University Governance
Planning & Resources FY2007-2008 Final Report
Report of the Planning and Resources Committee for AY 2007-2008
Joseph A. Heppert, Committee Chair
21 April 2008
The following is a brief summary of the progress of the Planning and Resources Committee for AY2007-2008:
Standing charges:
1)Participate in the University’s planning and budgetary process by communicating with the Provost and his staff… This objective is being accomplished through the regular meetings of the P&R Committee where Vice Provost for Administration and Finance Eakin and University Director of OIRP Deb Teeter are in regular attendance. These individuals have provided substantial input on trends in enrollment, funding and other financial and strategic planning issues that will affect the future health of the university. We have also pursued this goal by inviting Vice Provost Don Steeples to share the history and current status of strategic infrastructure planning with the P&R. Reports of these interactions have been included in the minutes of the committee meeting.
The process of monitoring the Budget Compact meetings was particularly challenging this year. Due to unusually intense commitments on the part of the upper administration in March and the tendency of the state Legislature to push back the state budget process, Compact meetings were re-scheduled numerous times during the semester. This made it difficult to ensure that P&R representatives were at each of the Compact meetings. The Committee will do its best to pull together general impressions of University budget priorities and make these available to SenEx in late May.
2)Provide committee representation at hearings held by the Provost and his senior staff…We have just scheduled P&R representation at all budget compact meetings, which are scheduled to begin in early March. (See the proposed schedule for P&R representation in budget compact meetings in the minutes of the February 12 meeting.)
3)Maintain regular communication with OIRP about all matters related to matters of measurement and analysis of data… These discussions are ongoing with Deb Teeter. The information complied for the new Initiative 2015 provides a new and very useful resource of data about change at the university.
4) Monitor changes in tuition plans and the effects of allocation of resources across the University…The committee held extended discussions during the Fall 2007 semester with Lindy Eakin and Deb Teeter about the outcomes of past tuition enhancement plans and about proposed protocols for future tuition planning. (See the Minutes of the October 16, and November 6 and 27 meetings.) Deb Teeter directed the committee to university web sites that documents many of the outcomes of these plans:
http://www2.ku.edu/~oirp/Tuition/ReportTOC.shtml
http://www2.ku.edu/~oirp/Tuition/CompactTOC.shtml
Proposals for new or increased course fees are being handled through the Provost’s office. There does not appear to be a separate committee process involved in the approval of these plans since they have to be supported by the students who will pay the fees before they will be forwarded to the Regents. The proposal from the School of Architecture was approved and will be included in the tuition proposal to the Board of Regents due May 1, 2008. The proposal from the School of Social Work is not yet at the stage of development where it has been submitted to the Provost.
Apparently, meetings on tuition increases were an artifact of the five-year tuition enhancement plan, and these meetings ended when the plan was completed. A new tuition advisory committee was established this spring and faculty and student governance were consulted to recommend members. (Refer to minutes of the February 12 meeting.) Initial members of the Tuition Advisory Board include:
Joe Steinmetz
Stuart Bell
Richard Littrell
Joanne Bauer
Ryan Lawler
Prakash Shenoy
Deb Teeter (ex officio)
Lindy Eakin (ex officio)
Kasey Bowden
Cynthia Teel
Richard Lariviere, ChairThe P&R Committee found it interesting that, while P&R is charged with monitoring changes in tuition policy and while Governance was consulted on the selection of membership for the Tuition Advisory Board, no members of P&R sit as either formal or ex-officio members of the Board.
Specific charges:
1. Promote coordination among planning processes by facilitating communication among various components of the University community… The P&R Committee felt that its responsibility under this charge was encompassed in its approach to addressing standing charge #1.
2. Develop further the specific proposals of the FY07 Planning and Resources Committee in dialogue with the Provost and his senior staff and SenEx… Proposals for AY 2008-2009 are outlined below.
3. Monitor the progress of the Getty Foundation-sponsored initiative to support planning for the Lawrence campus physical environment. Facilities Planning and Management is assembling expertise and committees to address the objectives of the Getty Foundation initiative, which is primarily focused on maintaining the historical architectural and landscape integrity of the campus throughout renovation and modernization processes. One example of this process is the Wayfinding Task Force in which the P&R Chair was asked to participate. (Discussions of initiatives related to the Getty Foundation proposal are included in minutes of the October 16 and February 12 meetings.)
Recommendations for modifications to committee procedures, standing charges and specific charges for the AY 2008-2009 Planning and Resources Committee:
Modifications to P&R Committee Composition:
1. The individual recommended by Governance for membership on the University Task Force on Tuition should be a sitting member on the P&R Committee. Given the fact that standing charge #4 gives P&R responsibility for monitoring issues related to tuition, it seems logical to include the Governance representative to the Tuition Task Force on P&R. This would streamline communication about the activities of the Task Force.
Modifications to Standing Charges to P&R:
1.The following charge should be added to the standing charges for P&R: “Maintain regular communication with the Vice Provost for Scholarly Support and with senior staff from Facilities Planning and Management about immediate and long range planning for maintaining and improving the infrastructure of the University. These discussions should cover issues related to the teaching, research and outreach functions of the university, and to any other activities that affect the ability of the institution to accomplish these missions. Report important issues and any recommendations for action to SenEx. (ongoing)” We found that the information gained during the P&R meeting with Vice Provost Steeples and Jim Modig was very helpful in framing our understanding of current and future priorities for infrastructure planning. In future, P&R should maintain this dialog.
2.Standing charge #1 for P&R should be modified to read: “Participate in the University's planning and budgetary processes by communicating with the Provost and his senior staff on matters of capital strategic planning that affect allocation of resources and by receiving information about and providing comment on budgetary decisions in all sectors of the university. Monitor plans for future investment in institutional priorities (building infrastructure for research and instruction, IT resources, etc) and examine how current financial circumstances (health of the state economy, current university indebtedness, etc) influence the perceived timeline for this type of investment. Study issues related to distribution of funds from tuition enhancements and school-specific fees and charges. Report important issues and any recommendations for action to SenEx. (ongoing)” (Note: Modifications in this passage are highlighted.) P&R perceives that the institution is entering a new era of even more proactive long-range capital planning. The institution needs to maintain a close watch on how budgetary pressures within the university and economic forces within the state influence the ability of the university to address these priorities. P&R should also continue to monitor the use of “differential tuition” funds.
Modifications to Specific Charges to P&R
1.The following new charge should be added to the specific charges of P&R; “Monitor the priorities articulated in the University-wide planning process, Initiative 2015. Make suggestions about new programs that could be implemented in response to Initiative 2015 recommendations, and monitor programs that the institution supports as a result of Initiative 2015. Report important issues and any recommendations for action to SenEx.” Recommendations from Initiative 2015 are likely to result in a range of new activities and programs intended to address intermediate-range University priorities in research, learning and service to society. P&R should assist Governance in identifying initiatives to tackle these priorities. P&R should also play a role in analyzing how the balance of new activities and programs addresses broader needs and opportunities of the institution.
2.Eliminate all three specific charges for AY 2007-2008 in charges to next year’s P&R Committee. All of the specific charges given to P&R this year are assumed into one of the newly-modified standing charges or the new specific charge recommended for the P&R Committee in AY 2008-2009.