Budget Plan - MSU Great Falls

Strategic planning drives the budget development process at Montana State University Great Falls College of Technology, with the responsibility for identifying, quantifying, evaluating, and prioritizing budget requests achieved through the interaction of three organizational entities: the Strategic Planning Coordinating Committee (SPCC), the Budget Committee (BC), and the Leadership Team (LT).

The SPCC identifies areas of action that correspond with Montana University System Biennial Budget Priorities; the Mission, Vision Goals of the Montana University System; Montana State University Strategic Plan; as well as Montana State University Great Falls College of Technology Strategic Plan. The Budget Committee interacts with the SPCC and, if necessary, various departments and/or strategic planning committee and evaluates the need for each action for the purposes of preparing a preliminary budget to present to the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team studies the projections and evaluations of the BC, prioritizes the requests, and forwards the prioritized list for the final budget to the Dean and the Assistant Dean for Business and Finance.

The Strategic Planning Coordinating Committee is chaired by the College s Director of Public Relations and includes representatives from various departments. The SPCC monitors the progress of the various College committees taking actions to achieve goals identified in the College s strategic plan. By coordinating these efforts, the College ensures that priorities representing the institution s mission and goals are systematically identified and centrally reported.

The Budget Committee, with members from departments throughout the College, represents a broad cross-section of all College constituencies. Budget Committee members have multiple responsibilities with respect to the budget. (1) As spokespersons for their respective departments, it is their responsibility to explain department needs, present alternatives, document fiscal impacts, and advocate for budget levels adequate to perform their assigned duties. (2) The BC calls for the centrally compiled report developed by SPCC to ensure that budgetary decisions are representative of a cross-section of the institution as well as the College s strategic plan. (3) All BC members are assigned to analyze and make recommendations on certain program areas (e.g., restricted, designated, auxiliary funds). This additional responsibility not only provides external, more objective review for the budget requests from each department but also develops an institution-wide understanding of and approach to the budget development process. Drawing from the compiled information, the BC prepares a preliminary budget and presents it to the LT.

The Leadership Team, consisting of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Registrar, Director of Public Relations, Director of Foundation, Director of Outreach, the Executive Assistant to the Dean, as well as the Dean and Assistant Dean for Business and Finance, studies the preliminary budget prepared by the BC and makes priority recommendations to the Dean. The Dean and the Assistant Dean for Business and Finance prepare the final budget allocations.

These are the current estimated cost increase for the next fiscal year. These will be reviewed and refined in the future.