KU debuts retirement buyout plan to soften blow of budget cuts - Lara Korte, Kansan

Earlier this month, the University announced it would offer lump-sum payments to tenured and tenured-track faculty willing to retire over the next two years. Although the program, called the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP), is designed to mitigate the effects of the $20 million budget cuts announced over the summer, some faculty leadership are skeptical of how effective it will be. Interim Provost Carl Lejuez said in light of the recent cuts, departments have had to reduce their hiring budgets. By offering one-time lump sums to tenured professors 62 years of age and older, the University can hire less-expensive, potentially younger staff, creating more room in the budget to fill additional positions. http://www.kansan.com/news/ku-debuts-retirement-buyout-plan-to-soften-blow-of-budget/article_3b14907e-a1ca-11e8-af91-874de3c42b6d.html