Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel has announced that he is one of a handful of university employees who will be taking a voluntary salary reduction for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The University of Michigan announced on Monday that members of president Mark S. Schlissel’s Executive Officers group have volunteered to see their pay reduced for the remainder of the year. Several universities across the nation are taking similar measures, as the current public health crisis has tightened budgets.

“As communicated Monday by President Mark Schlissel, I have voluntarily reduced my salary, along with other members of President Schilssel’s Executive Officers group, for the duration of the 2020 calendar year. I have not yet asked anyone else in our department to consider voluntary reductions of their salary,” Manuel wrote in a release. “Our head coaches have ALL been supportive of everything I have asked them to do as we deal with our current situation and an uncertain next 12-18 months.”

Other athletic departments have seen higher-paid athletics coaches voluntarily take salary reductions during this time, in an effort to assist their academic institutions during the uncertain time. Though it hasn’t happened in Ann Arbor yet, it could be a possibility in the coming weeks and months.

The university is looking at other potential budget models to offset losses.