Thursday, Reid said UM must remain flexible and open to new ideas year after year, regardless of whether it has a surplus of money or is tight on funds. He said vice president of enrollment and student affairs Tom Crady wasn't on board last year, and he's bringing up new ideas for enrollment and recruitment that UM will put into play.

"He's assessing the situation. He wasn't here last year to direct that conversation," Reid said.

An estimated $1 million of the $1.8 million in new initiatives is in enrollment and recruitment, although it isn't all in Crady's budget, Reid said.

"Some departments are going to probably have reductions as we shift those resources," he said.

At a news conference this fall to discuss enrollment, Crady said the president had given him carte blanche to make campus decisions to boost enrollment. At the time, he estimated new initiatives could push up enrollment 3 percent by fall 2017.

At a Budget Committee meeting Thursday afternoon, Crady also said the programs he's putting into place are "the absolute bare minimum."

"In no way, shape or form is this what I would consider to be luxurious stuff. This is basic communications activity," Crady said.