Core Component 2D:
All levels of planning align
with the organization’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to
fulfill that mission.
The university aligns its financial planning with its mission. This
is evident in how it develops and completes capital projects, and how it
allocates resources to meet the goals of the strategic plan, goals based
on the university and MnSCU mission. Our ability to develop new master’s
programs and the applied doctorate in response to community needs has been
possible because we have been able to allocate funds for this purpose,
even in those fields where faculty with the necessary expertise must be
hired to develop the program proposal and courses before students can be
recruited for the programs. Library resources and (for some programs)
labs or equipment must be provided for. The university has anticipated
these costs and set aside funding necessary for start-up. We have
been able to focus on student success, the expansion of the Honors Program
(both related to the academic excellence and service community themes),
and the need to provide a technology-rich environment.
Biennial Budget
A budget represents a plan for how resources will be used to further the university’s mission. At St. Cloud State University, the budget planning process involves working with the campus and the system to develop a biennial budget request of the state legislature. In developing the initial budget proposal, discussion includes changes to academic offerings or programs or methods of doing work on campus. (As noted earlier, the university is working to improve the process by which the budget is developed and how information about the budget is shared campus-wide.)
After broad discussion, a picture develops of some expected expenditures. On the revenue side, state appropriation, tuition, grants and contracts, and fundraising are taken into consideration. Then, in consultation with MnSCU, a request is made of the legislature for funding. Following legislative action on appropriation, tuition is set and confirmed or revised by the MnSCU Board of Trustees.The financial planning system has worked but has made accurate planning difficult due to timing issues. Decisions on faculty searches, for example, must be made in the fall, yet the budget is not set until after legislative and board action the following spring or summer. In recent years this has been delayed until July or August, after the fiscal year has already begun. What is more, the contracts for the various employee bargaining units often are not settled until the second year of the biennium for which they are binding. This creates uncertainty in the process and results in budgets that often vary from early estimates. We are also working with MnSCU to develop a budget projection module to assist with planning. With these processes in place, the vagaries of the political and collective bargaining environment can be better managed.
Responses to the External Environment
St. Cloud State University is guided by its mission as it responds to external circumstances, such as the decision by the University of Minnesota to close its General College. The resultant decrease in opportunity for less-prepared but otherwise qualified students may increase demand for enrollment at the state universities, including St. Cloud State University. As a result, we have considered establishing our own University College. In another development, when it appeared that we might not be able to send our Medical Technology students to the University of Minnesota for their clinical laboratory experience, we developed a partnership with North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) to use the labs developed for their Clinical Lab Technician Program. This cooperative effort led to additional planning for a joint curriculum to encourage NHCC students to transfer into the Medical Technology Bachelor of Science Program at St. Cloud State University.
St. Cloud State University planning for off-site educational programs usually involves including another MnSCU institution, business, or other agency as a host or partner. Thus, we offer some undergraduate and graduate programs at Anoka Ramsey Community College’s main campus in Coon Rapids and at its satellite campus in Cambridge. St. Cloud State University is currently planning with St. Cloud Technical College (SCTC) to offer a joint associate arts degree, to enable SCTC students to pursue such a degree and, when eligible, to transfer to St. Cloud State University to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Evaluation of Core Component 2D
Planning aligns with the university’s mission at all levels. The
biennial budget is developed through conversations with numerous stakeholders
and in conjunction with MnSCU’s Office of the Chancellor. Some
timing challenges are evident, but the university is working on improving
the campus process and working with MnSCU on a budget projection module. Academic
program development is responsive to regional needs, and the university
strives to be nimble in its program development efforts. The Foundation
has approved a plan for a future campaign to follow the one conducted from
1996-2001, which raised $21 million. Preparation for the next campaign
is 
underway, with the ultimate goal of helping improve students’ education
and experience at St. Cloud State University and furthering progress toward
the university’s goals and mission.
Strengths: St. Cloud State University has been successful in aligning financial planning with our mission.
We have been responsive to the external community and in introducing academic programs to meet regional needs.
Initiative in Progress: The university is engaged in developing a new process for budgeting and sharing budget information.
Future Challenges: Budget planning remains a challenge as we must develop our before we know what our allocation from the state will be, and before bargaining unit contracts are settled.
