Annual planning allows each department to establish specific objectives and actionable tasks that outline how the department plans work to support the goals of the strategic plan and illustrate how the staff and faculty play a role in achieving the goals.

Division and Operational Plans

Saint Paul College engages in systematic divisional and operational planning. Divisional and operational plans align with the College’s strategic plan, Creating a Stronger Future, 2025. Each division or operational area has identified key activities to complete and outcomes to measure to assist Saint Paul College in meeting its goals.

Integrated Planning and Budgeting

Planning at Saint Paul College occurs in an integrated manner across academic and non-academic units and takes into account long-range and yearly needs. On an annual basis, all academic programs, academic support units, student services, and administrative units participate in an integrated planning and budget process which is designed to gather and collect input from all levels of the college.

Integration is evident through:

• Processes—The planning processes integrates the strategic plan, operational plans, and annual work plans with program review, assessment of student learning, and institutional and external data.
• Finances--The budgeting process is aligned with our planning process and develops budget priorities based on the strategic plan priorities, operational plan priorities, and annual work plans.
• Structures--The integration process occurs across academic and non-academic units.
• People- Input, feedback, and collaborative decision making is woven throughout the entire planning and budgeting cycle with multiple opportunities for participation.

Strategic Planning Online (SPOL)

Saint Paul College uses an integrated planning process supported by a comprehensive software system, known as Strategic Planning Online (SPOL). SPOL is an electronic planning system that allows for the full integration and alignment of the strategic plan, annual planning priorities, assessment and program review data, budget requests as well as priorities of the Minnesota State system. SPOL tracks the implementation and progress of improvements to education programs, services, and operations in an ongoing and continuous improvement cycle.

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.

FY21 Budget

• FY21 Budget
  
• Additional information relating to the colleges budget can be found here
• Planning + Budget Portal

Planning and Budget Principles

The College will make planning, budgeting, and decisions based on a commitment to the College’s budget planning principles:

• Principle 1: The annual budget is informed by the annual priorities established by the College. For the budget process to be strategic, decisions related to resource allocation must be grounded in the annual planning process and support the identified college priorities.
• Principle 2: Budget development utilizes and prioritizes decision made from a data-informed process. The budget must be balanced. The planning of the annual budget must be done in a way that anticipated expenditures do not exceed anticipated revenue. Annual evaluation of spending patterns including a critical review of past spending decisions and the impact on strategic priorities is considered.
• Principle 3: All final budget decisions are based on a fair and equitable evaluation of both cost and strategic prioritization. Once budgets are approved, departments are expected to operate within the annual budget, unless unforeseen circumstances arise (e.g., state appropriations reductions, enrollment changes, unfunded mandates etc.) occur during the year. If costs arise that were unplanned and/or unexpected, departments are expected to evaluate how the costs could be absorbed with current, available resources prior to requesting additional funds.
• Principle 4: Maintain transparent, timely, factual, and honest communication throughout the college community. The College will provide timely information and updates about the budget and planning process including Shared Governance Committees, college-wide town hall discussions and department/division feedback.
• Principle 5: Focus on long-term strategic outcomes. Budget and planning requires a multi-year perspective on attaining strategic objectives, priorities and goals.
• Principle 6: Minimize the impact cost to students whenever possible. The budget is planned to limit the additional costs to students that may occur as a result of new initiatives and services/programs. Use of one-time funds to off-set these expenses are made whenever possible.

Budget Resources

Please see the following budget resources for more information:

• Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Finance Division
• Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Budget

If you have questions or comments about the Saint Paul College Budget process, please send an email to Scott Wilson.