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RVCC 2019 NECHE Self-Study

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President by monitoring the budget, completing periodic fiscal-year forecasts, and ensuring<br />

that <strong>RVCC</strong> adheres to the financial policies laid out by the Board of Trustees.<br />

With the fluctuating staffing in the BAO position, at times there had been loss of oversight<br />

in the finances. As a result, the 2016 Fiscal Year saw a deficit of over ($405,637). When<br />

the College hired the current BAO in August of 2016, a true understanding of the finances<br />

was not even accessible. One of the first tasks of the BAO was to obtain accurate financial<br />

reports, to educate the college community on the financial situation, and create a<br />

transparent financial environment. As a result of these initiatives, the Business Office was<br />

able to convey to faculty and staff an overview of the spending habits of the College as<br />

well as find ways to decrease expenses. Communication with the college community about<br />

the budget began occurring on a regular basis during the 2016 All-College Staff Meeting.<br />

At each meeting, the BAO prepared a presentation to educate the college community<br />

about the state of the budget. The goal of the BAO during these presentations was to be<br />

transparent about the finances and always speak to the expenses that were particularly<br />

high for the month as well as ways to reduce those expenses. Some examples of<br />

reduction of daily expenses included items such as installing motion sensors on all college<br />

lighting, decreasing the use of color copies, evaluating the printing patterns of the College<br />

and renegotiating contracts related to the photocopiers, and reviewing policies surrounding<br />

making long distance phone calls from work phones. Analysis of these cost savings<br />

measures is ongoing. Other cost saving measures included the reduction of the vehicle<br />

fleet by one leased vehicle, saving the College $3400. As a result of these efforts, the<br />

<strong>RVCC</strong> community reduced the forecasted deficit as presented in February of 2017 from<br />

($533,702) to a deficit of ($265,000), and by FY18, <strong>RVCC</strong> was able turn the deficit into a<br />

surplus of $1,308,139. Currently, <strong>RVCC</strong> is forecasting a surplus for FY19 as well.<br />

Annually, the Business Affairs Officer provides all Department Chairs, Program<br />

Coordinators, and Department Heads with a description of current year expenses and asks<br />

them to develop a budget for the next fiscal year based on the amount they spent in the<br />

current fiscal year, plus any needed additions. In the past year, the BAO has encouraged<br />

a flat or 0% increase budgeting approach whenever possible to assist in balancing the<br />

budget, and to weather any enrollment variability.<br />

Once proposed budgets are collected, the BAO confers with the VPAA and President to<br />

analyze the budget as a whole and determine where adjustments need to be made. If<br />

changes to individual department budgets are needed, one on one conversations with<br />

department heads determine what can be done to accommodate the needs of <strong>RVCC</strong>. The<br />

BAO and the President work closely to ensure that budgets are appropriately distributed<br />

throughout programs, by basing any needed budget increases on enrollment, age of<br />

equipment, accreditation requirements, and explanations provided with budget requests.<br />

An example of the variability in programmatic budgets, and the process of ensuring that<br />

budgets are appropriately distributed can be seen by comparing the Criminal Justice<br />

program with the Medical Laboratory Program. An example of a flat or zero percentage<br />

increase budgeted program would be the Criminal Justice Program which consistently had<br />

a budget of $150 with no changes for years. In FY19, many of their classes switched to<br />

on-line or hybrid classes, minimizing the need for supplies, and solidifying the accuracy of<br />

a budget that is low in comparison to other programs in the College. On the other hand,<br />

the Medical Lab Technician program was estimating an increase in students, and is a<br />

program that is supply heavy and requires national accreditation dues. As a result, the<br />

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