Can the University of Montana Save the Liberal Arts and Balance the budget? - Keila Szpaller, Missoulian

Last week, President Engstrom announced major cuts at UM, citing a "structural budget situation." The reductions are intended to address a decline of some 2,400 students since 2011, and come on top of cutbacks announced earlier this year. UM will eliminate 201 positions in its 2017 budget, including 52 faculty jobs. University officials refused to provide financial figures tied to the "budget situation." In his announcement, Engstrom ticked off the reasons enrollment has slipped on campus, highlighting as he has in the past the economic downturn and the popularity of engineering. Liberal arts programs are struggling nationally, and UM officials are quick to point that out. http://missoulian.com/news/local/can-university-of-montana-save-the-liberal-arts-and-boost/article_5ce47365-dd47-509f-ab3a-b61f7650957c.html