BUTTE – Montana Tech has modified its proposed budget that involves cuts to programs and faculty following a pair of public hearings.
“The campus listened to comments, questions, and concerns, and that yielded changes to the second version,” said Montana Tech Provost Doug Abbott.
The original recommendations released last month proposed about 13 cuts to faculty and 10 to staff at the university. The proposal was modified with a recent second draft.
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“Version two saw three faculty put back into the budget that were originally identified for reduction in version one,” said Abbott.
In the original draft, programs such as healthcare informatics and the technical writing departments were dissolved, but the new draft moves to partially save these departments.
“We may end up discontinuing the healthcare informatics degree but the skill set that students would receive from that degree have been moved with a faculty member to the businesses department,” said Abbott.
A third draft will be released later this week, but ultimately Montana Tech Don Blackketter has the authority to decide to enact these proposals. This issue has caused much anxiety on campus.
“It’s been a difficult process when you’re talking about people and their livelihoods and degrees. When this is all said and done, Montana Tech is going to be a stronger institution, better poised to move forward again as Montana’s only specialty-focused university,” Abbott said.
A board made up of Montana Tech faculty and staff will vote on whether to endorse the final plan or not on Friday.
