What would an effective long-range financial plan and planning system do to both: best support your work in your department or division, and support the college’s strategic directions? What would it look like if we “hit it out of the park” with our long-range financial plan?
Resource: Planning Framework draft content:
We need to be sure to clearly articulate how the long-range financial plan intersects with other plans and planning efforts at the college.
Resource planning should support creative thinking and innovation.
Financial planning principles, priorities and criteria need to be clear, support transparent decision-making for both investments and reductions, and integrate with program review and annual department planning.
Consider rethinking the one-time funding process as it isn’t strategic, choices and decisions aren’t clear or transparent, and there isn’t any accountability or measurement. Think more holistically and long-term about resource allocation — connected to program review and department planning.
Yes, please reconsider. We are spending an inordinate amount of time requesting faculty positions and other funds that have no chance of getting funded; it is a political exercise.
Clear, accessible and meaningful data and data elements.
Connect resource allocation to long-term program and department plans so there is some predictability and continuity.
The Plan will inform us about what we can let go of and what we should focus on.
It is difficult to plan where there is a scarcity and hoarding mentality that has been years in the making. We need to create a safe environment where people are motivated to innovate and effectively use staff and other resources.
We need trust. By not hording we open the doors for new opportunities to do something different, latitude for new things to emerge, the opportunity to make things better.
Departments are islands/silos who compete for resources. How do we accomplish more connection especially with similar services on campus so we can work together instead of duplicating? More collaboration, more sharing, more flexibility, more efficiency.
The Plan will inform us about what we can let go of and what we should focus on.
If we do this well, we will have improved student enrollment, retention and success.
We will be more agile in deploying and adjusting resources (staffing and otherwise).
Resource allocation will be connected to strategic plans both at the department level and the institutional level.
Build the “how to connect with other programs and plans” into the process.
Incrementally increase annual maintenance budget from $3.1 to $8.4M. Allow for a review and update of the long-range financial plan in light of revised deferred maintenance list that will be prepared this summer.
APPA recommends spending 2% of building stock replacement cost annually on maintenance. This would equate to $8.4 million at Lane. We currently spend $3.1 million, and our deferred maintenance lists are growing.
The plan would allow for enough revenue to keep current with technology.
We shouldn’t have to worry about job layoffs every few years.
We need to create a more stable environment for planning and improvement and get out of a cycle of reactionary, short-term thinking.
1. Provide predicable outcomes for various scenarios in both +/- and neutral revenue years.
2. Align with values, mission, goals that support an optimal learning environment.
3. Ensure plans and goals drive budgetary decisions.
4. Reduce crisis scenarios and thinking.
5. Support the needs of remaining employees when cuts occur; plan ahead for meeting needs, reducing burnout and supporting morale.
6. Recurrent evaluation of decisions made.