Regents to decide UM president Tuesday, contract includes $11,400 salary increase

Montana’s Board of Regents will consider whether to hire interim leader of Boise State University Jeremiah Shinn as the next president at the University of Montana on Tuesday.

According to the agenda posted on Friday for the special meeting, if approved Shinn would receive an annual salary of more than $467,000 for a three-year contract including a university-owned residence, as well as a monthly car and phone allowance.

This would mark a nearly $11,400 increase from former UM President Bodnar’s salary posted by the regents in May 2025, with an annual deferred compensation of nearly $77,000.

The increased salary reflects the 2.5% raise for contracted university employees approved by the 2025 legislature through House Bill 13. Spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education Galen Hollenbaugh said had Bodnar stayed in the position he would have also received this raise.

Bodnar announced in January he would be stepping down as president of UM amid rumors he was planning to run for U.S. Senate. In March, Bodnar filed as an independent in the race.

Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian penned a letter Friday on behalf of the UM presidential search advisory work group to announce their unanimous endorsement of Shinn as the candidate for the regents to consider next week.

“Dr. Shinn’s on-campus visit earlier this week affirmed our belief that he was an exceptional candidate who had, throughout the search process, repeatedly risen to the top of what we considered to be an outstanding and diverse field of applicants,” Christian said.

More than 70 candidates applied and six were interviewed for the position, but Shinn was the sole announced finalist for the position.

Christian told reporters earlier this week the high number of university presidential searches going on in neighboring states was a factor in why they expedited a process which typically could go on eight months to a year, which he repeated in his letter.

“While bringing forward a single finalist during the campus visit stage of the search may feel different from more traditional approaches, it is consistent with the current national landscape for presidential searches and was an important factor in our ability to attract a superior and highly competitive pool of candidates,” Christian said. “We are grateful for the campus community’s understanding as we balanced these considerations.”

The process involved hiring AGB Search, which is affiliated with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.

The contract with AGB Search was $60,000, according to Hollenbaugh. The previous contract with AGB Search in 2017 for UM’s presidential search at that time was $72,500, Hollenbaugh said.

Christian said the partnership with the search firm “guaranteed adherence to the high standards and broad engagement expected of a national presidential search.”

“While the timeline was accelerated, thoroughness was uncompromised,” he said.

Shinn’s proposed start date would be July 1, 2026, according to the terms of the proposed contract.

The university housing offered to Shinn is “pursuant to Board of Regents policy with the expectation that a reasonable number of university-related events and university business shall be conducted there.”

Hollenbaugh said if Regents approved Shinn the President's House would be taken off the market for Shinn and his family to occupy.

Members of the working group included student, faculty and staff leadership, the deputy director of athletics and a former regent, now community member.

“I am confident that this presidential search has successfully balanced efficiency with excellence, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to collaborative leadership and continued momentum,” Christian said.