications would pay 50% to 100% of salary for fiscal 2027, with faculty departing at the end of 2026. Interim Provost Christopher Cheatham and Vice President for Finance Jan Van Der Kley framed the effort as proactive stewardship of the university’s workforce. The program follows steep enrollment and operating challenges. WMU’s fall enrollment fell 22% between 2019 and 2024, and the operating loss widened 26% in fiscal 2025, with state appropriations declining by about a quarter. For campus leadership and faculty governance, the buyouts create a concrete workforce planning lever—while also signaling how institutions are using structured exits to manage deficit pressures when tuition and state revenue underperform.