SS-S99-1 Endorsing Budget Priorities

At its meeting of February 1, 1999, the Academic Senate passed the following Policy Recommendation presented by Pamela Stacks for the Budget Advisory Committee.

Whereas,	The Budget Process Policy (F96-4) calls for the Senate Budget Advisory Committee to receive the President's general budget priorities, to consult with the President, and to propose a "Priorities Resolution" for consideration by the full Senate that will then guide the process by which budget priorities are implemented in the ensuing academic/fiscal year; and
Whereas,	The Budget Advisory Committee has received proposed budget priorities from the President, has consulted with the President and his officers, has engaged in constructive dialogue resulting in a reaffirmation of the general budget goals of AY 98-99 for AY 99-00, and further reviewed the budget process to start to include a budget outcomes assessment process; now, therefore, be it
Resolved,	That the attached document "San Jose State University's Budget Priorities Statement 1999-2000" be endorsed by the Academic Senate as the guidelines to be used by administrative units in applying for priority funding, and by the Budget Advisory Committee in evaluating the applications for priority funding, and by the President in making final decisions on priority funding (all under F96-4).

As San Jose State University prepares for the new millennium, it is critical that the budget process and the associated decisions support the strategic direction the University has set for the next five years. Our University’s commitments to academic excellence and student success must continue to be the cornerstones of our budget process.

To guide our consideration of the next budget, and our establishment of priorities, the themes identified in the 1997 President’s Report will be used to direct the allocation of new or reallocated funds. Proposals for new initiatives, and enhancements or realignment of current programs, will be evaluated relative to their contribution to the six goals stated in the 1997 President’s Report. This approach should create an effective means of applying our resources to current needs, as we continue to position the University for the future.

In addition, the budget principles and process identified in University Policy F96-4 will guide us this spring. We will be shaping our budget decisions in an institutional, system, and state climate that has certain ambiguous and unpredictable features to it; therefore, adherence to our budget principles should permit the necessary dialogue that will allow varying perspectives to be considered, while still insuring alignment of our budget decisions with the six themes stated in the 1997 President’s Report.

As the budget process unfolds this year we anticipate our campus budget decisions will be influenced by system and state priorities. As these priorities are identified and communicated to us we will include them in our discussion so that our work is inclusive and complete.

Finally, both the administration and the Senate have expressed an interest in begining to build into our budget process a budget outcomes assessment process. It is our plan over the next two budget cycles to develop such a process.