More Faculty and Tech Projects in New Budget
Ten new faculty positions and an increase in financial aid are some of the items approved for funding in the University of San Francisco’s operating budget for next year. It is the first budget to pass through the university’s new “transparent” planning process, with each stage of its proposals open to university-wide review on the budget office Web site.
Approved by the USF Board of Trustees March 28, the budget will fund three new full-time faculty in the visual and performing arts department; three in expository writing; and one in exercise and sport science, environmental science, communications, and the new architecture program. Support for USFConnect and other Web resources, a new staff position in the undergraduate dual degree program, the Summer Bridge college preparatory program, and funding for the Reaching New Heights athletic campaign are other items to get increased support. The budget also allocates approximately $3 million more for student financial aid than last year.
“We had to make judgments about what we could afford to do,” said Robert Niehoff, S.J., vice president of planning and budget. “But this budget addresses long-term issues, like new faculty lines.”
At a time when larger private schools are cutting back their budgets, in some cases freezing faculty pay or cutting staff positions, USF has made modest increases. The money comes from increases in traditional undergraduate enrollment over the last two years, Fr. Niehoff said. Enrollment is expected to go up again this fall.
None of the building projects—such as the renovation of the Lone Mountain ballroom or Gill Theatre—proposed in the campus master plan (read the story) were funded in this budget. Most of those plans will fall under the 2004-05 budget.
Meanwhile, the new budget marks the first time USF made use of its new “transparent” budget process as recommended by the Planning and Action Task Force in 2001. Starting last fall, budget proposals were available on the budget and planning Web site for study and comment by the university community. The university’s leadership team (made up of the deans, provost, vice presidents, general counsel, and chief information officer) prioritized and discussed the plans, then the president’s cabinet (the leadership team minus the deans) decided which proposals to include for recommendation by USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J. before a vote by the Board of Trustees.
“This is the dawn of a new way to do business at the university,” said Budget Director Annette Brown, who created the format for the budget Web site. Brown said she plans to add comments pages linked to each plan this spring to encourage more community involvement.
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