| 1) |
Goal: Improve and increase training opportunities
for University users of budget information. |
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Objective: Improve unit business managers
understanding and execution of department operating
budgets. |
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Tactic: |
Revise all training presentations to include
Developing a University-Wide Budget, Budgeting of “A”
Funds and Overview of “E” Funds. Schedule presentations
through HR Professional Development for spring 2006.
STATUS: Completed. Budget
Office conducted “E” fund training for the University on
January 10. “A” fund training was conducted on 1/24 and
again on 1/26. The Budget Office updated the
University-Wide Presentation and presented as a brown
bag lunch. This presentation describes the external
budget process and will be revised in FY07 for
presentation to the deans and administrative council.
The Budget Office developed a new session – Using
Budget/Accounting Tools intended to assist users of
financial information with finding timely accurate
sources. This session was held three times in spring
2006. |
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Tactic: |
Develop training module for unit
business managers similar to Sponsored Awards Management
GRANT program.
STATUS: In process – will be an
on-going project in FY07. |
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Tactic: |
Initiate regular meetings of academic
business managers to review and discuss budget
development and execution.
STATUS: Complete. The Budget
Office met with each academic unit in October to review
the development of the FY06 budget and to review the
calculation of the tax. The Budget Office conducted a
monthly “brown bag lunch” for the business contacts to
provide information and hear unit concerns. These have
been well attended and will be continued in FY07. |
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Tactic: |
Revisit and compile USC Budget Manual.
STATUS: In process. An outline
is ready and pieces will be assigned to staff for
compilation. The state budget process, the BOT quarterly
reports, and the CHE Academic Fee Calculation are the
first pieces that will be ready. This project will be
on-going into FY2007. |
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| 2) |
Goal: Train new Budget Office staff to effectively
develop and execute USC budget procedures and disseminate
information to other parties as needed. |
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Objective: Provide opportunities for developing
knowledge of USC budget practices as well as outside
professional development. |
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Tactic: |
Provide computer training on Crystal
Reports software for all staff.
STATUS: Complete. All Budget
Office staff (and others from Business and Finance)
attended Crystal reporting I and II at Midlands Tech in
fall 2005. |
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Tactic: |
Send at least one staff member to
College Business Management Institute.
STATUS: One Budget Office staff
member attended CBMI in August 2005. Due to the timing
of various state reports and completion of FY07
development, the Budget Office did not send any staff to
the 2006 CBMI. |
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Tactic: |
Provide staff time for Element K
computer training for relevant software through
University Technology Services.
STATUS: Wendy Simpkins has
completed Impromptu training on the Cognos suite of
tools. However, for the remainder of the staff, there
has been no progress to date. Budget Office staffing and
commitments have precluded this so far this year. This
goal was not met as intended in FY06, and may not be a
priority in FY07. |
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Tactic: |
All staff attends state budget
development training and CHE training as available.
STATUS: Staff attended the OSB
line-item development in September. CHE has not offered
additional workshops to date. The Office of State Budget
conducted a session on the Baldrige Accountability
report that was attended. |
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Tactic: |
Attend SACUBO, NACUBO or other professional
development training/meetings as time and funding allows.
STATUS: No progress to date.
Additional training opportunities will be explored in
FY07 utilizing the carryforward in the Budget Office
account. |
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| 3) |
Goal: Provide University community with timely and
accurate budget information. |
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Objective: Assist CFO and Provost’s Office with
revision/update of budget allocation methodology. |
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Tactic: |
Prepare scenarios/models for recommended
budget allocation changes.
STATUS: On-going. To date the
Budget Office developed preliminary flat tax estimates
and other information as requested. No major changes
have developed yet. The utilities shortage in FY06 was
covered through application of the tax to the academic
units. |
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Tactic: |
Revise mid-year budget reporting form
and methodology.
Implement for fall 2005 (October) and spring 2006 (March).
STATUS: Completed. The fall
review form was updated and sent to all units. A
thorough analysis by the Budget Office staff was
included for each unit. Information provided back to the
Budget Office was reviewed and transfers were completed.
All fall and spring reviews were rolled up for CFO,
Provost and VPRHS review. In the spring all other funds
were reviewed as well. |
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Tactic: |
Develop and prepare variance analysis by
unit of FY2005 budget to actual. Revise quarterly. Limit
number and type
of budget transfers.
STATUS: Completed. Variance
analysis by unit and campus for FY2005 was completed and
sent to each unit. Budget transfers have been limited
and are less for FY2006 based on a July 1, 2006 memo
requesting that units use the budget as a plan rather
than constantly re-align budget to actual expenditures
each month. |
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Tactic: |
Revise five-year tuition model for
FY2005 actual and FY2006 budget.
STATUS: Basic information is
ready with FY2005 and FY2006 data, but assumptions for
utilities have put this project on hold. Utilities were
only projected to increase 3-5% under the old model.
Additional information will be required to fully update
the model. The other variable is the status of the
OneCarolina project. As the current timeline is behind,
a decision must be made how much impact that project
will have on tuition in the next two-three years. With
these two pieces of information, the model will be
available to project a minimum tuition increase for
FY2008-FY2010 |
