Committee on Budget Advisement Annual Report for 2018-19
Date: July 31, 2019
To: Academic Senate
From: Philip Pecorino, Chairperson, Committee on Budget Advisement
Subject: Committee on Budget Advisement, Annual Report 2018-2019
Committee Members: Philip Pecorino (FEC), Jannette Urciuoli (ST COM), David Lieberman (Chairs),
President's Designee: Senior Vice President and COO, Sherri Newcomb
Invited Guest: Vice President William Faulkner (Chief Officer for Finance and Administration)
- Committee met on 10-25-18 and 5-15-19
- The College's chief officer for Finance and Administration: Vice President William Faulkner agreed that his office would regularly send the Committee:
- the Quarterly Reports on the College Financial Plan
- the Student Tech Fee Plan and expenditures
- Faculty Travel Resources and distribution over the last three years
- The Committee conducted a review of FY2019 College Financial Plan in the report from College's chief officer for Finance and Administration: Vice President William Faulkner
- The Committee conducted a review of City University Budget Office Mid-Year Report
- There was a discussion of the new BOT requirement that the College send a request for specific use of the surplus funds to the College AEC.
- There was an examination of an analysis of the costs of Faculty Fellowship Leaves
- The Committee conducted a Discussion of the need for long term thinking and planning and contingencies for drops in enrollment. Such long term planning is a recommendation of the Middles States Commission on Higher Education report on the College.
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SVP Newcomb presented an update regarding the fiscal year 2019-20 (FY 20) budget. QCC has experienced a gradual decline in enrollment over the past few years, followed by a more precipitous decline in enrollment in the spring of 2019. A decline in enrollment impacts our revenues in two primary ways: lower tuition and fee revenue, and a reduction in state budgetary support, which is allocated on a per full-time equivalent student (FTES) basis. In addition, during this period of enrollment decline, QCC increased full-time faculty hiring significantly, adding 48 new full-time faculty positions since FY 16. The traditional allocation formula for CUNY community colleges would have prescribed a reduction in the number of faculty positions, commensurate with the decline in enrollment. QCC has also been notified of a planned City budget reduction, and must also plan to fund a portion of the faculty instructional workload reduction that is considered to be at the discretion of the College.
As a result of these factors, QCC has been planning for a budget reduction of up to 10% for FY 20 (excluding specially-funded programs such as ASAP). Central budgets for OTPS will be reduced significantly, numerous vacant positions will not be filled, and each division has been asked to create plans and impact statements regarding various possible FY 20 budget scenarios. These budget plans are being prepared now, positioning QCC for further consultation and to finalize the FY 20 budget once the official QCC budget has been determined by the University later in the summer.
The Committee was presented with the plan to meet the challenge and close the gap.
- Members were asked to review UFS-CUNY Best Practices for Budget Consultations
- UFS Resolution on NY State Budget for SUNY and CUNY was presented for information only
- Agenda items for the future meetings of the Committee
- Faculty Travel Resources and distribution over the last three years
- College Request for the Surplus Funds of the AEC
- Future meetings of the Committee were set so that the Committee could be consulted on the college budget and satisfy the CNUNY requirements for consultation with elected faculty and student leaders.
Future meetings of the Committee in Oakland Loggia set as
- Wednesday, August 28, 2019 from 4 to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 30, 2019 from 9 to 10 a.m.
- Wednesday, February 20, 2020 from 4 to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 13, 2020 from 4 to 5 p.m.
QCC ACADEMIC SENATE BYLAWS
QCC Academic Senate Committee on Budget Advisement
one (1) representative from the Steering Committee of the Academic Senate; one (1) representative from the Budget Committee of the College Personnel and Budget Committee/Committee of Chairs; one (1) representative from the Faculty Executive Committee; one (1) representative from Student Government
The Committee on Budget Advisement shall:
- Meet, on at least a bi-annual basis, with the College's chief officer for Finance and Administration to discuss college budgetary matters;
- Serve in an advisory capacity to the President on matters of the College budget in its entirety including the Resource Allocation Process;
- Hold any college budget documents circulated in meetings as confidential;
- Report to the College Advisory Planning Committee (CAPC) and the Academic Senate concerning budgetary conditions, and any recommendations regarding the budget and/or the budget allocation process at Queensborough Community College