Passed by the Faculty Senate May 10, 2007
FACULTY SENATE RESOLUTION ON THE UNIVERSITY BUDGET POLICY
The Faculty Senate adopts the following Resolution in response to the current budget situation at the University.
Whereas the many years of on-going budget reductions and the non-participatory process used to determine the
reductions have resulted in low faculty morale, and
Whereas the implementation of a University Budget Policy will contribute to a more transparent budget
process, which has been endorsed by the President, but has not been implemented at the college and unit
levels,
(1) Be it resolved that the administration immediately put into place effective safeguards to stabilize the
University’s fiscal position, such that the seemingly unending cycle of annual and mid-year budget
reductions will come to an end.
(2) Be it resolved that the administration implement fiscal and academic planning processes that are
transparent, inclusive and consistent with the Academic Priorities Report just issued. Fiscal and
academic planning that includes faculty input at all levels is a fairer and more effective means to
accomplish the University’s mission and achieve its academic priorities.
(3) Be it resolved that the Administration employ an external and independent budget analyst/auditor,
who shall:
a) establish impartial estimates of revenues and spending and
b) recommend systems to ensure that actual spending is consistent with the proposed spending.
(4) Be it resolved that the Administration implement a University Budget Policy, which would guide
administrators making budget decisions and would make University budget information available to
all faculty and librarians.
a) The budget policy shall require statements from each of the Provosts explaining the
changes in their budgets, when they occur and statements from each of the Deans explaining
changes in their budgets, when they occur. All budget statements shall be available to the
faculty and librarians on a secure website in a timely manner.
b) Each Dean shall be required to create a plan for implementing and maintaining a transparent
and inclusive budget process and a follow-up report showing how his or her actions followed or
deviated from the plan. All budget plans and follow-up reports shall be available to the faculty
and librarians on a secure website in a timely manner.
c) The Administration shall assign someone in Administration and Finance to be in charge
of implementing and monitoring the budget policy and soliciting feedback from the faculty
about whether Administrators are providing statements, plans and reports in a timely
manner.
d) Budget information relating to the administration and the auxiliary units shall be subject
to the same budget policy as the academic budgets, with information available on the same
website.