Path to Achieving HSU's Budgetary Goals

November 3, 2017

Dear HSU Colleagues,

President Rossbacher has charged the University Resources and Planning Committee (URPC) and Vice Presidents to strengthen the University’s finances by developing multi-year balanced budgets, adopting a more sustainable budget model, and building both operating and capital reserves. The importance of these three goals has been echoed in the latest WSCUC (accreditation) report to the University. Furthermore, the President has asked the URPC to ensure there is University-wide engagement in developing and vetting the actions required to achieve these goals.

A two-phase process is being employed to achieve these budgetary goals. In Phase 1, the University successfully reduced spending by $1.5 million during the 2017-18 year and was able to add nearly $500,000 to the capital reserve, increasing the capital reserve level to $1 million.

To meet budgetary goals, the University is currently seeking reductions, efficiencies, and innovation opportunities totaling $2.8 million during the second phase of a multi-year effort to balance our budget and more effectively steward our resources. The President’s Cabinet recently shared ideas with the URPC, based on suggestions from the University community, for possible Phase 2 budget reductions. The memo outlining the ideas from the President’s Cabinet is posted at the University Budget Office website, and it can be downloaded here (pdf)

As we described during the October 5 URPC Budget Open Forum, these initial Phase 2 ideas will serve as a starting point for discussions to be held across campus, beginning with a URPC meeting on Tuesday, November 7.  Additional campus meetings are listed here. We encourage you to participate in one or more of these forum opportunities or to submit feedback via the Budget website feedback form. The upcoming budget discussions will vary in size and approach. Some will involve individuals with in-depth understanding about specific proposed reductions. Others will involve groups of people who have related campus positions, and others will be broader in scope, with the goal of encouraging broad interaction among people with different roles on campus.

More information about the University’s budget, including the Phase 1 and Phase 2 budget reductions, are available from the University Budget Office here.  An interactive resource about the University’s budget is available here.   

We acknowledge that the path to achieving a sustainable budget is not easy, and often painful, but it is necessary for the long-term health of the University.  Our hope is to make this a sincere and effective process.

Thank you,

Mark Rizzardi
Professor of Mathematics
Co-Chair, URPC

Alex Enyedi
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Co-Chair, URPC

 

 

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