Eastern president David Glassman sent an email to all university employees announcing his decision to no longer explore the possibility of implementing retirement incentives this fall.

Glassman said he indicated the university was looking into retirement incentives as an agreement between the administration and the University Professionals of Illinois.

He said saving on university costs and narrowing the gap between anticipated revenues and predictable costs for the 2016 fiscal year would have been the purpose for the incentives.

“It was my intent that if any retirement incentive program be implemented, all employee groups would be treated similarly in a commitment to fairness,” Glassman said.

The final decision came after a realization of the risk that incentives might actually increase university spending.

“I have decided not to offer a retirement incentive this year,” Glassman said. “I believe that my decision is in the best interest of the university.”