Academic Affairs at Boise State University currently operates on an incremental budget model that utilizes a tuition revenue allocation model for the colleges called Bronco Budget 2.0. This budget model was implemented five years ago. At the time of launch, the intent was that Bronco Budget 2.0 would be evaluated after five years. The purpose of the review is to refine the budget model to ensure it is functioning optimally.
The university is in the pre-planning phase of a university-wide initiative that not only evaluates Bronco Budget 2.0 and the academic approach to budgeting, but seeks alignment between the strategic plan and the budget for the entire university with an “all funds, all areas” approach. This approach is often called Responsibility Center Management (RCM) budgeting. We expect to develop a modified RCM budget model for the entire campus that is tailored to meet our institution’s unique needs. Though we are still in the very early stages of this process, the intent is to have the new budget model running in parallel (not fully implemented) with the current budget model in fall 2024 (FY25), with full implementation in fall of 2025 (FY26).
This initiative will be led by the Provost and Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer, and sponsored by executive leadership. The project will be facilitated by members of the Provost’s Office and the Office of Budget and Planning in partnership with advisory councils and working groups with broad campus representation.
As we undertake this work, we anticipate assembling and leveraging the experience of three separate advisory councils: academic, administrative, and auxiliary. Additional ad hoc working groups under those councils may be formed as needed. Each council, which will be lead by co-chairs, will support and inform the creation of a RCM operational and governance structure designed to meet the following goals:
- Advance the university’s mission through greater alignment of financial resource allocation decisions and the Blueprint for Success
- Ensure that program quality and long-term sustainability are considered alongside short-term financial gains
- Promote local decision making, accountability, and financial sustainability; improve the campus community’s institutional fiscal literacy
- Develop a process to pilot innovative and entrepreneurial activities with a process for measuring success and sunsetting those that are not are financially viable or do not meet a critical institutional need
- Achieve greater transparency and accountability across the university for fiscal decision making
- Create a system that allows for predictable financial modeling based on enrollment trends
- Support high-quality, mission-critical programs that may not be financially self-supporting while also incentivizing greater efficiencies
- Establish and fund core (base) university services to minimize the administrative burden of chargebacks
We will continue to update campus as this process evolves. Thank you for your support of this very important initiative.
John Buckwalter, VP Academic Affairs and Provost
Alicia Estey, VP Finance and Operations, Chief Financial and Operating Officer