The development of the annual General Operating budget is a campus community process at Western Montana College (WMC) through the Budget Development Committee (BDC). The Chancellor and the administrative officers (Administrative Council) are responsible to ensure that representatives of the campus community participate in the process using WMC s Strategic Plan and are also responsible to balance institutional needs and constituent requests with the funds available. The final proposal is approved and implemented by the Chancellor in accordance with the goals of the College.

Before finalizing the FY 2001 budget, the new Chancellor would like a thorough review of the base budget to see if adjustments need to be made to better meet campus priorities and his new directives while still funding required mandates.

The Administrative Council consists of the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Director of College Relations, and Director of Fiscal Affairs. The Council sets broad budget parameters based upon the College s Strategic Plan, projected tuition revenue, and campus priorities. The members of the Council are responsible for compiling funding requests for campus priorities from each of their Deans, Directors, and Chairs. The Council compiles a preliminary budget for discussion with the Budget Development Committee.

The BDC consists of a representative from each of the Administrative Council member s divisions, a representative from the student association (ASWMC), the faculty association, the staff association, and the contract professional association and is chaired by the Director of Fiscal Affairs. The composition of the BDC may change under the direction of the new Chancellor with input of the Faculty Senate. The BDC reviews the preliminary draft budget and funding requests compiled by the Administrative Council using information provided by the Enrollment Management Committee and the Director of Fiscal Affairs on enrollment, FTE, expenditures, funding sources, and projected revenues. The BDC provides budget recommendations based on this information and their discussions back to the Administrative Council.

An ad hoc Enrollment Management Committee (EMC) also meets to review enrollment matters and to help provide FTE projections that are given to the Director of Fiscal Affairs. This committee will be made a permanent standing committee this year with expanded responsibilities in providing information to the BDC and to the Director of Fiscal Affairs.

Although the "first draft" of the FY2001 budget was compiled in conjunction with the finalization for the FY2000 budget, the dynamic nature of the budgeting process requires continual review of both the FY2000 budget and FY2001 budget plan. Following is the FY2001 meeting plan.

• Review and update "first draft" of FY01 budget as Administrative Council develops criteria for division review, bases adjustments, and campus priorities.
• Divisions meet to start determining budget requests and cuts for presentation to their Administrative Officer based on Chancellor s criteria.
• Appropriate groups meet to review autumn FTE and revenues for FY00 and to discuss issues involving a fiscal impact for FY01.

• Administrative Council provides preliminary budget and division priorities to BDC
• BDC begins defining input on campus priorities for FY01

• Appropriate groups meet to review spring FTE and revenues for FY00 and to identify issues and concerns for FY00 and FY01
• EMC and Director of Fiscal Affairs provide draft FTE and revenue projections for FY01 to BDC and Administrative Council
• BDC provides input to Administrative Council based on its research and discussions

• Administrative Council develops the budget for FY01 based on current institutional initiatives and information provided by the various committees.

• BDC meets to review the budget presented by Administrative Council
• BDC provides comments and suggestions to Administrative Council on the budget
• Administrative Council meets to review BDC comments and to adjust the budget as necessary.

• Administrative Council and BDC meet to finalize the FY01 budget
• Director of Fiscal Affairs coordinates the implementation of the FY01 budget.

The following list contains the identified budget obligations for FY01. This is from the first draft budget and these cost estimates must be verified during the dynamic budget process. This list does not include campus priorities eliminated in the FY2000 process or the priorities and directions for FY2001 being developed by the Chancellor.

To be determined through review of base budget based on directive of the Chancellor.