Finance and Budgeting Plan
The Finance and Budgeting Key Operational Plan provides an overview of the major considerations and working assumptions associated with the University’s fiscal environment. This plan is consistent with the fifth-stated strategic direction in the University’s Governing Ideas, which provides: “The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will promote accessible, representative and altruistic leadership, responsive shared governance and flexible resource stewardship. We will be broad, open and inclusive in governance processes and will align our human, physical and financial resources to meet our established priorities.”
Accomplishments
The biennial budget bill, 2007 Wisconsin Act 20, included funding for the UW System’s Growth Agenda for the State of Wisconsin. The dollars provided in FY 2009 will fund initiatives to increase access, improve success, meet state and/or regional needs for programs in certain areas, and strengthen the State’s technology base. The funding and FTE UW Oshkosh receives will support enrollment in high-demand programs, including teacher education and nursing. The FTE received will provide 15.83 tenure track positions.
Over the past five years, UW Oshkosh has diversified its revenue stream by investing in the development of cost recovery academic programs. This has generated a central campus initiative fund of approximately $3.2 million.
Recent grants and contracts include a $500,000 grant from the Small Business Administration through Congressman Tom Petri and Senator Herb Kohl to create the Center for Innovation; $190,000 for the Living Healthy Community Clinic, serving uninsured citizens of Winnebago County; and $350,000 proposed in the federal budget by Senator Kohl for the Caregiver Training on Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Program, enabling UW Oshkosh to develop a Web-based version of its elder-abuse prevention training program.
A July 2008 lean manufacturing event was well attended. Participants, especially those on the Value Stream Mapping team, worked diligently to capture and evaluate all the procedural steps in the University’s Procurement Card process.
Major Issues
In his Oct.16, 2008, memo to the UW Oshkosh community, Chancellor Richard Wells stated, “…the global economic downturn is negatively impacting state budget planning.
“On Nov. 20, the state will complete a fiscal analysis on current economic conditions and revenue. This projection will inform policymakers on the scope of the problem for the 2009-2011 biennial budget as well as the potential necessity to make adjustments in the second year of the current 2008-2009 annual budget.
“Governor Doyle has asked all state agencies — including the UW System — to resubmit 2009-2011 biennial budget requests (by Nov. 17) reflecting a 10 percent reduction in spending.
“We will use and apply our established and proven principles to make thoughtful, orderly and strategic decisions on how to deal with any requirements or contingencies that may arise.”
Key guidelines in addressing the economic downturn include:
- Providing strong and effective public advocacy to reduce the negative impact on students and to strengthen financial aid;
- Maintaining open, transparent and understandable decisions relating to financial issues;
- Setting clear objectives and priorities that provide direction in budgeting; and
- Supporting the processes of shared governance and working with all key internal constituencies while also providing opportunities for campus input for all major decisions.
Priorities
Advantage Wisconsin Growth Agenda goals remain our highest priorities, including more and better-prepared graduates securing more higher-paying jobs in stronger communities. Our key policy principles — (a) keeping the University affordable, (b) keeping our doors open for all, (c) ensuring our global competitiveness and (d) holding ourselves accountable — will guide our decision-making.
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