Incoming Wyoming president outlines campus overhaul, trustees approve budget measures

University of Wyoming trustees approved a new budget plan in Laramie that will squeeze every college by 2%, keep vacant jobs open and draw from reserves to cover a projected $15 million shortfall for fiscal year 2027. At the same meeting, incoming president Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves laid out a reorganization of the presidential cabinet that could shift how campus decisions move through the university and how quickly problems reach the top.

The June 17 board session put two pressure points on the same table: money and management. Trustees also approved up to $500,000 for recruitment efforts, a sign that UW is trying to protect enrollment while managing a budget gap tied to declining enrollment, inflation and weaker investment earnings. University leaders said the school’s total annual revenue is nearly $700 million, making the current shortfall significant but still a fraction of the university’s overall operating picture.

Reeves’ proposed structure is built around more frequent and more direct reporting lines. He said he wants weekly meetings with the provost, executive vice president, athletic director, general counsel and foundation leadership, along with monthly meetings that bring deans and vice presidents together. The goal, according to board materials, is to reduce administrative bottlenecks, improve communication and create institutional efficiencies. The document described the plan as a start point that may change after further review.

One of the most notable shifts would move Student Affairs to report directly to the executive vice president, a change Reeves said reflects the importance of student life and campus culture. Alumni Affairs would also fall under the executive vice president’s oversight. That matters in Albany County because Student Affairs covers campus recreation, the dean of students office, student health, the University Counseling Center, Disability Support Services, the Native American Education, Research and Cultural Center, residence life, and student success and graduation. Any restructuring there could affect services students use every day, from housing to counseling to graduation support.

Trustee Tom Walters asked why budget and finance leadership was not more centrally included, underscoring the board’s focus on how the reorganization intersects with finances. Reeves and Executive Vice President Kraig Sheetz said the aim was not to sideline budget officers, but to make sure information moves faster and decisions are clearer.

Reeves, named UW’s 29th president on April 2, is a Sweetwater County native and West Point graduate who led more than 700 faculty and staff members at the U.S. Military Academy, with an annual budget of about $80 million. He is set to take office in July, and the board is expected to revisit the reorganization at its July 14-15 meeting in Evanston. For Laramie, the stakes are immediate: staffing, student services and spending at the state’s largest public university could all shift before fall enrollment settles in.