Budget Entries from FY 1999

Introduction

This is the third year for campus-wide participation in the budget process. Each year has resulted in increased advanced planning and participation in the generation of requests and proposals from across the campus for the Cabinet to consider at the beginning of its deliberations.

The allocations which have been made represent budget additions from projected new revenue. Final decisions by the General Assembly and Governor, as well as changes in enrollment, could necessitate changes in the proposal.

Not included in the allocations are additions for salary increases, since the collective bargaining agreement is still in the negotiation process. We would anticipate the settlement to be fully funded in the Governor’s salary bill. We also expect that the funding required for salary annualization of Regents merit employees step increases required in the AFSCME contract to be included in the salary bill.

Each division will be expected to target reallocations of at least two percent toward achievement of our strategic planning goals. These are to be reported to the Cabinet on March 31.

Projected Income

Principal sources of income are state appropriations and tuition. The Governor’s budget recommendations for UNI, exclusive of salary increases, provide an additional $1 million to our base budget. This compares to a request by the Regents for UNI of $3,295,817. Tuition income is projected to provide an additional $1,423,063. Of this, 19 percent ($270,000) is designated for student aid by current practice. The total new revenue projected is $2,515,063.

Proposed Expenditures

The Cabinet proposes to distribute the funds as follows in support of the strategic plan.

GOAL 1: INTELLECTUAL VITALITY: Create and maintain an intellectually demanding and stimulating environment for all members of the University community.

AMOUNT	PURPOSE	COMMENT
$300,000	Teacher Education for the 21st Century	Governor’s Budget (Regents request was $500,000).
$300,000	Master’s Degree in Social Work	Governor’s Budget. Fully funds Regents request.
$200,000	Performing Arts Center	Staffing and support to operationalize programming with the opening of the PAC January 1, 2000.
$150,000	Life Cycle Equipment Fund: Academic Affairs	Establishment of an equipment life cycle matching fund in the Office of the Provost. First year's allocation with an intent to expand next year. Faculty Senate priority.
$100,000	Improving Undergraduate Education	Governor’s Budget (Regents request was for $775,000). Supports increased faculty-student interactions and quality improvements in curriculum.
$100,000	Inflation on Library Materials	Governor’s Budget (Regents request was for $212,802).
$80,000	HPELS ($60,000), Athletics ($20,000)	Provides support for general education instruction in lieu of coaches having split assignments between Athletics and HPELS.

 

GOAL 2: COMMUNITY: Promote a sense of community within the University.

AMOUNT	PURPOSE	COMMENT
$270,000	Student Aid Set-Aside	This constitutes 19% of the projected increase in tuition income, consistent with our historic allocations. Of this amount, $31,090 is for graduate scholarships.
$90,000	Wellness Recreation Center	Staffing and support for WRC operations. Temporary allocations of $75,000 had been made the previous two years until the Center was fully operational and the amount needed was determined.
$35,000	Diversity Programming	One-time allocation, pending development of a campus plan.
$32,000	Employee Assistance Program	To fund an RFP for a service provider to provide assistance with workplace issues that affect performance and productivity and to provide employees with access to confidential assistance with problems in such areas as substance abuse, counseling needs, etc.
$1,200	P&S Council	To provide an operating budget for P&S Council work.

 

AMOUNT	PURPOSE	COMMENT
$145,000	Administrative Systems Software and Support	First installment of base budget for the purchase and operation of new software for human resources, payroll, general ledger, purchasing, accounts payable, and budget.
$140,000	Opening New Buildings: Performing Arts Center	Governor’s Budget; Regents recommendation. Funds utilities, custodial service, and related supplies for the PAC for the first half year, January-June, 2000.
$95,800	Inflation on Supplies and Services	One percent increase to be distributed strategically by each division.
$78,000	Information Technology Services	Improved internet connection speed, infrastructure, and network support (not personnel).
$60,000	Building Repair	Governor’s Budget (Regents request was $250,000). Enables progress on a performance indicator of the strategic plan.
$60,000	Technology Coordinator position for Educational and Student Services	Provides technology coordination and support across the division.
$50,000	Architectural Planner, Facilities Planning Office	To provide increased assistance to departments in planning for facility improvements.
$42,000	Life Cycle Equipment Fund: Administration and Finance	To provide for periodic replacement of large maintenance equipment, i.e. snow plows. First year's allocation with an intent to expand next year.
$25,000	Insurance	To meet cost increases.
$19,000	Board of Regents Support	To meet increased costs assessed to the institution.

 

AMOUNT	PURPOSE	COMMENT
$50,000	Institutional Promotion	Supports university-wide promotion to meet goals of the Constituency Relations Management Group Strategic Plan, especially in targeted cities.

 

The items funded represent priorities of the strategic plan, the performance indicators presented to the Board of Regents, and the highest priorities of divisions of the university, as well as some areas of unavoidable or nondiscretionary cost increases. The total dollars requested from all areas of the campus were several times greater than the total funds projected to be available.

The Cabinet sincerely appreciates the thoughtful deliberations by the campus community during the proposal process.

Consultation Process

As in the past, each Vice President and the Director of External Relations will provide a consultative process to seek employee and student comment on the budget proposal. Each division is asked to report back to the full cabinet by March 3. In that report, each VP/Director will be asked to identify proposed changes in the university allocation. Reallocations within each division for FY 2000 should be reported by March 31.

The web version of this document provides an e-mail response mechanism for those wishing to comment directly to the Cabinet.  Greater weight, however, will be given to those comments which flow from each division consultative process.

After consideration of all comments, the Cabinet will publish a "near-final" draft to the WEB-site on March 24. There will be a one-week period for email input to this version. The final draft, to be presented to the Board of Regents, will be published on the WEB on April 9.

FY 2001 Requests

FY2001 budget requests should also be developed during this consultative process and forwarded by March 3. Most "business as usual" needs will fall into the internal reallocation process. Requests to the Board of Regents should reflect the strategic plan, indicate measurable outcomes, and be capable of generating political support.