We are looking forward to joining you in the upcoming forums on the review of the Corvallis budget model.  The goal of these conversations is to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement of the Shared Responsibility Budget Model (SRBM) and associated processes.  The SRBM process was developed with the following goals:
 
  • Link budget clearly to the programs and results delivered by academic units;
  • Be transparent and consultative;
  • Recognize academic success also requires strong service, support, and facilities services;
  • Encourage financial decision making at the local level to align decisions with OSU’s strategic goals;
  • Be equitable and predictable, to allow unit leadership to plan for the future;
  • Keep the university and all of its components financially healthy.
 
The university remains committed to the principles in the SRBM that include an emphasis on recognizing academic productivity, varying costs of program delivery by discipline, and the need to plan and build enrollment from the college level. The review process has the following foci:
 
  • The review is not intended to revisit the basic Responsibility Center Management (RCM) strategy in budgeting.
  • The review will identify principles in the current model that are working, that are missing, that are creating unintended behaviors, or that are not necessary.
  • The review will look for technical improvements in data, communication, and simplicity to improve the utility of the model for planning and forecasting.
  • The review process will engage a cross-section of the university community and will continue to emphasize that all of the education and general budget is interconnected. Changes in any piece have consequences somewhere else. The groups involved in the process will be asked to identify areas for reduced funding when there are recommendations for increased funding in another area.
 
Your insights, along with the experiences shared from similar discussions with a broad range of university stakeholders will be synthesized to identify recommendations for modifications to the SRBM and SRBM processes.  Background materials are available through the “Budget Model Overview” and "Budget Model Detail" links below.  As you think about the experiences and insights you wish to share, we will ask for specific examples to enable the University Mission Committee the context needed to synthesize input across units.  We will use the following questions to guide the conversation.
 
  1. What questions do you have about the “nuts and bolts” of the university’s Shared Responsibility Budge Model (SRBM) and associated processes? 
 
  1. Do you see or understand how the SRBM is used within your college?
 
  1. Are there goals has your unit/program identified in support of SP 4.0 and/or the university’s mission, including the university’s commitment to becoming an antiracist institution, where the SRBM has incentivized progress? Are there areas where the model has incentivized investments or behaviors that are contrary to these goals? 
 
  1. How have the SRBM and associated processes helped you introduce or expand programs in line with your unit’s and/or SP 4.0 goals and/or the university’s mission?
 
  1. Do you think CHANGES in funding prioritization or resource commitments over the last three years are helping or hurting your unit’s ability to deliver on the unit/university’s mission overall?  Why or why not?  (These could be impacts on your unit or on support units that your unit relies on like the Research Office or Human Resources).
 
If you are unable to participate in any of the forums, you can provide comment, feedback, and questions at:  https://fa.oregonstate.edu/budget-and-resource-planning/webform/budget-model-review-questions-comments or feel free to complete the anonymous Shared Responsibility Budget Model survey below.
 
Thanks in advance for helping us complete this important review in support of continuous improvement.
 
Regards,
Toni and Sherm
Last Updated: 
05/25/2021