final version of the self-study document - Keuka College's Middle ...

Although the SPBC has been temporarily suspended while the new Long Range Strategic
Planning Steering Committee is developing the new strategic plan, upon resumption of its
charge, its activities will be once again woven into the budgeting process, as briefly
described here. In October of each year, the budget process for the following fiscal year
begins with review of the Benchmarks document. As described in Chapter 2, with the
input of department heads, members of the President’s Cabinet submit their incremental
expenditure requests, including compensation, non-compensation/operating expenses,
and capital needs, as “parking lot” requests to the Budget Director (Appendix 4.10
Interview with KC Budget Director Kirk Meritt). During the spring semester, the
Cabinet meets with the Strategic Planning and Budgeting Committee to review and
discuss the prioritization of items in the “parking lot.” Appendix 4.11 SPBC Prioritization
Chart 2-11 Parking Lot Requests provides an example of the process whereby the
committee members provide a ranking of new/existing initiatives from most to least
critical, based on the data provided from the Cabinet and other units across the College.
As necessary, different units from across the College are invited to provide additional
information on budget needs, as aligned to the Strategic Plan. To ensure meaningful
faculty representation, membership on the SPBC includes two elected at-large faculty
representatives, a faculty Chair, and a member of the Faculty Liaison Committee (FLC).
As the FLC meets regularly with the President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs,
and the Vice President for Finance and Administration for budget discussions, they have
input into the decision-making process at two levels. Consequently, the faculty has
opportunity to represent faculty goals and the instructional needs of the College and to
participate in as well as to inform the decision-making process.
Although existing organizational structures and processes provide for participation in
institutional resource allocation decisions, the installation of President Jorge Díaz-Herrera
has occasioned a thorough review of the College’s planning and budgeting processes. In
particular, he has identified the following needs:
Involving staff and students in the planning and budgeting processes more fully
Moving the tuition-setting process to the fall semester with Board approval at the
October meeting, enabling the Enrollment Management staff to be more
successful in their recruiting and the Financial Aid staff to be more timely in their
aid packaging
Establishing a clearer timeframe for review of new program proposals to allow for
improved analysis of projected enrollment revenues and program expenses
Prioritizing capital projects and deferred maintenance projects by the Cabinet
according to a rubric aligned with institutional goals
Using the Composite Financial Index (CFI) to benchmark the College’s overall
financial health and provide a framework for resource allocation decisions aligned
with the strategic plan
During his first eighteen months in office, President Díaz-Herrera took steps to meet
some of these needs. He has created a Staff Advisory Council (SAC) which was invited,
Page 5 of 31 Chapter 4: Inst. Effectiveness & Assessment