The annual operating budget is an organizational plan stated in monetary terms. Saint Paul College prepares budgets, plans expenses and allocates funds consistent with Board policies and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system procedures.
The Saint Paul College Finance Department seeks to provide excellent customer service in support of the College’s mission through a budget process that links strategic and financial planning to insure the long-term financial health of the College.
Budget Planning for 2013 and Beyond
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and Saint Paul College have experienced multiple funding cuts over the past decade. Most recently, Saint Paul College experienced a 12% ($1.44 million) cut from FY2011 to FY2013 (
View Summary FY2013 Institutional Allocations PDF) to its base allocation from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the future, the College faces the potential of continued state funding declines while expenses continue to rise.
Budgeting Planning Principles
The College will make planning, budgeting, and assessment decisions based on a commitment to the College’s eleven budget planning principles:
Principle 1: Furthering the College’s mission, vision, strategic goals and values
Mission
The mission of Saint Paul College is to provide: Education for Employment... Education for Life!
Saint Paul College offers comprehensive learning opportunities in both career and transfer education to enhance personal knowledge and advance economic opportunity for the benefit of a diverse population of constituents which includes students, business/industry/labor and the community.
Vision
Saint Paul College will be a leader in providing comprehensive life-long learning by utilizing and providing innovative and quality-focused strategies and services.
Strategic Plan and Goals
Based on the 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan, Saint Paul College has the following strategic goals:
- Maximize comprehensive, high-quality learning, programs and services.
- Escalate organizational innovation and development.
- Expand access, service, opportunity and success.
- Strengthen organizational, community and international partnerships to enhance economic competitiveness.
- Sustain financial viability during changing economic and market conditions.
Statement of Values
Saint Paul College is committed to the following values. The College mission and goals are based on its values which are central to an effective learning organization.
|
Excellence
Teaching & Learning
Career & Transfer Education
Customer Service
Innovation
Accessibility
Technology |
Respect
Learner Centered
Cultural Diversity
Human Diversity
Collaboration |
Integrity
Climate Responsiveness
Accountability
Honesty
Decision-Making |
Principle 2: Maintaining Higher Learning Commission accreditation or other program specific national accreditations.
Principle 3: Ensuring a fair and equitable budget process for all areas of the college.
Principle 4: Treating all people with dignity and respect.
Principle 5: Working together to maintain transparent, timely, factual, and honest communication throughout the college community.
Principle 6: Focusing on the “big picture.”
Principle 7: Advocating for both quality and access of education, while understanding that services and programs may have to be scaled back or eliminated.
Principle 8: Prioritizing offerings according to student and community needs.
Principle 9: Minimizing the impact of cost increases to students whenever possible.
Principle 10: Using temporary or one-time dollars for recurring expenses only when a plan for replacing those dollars is in place.
Principle 11: Evaluating budget reductions after they have been implemented to make further adjustments and account for any unintended consequences.
Revenue Generation and Cost Savings Strategies Feedback
Thank you for your budget feedback, which can be reviewed at Budget Feedback.
Using the College’s budget principles, the Cabinet and management team reviewed the feedback from our college community from February 13, 2012 through March 22, 2012. The Cabinet and management team categorized the budget recommendations into either a revenue generation measure or into one of three cost saving measures. The cost saving measures were
- Essential to our core values, but need to improve their efficiencies and effectiveness.
- Essential to our core values, but different service model needed to reduce costs.
- Potential restructuring or targeted reductions.
The Cabinet also determined whether or not the budget recommendations could be completed in the:
- Short-term (2013)
- Future (2014 and Beyond)
The College is currently employing some of the recommendations proposed. The cabinet has elected not to pursue some budget recommendations because of cost, contractual agreements, conflicts with state statute, MnSCU policy, Saint Paul College policy or procedure, or the budget suggestion has been tried in the past, but operational costs outweighed the benefits.
The comments and feedback, along with how the feedback will be used and the timeframe it will be used, is posted at Budget Feedback.
Budget Resources
Please see the following budget resources for more information:
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Finance Division
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Budget
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Allocations
If you have questions or comments about the Saint Paul College Budget process, please send an email to Scott Mitchell and Shaan Hamilton.
© 2013 Saint Paul College