Fr. Niehoff to Steer Planning and Budget
After overcoming a budget shortfall discovered two years ago, the university will continue to ensure budget stability with the appointment of Robert Niehoff, S.J. as vice president for planning and budget. Fr. Niehoff will continue his duties as associate provost, a position he has held for the last six years, in overseeing institutional research, faculty development, and the new Office of Sponsored Projects.
In his new position, Fr. Niehoff will be responsible for aligning spending with the university’s mission and strategic initiatives such as faculty retention, facilities support, and student support. Pragmatically, those goals translate into faculty compensation, technological upgrades, and expanding student financial aid, Fr. Niehoff said.
The new position comes after two years of belt tightening when some smaller programs and unfilled positions were cut to compensate for a projected $5 million shortfall. That shortfall, the result of incorrect revenue calculations, has been resolved. In fact, USF has operated with a revenue surplus for the last two years, said Charlie Cross, vice president of business and finance.
“We took corrective action to balance the budget by holding some positions open and identifying expenses that could be deferred,” Cross said.
Since university revenue depends on enrollment, no budget plan for 2003-2004 will be completed until the end of student registration in November, Fr. Niehoff said.
Meanwhile, the new vice president will oversee the university’s long-term planning by working with all the vice presidents and deans to prioritize development projects. Currently, the university’s various divisions independently prepare their own budgets and requests for project funding. Under the new vice president position, the university’s leadership team will coordinate all requests.
The new team-oriented approach to planning was adopted in order to include as many parts of the university as possible in long-term budget planning. Now, deans will get faculty input on program changes and budget considerations before meeting with the leadership team, Fr. Niehoff said. Eventually, approved development plans will be posted on a USF budget planning Web site.
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