12.01 / Budget Planning and Allocation Process

Policy

1. Committees

   Budget planning at Wichita State University embraces an inclusive and collaborative development process that takes place through several committees, which include the University Budget Advisory Committee, the President's Budget Advisory Team, and the Student Government Association's Student Fee Committee.

   1. The University Budget Advisory Committee

      The University Budget Advisory Committee is the forum for campus-wide input to the budget planning process and is composed of representatives from the Faculty Senate, Unclassified Professional Senate, University Support Staff Senate, Student Government Association, Provost for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Finance and Administration, the University Budget Director as Chair and the General Counsel as legal advisor. The committee's primary role is to provide guidance and feedback regarding operating budget planning, enhancements, tuition proposals, and student fees to ensure transparency and engagement with different interests across the campus.

   2. The President's Budget Advisory Team

      The President's Budget Advisory Team, selected by the President, is responsible for assisting the President in formulating the final budget based on the goals included within the University's strategic plan. Ultimately, all final budget development decisions rest with the President.

   3. The Student Government Association's Student Fee Committee

      The Student Government Association's Student Fee Committee is responsible for recommending budget allocations and corresponding student fee rates under the authority of the association and in accordance with the statutes governing the activities of the association. Authority rests with the President to change the recommendations prior to submission to the Board of regents as part of the annual tuition proposal.

2. The budget planning and allocation process

   The budget planning and allocation process begins approximately 12 months in advance of the fiscal year for which funding is requested. Within this time frame, multiple budget documents are prepared.

   1. Annual Operating Budget

      Allocation of resources made available to Wichita State University by legislative, gubernatorial and Board of Regents' actions is accomplished through preparation of the Annual Operating Budget. The budget includes expenditures by program, source of funds and budgeted staffing and salaries by position for each program. Using guidelines developed through budget and strategic planning discussions with the University Budget Advisory Committee and the President's Budget Advisory Team, base budget targets are distributed to each division. Then at the departmental level, recommended budget requests are submitted by budget officers into the University's online Budget System. The review process progresses up through budget review officers to the President who approves the final budget, which is printed and distributed in July to the Board of Regents and the University campus. The Annual Operating Budget also includes the development of student fee budgets, in accordance with the statutes of the Student Government Association.

   2. Board of Regents Annual Tuition Proposal

      Tuition and fee rates are approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in early May based on the University's tuition proposal for the upcoming budget year. As part of the submission process, the division of Academic Affairs and Budget Office prepare the University's annual Comprehensive Fee Schedule, which is used as the basis for the proposal.

   3. Board of Regents and State of Kansas Biennial Budget Request

      The biennial budget submission follows the guidelines established by both the Board of Regents and the Kansas Division of the Budget for the subsequent two fiscal years. Prior to submission of the University's biennial budget to the State of Kansas, the Board of Regents conducts an in-depth review of appropriation requests during an annual budget workshop in July to formulate the Board's unified state appropriation request to the Governor and Legislature.

      Following the budget workshop, a biennial budget request document, based on the recommendations of the Kansas Board of Regents, is prepared for submission to the Kansas Division of the Budget, Governor and Legislature. This budget is due on September 15. It is first reviewed by personnel in the State Division of Budget. Recommendations of the Division of Budget are forwarded to the Governor and shared with the Regents universities. The Governor presents his proposed budget to the Legislature in early January. The initial appropriation bill that begins the Legislative process contains the Governor's budget. The appropriation bill is reviewed and debated by the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Appeals for restoration of funds approved by the Kansas Board of Regents but deleted by the Governor are possible at this stage of the process. The final appropriations action by the full Legislature that is later signed by the Governor establishes the spending authority for the University.