The Division of Academic Affairs encompasses nine colleges and schools, University Studies, International and English Language programs, and major academic and student support functions including Student Affairs, the Library, the Registrar, Advising and Career Services, the Office of Academic Innovation, the Learning Center, the Office of International Affairs, and others. These units constitute about two-thirds of the University’s General Fund budget. The division also includes large auxiliary units like University Housing and Residence Life and the Student Health and Counseling Center, as well as many support services funded from student fees.
The role of Academic Budget and Planning is to lead the process of making budget allocation decisions across the units that make up Academic Affairs, design resource strategies that provide the foundation for fiscal health at PSU, empower units to build their programs, provide strong managerial incentives, coordinate resources, and implement major institutional strategies.
We do this several ways including:
- Support the University’s financial sustainability efforts. Allocating resources within the division and implementing institutional financial strategies. See IPEB process and Principled Decision Making Framework
- Developing models to guide resource allocation. See Academic Budget Model
- Advising the Provost, Deans, and Vice Provosts on fiscal strategies
- Conducting strategic analysis and planning
Academic Affairs Request Process
Effective October 2024
In an effort to streamline processes and to support the development and implementation of the financial sustainability plan, Academic Affairs is making the following changes to the position review process for General Funds and Other E&G (i.e., online fee, course fees, F&A) funded positions.
It is recognized that there may need to be exceptions to this process due to multiple vacancies that may impact our ability to serve our students and services provided. Requests for exceptions should be discussed between the Deans/Dean equivalent, Vice Provosts, as applicable, and the Provost during their one-on-one check-ins. Positions that have active recruitments can continue.
Tenure-track and NTTF-CA positions
Effective April 2025
Decisions on recruitment of open tenure-track and NTTF-CA positions are to be discussed between the Dean and the Provost.
NTTF-Research Faculty Positions
Fixed-term research faculty positions that are 100% grant funded and meet immediate needs of ongoing or new externally funded research are approved to move forward for the current year.
NTTF-Instructional Fixed-Term Faculty Positions
Fixed-term instructional faculty positions that meet immediate instructional needs are approved to move forward for the current year.
Academic Professional, Classified and Un-Un Positions
Effective April 2025
Vice Provosts and Deans/Dean equivalent will continue to assess the needs of their areas. Refill of vacant positions will be discussed with the Vice Provosts or Dean/Dean equivalent and the Provost during their one-on-one check-ins.
For Chair/Equivalent, Associate Dean, or Assistant Dean positions, renewals or current employees that are being newly appointed into current positions should follow the search waiver guidelines and OAA process for appointment. Requests for new positions in order to recruit into should be discussed with the Provost in their 1:1s and with the Vice Provost for Faculty Success.
Tools available for the discussion with the Provost:
- Organizational Chart for each unit
- FY25 Personnel Budget for each unit
- Current vacancy lists
PeopleAdmin Review Process
PeopleAdmin workflow requires all major and minor modifications to receive Vice President (VP) Approval to ensure there are sufficient resources to support the hiring request. This approval has been delegated to the Vice Provost for Academic Budget and Planning and the Associate Vice Provost and Special Advisor to the Provost. Specifics on the review process is as follows:
- The Academic Affairs Hiring Form is no longer required.
- Review for General and Other E&G funded Areas (i.e. online fee, course fees, F&A): Following the conversation between the relevant Vice Provost or Dean and the Provost, the Provost will confirm that the position can move forward.
- Review for Restricted funds, Foundation funds, State Targeted Funds, Designated Operations and Auxiliaries (i.e.,.e. Housing, SHAC, Helen Gordon, Student Fee Funded Areas) funded positions: It is assumed that the relevant Vice Provost or Dean has confirmed their support for the position. The relevant Vice Provost or Dean may have their own review requirements prior to the PeopleAdmin submission process.
- Comments should be added to either the initial request field or the fund builder section in PeopleAdmin in order to address any potential questions regarding funds available to support the request. If funding does not appear available for the position, questions will be sent to the initiator and the Senior Fiscal Officer.
Integrated Planning of Enrollment and Budget (IPEB)
The Integrated Planning of Enrollment and Budget (IPEB) is the annual process that is used by the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) to support strategic enrollment management, unit level strategic planning and resource allocation in a transparent and efficient manner. The IPEB process is reviewed and agreed between the Faculty Senate Budget Committee, Provost and the Office of Academic Budget and Planning. This process requires input and collaborations from the following groups:
- College, School and Academic Support unit leadership and fiscal officers
- Faculty Senate Budget Committee (FSBC)
- Enrollment Forecast Review Team (EFRT), which includes Enrollment Management, Graduate School, Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP), Budget Office, and Student Success
- Academic Leadership Team
- University Budget Office
The IPEB Process requires the following materials to be prepared by the College, School and Academic Support units (if applicable). The Principled Decision Making Framework and the Faculty Senate Budget Committee (FSBC) Budget Principles are useful references to support decisions and preparation of the materials.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|
| Strategic Enrollment Plan (SEP) | Based on initial OIRP projections of department-level enrollment, enrollment-generating units develop unit-level plans/projections. These are informed by both unit-level and institutional enrollment trends. This information is shared with OIRP for consideration in OIRP’s institutional projection model. The enrollment plans are updated throughout the process, based on updated enrollment forecasts, which are the basis of the University’s tuition revenue forecast. |
| Strategic Planning Narrative (SPN) | To gain an understanding of how investments, reductions and cross-functional collaborations may impact enrollment and retention for the coming academic year. Discuss strategic actions to support the unit and university goals. |
| Budget Calculator | To capture savings identified in the financial sustainability plans and calculate the anticipated funding needed to cover cost escalations |
| Remissions Request | Requests remissions based on enrollment trends, the SEP, and OIRP enrollment projections. |
| Start-up Funds Tracker | Provides details of start-up packages, estimates annual spend and advises how the start-up package has historically been funded. |
| Faculty Senate Budget Committee Questions | Provide answers to standard questions from the FSBC prior to the FSBC IPEB Meetings |
Principled Decision Making Framework
The Principled Decision Making Framework provides a framework and discussion guide that can be used consistently across academic and academic support units to support decision making with the goal of partnership, equity, accountability and awareness. Discussions should be opportunity based, and consider what we want/need to accomplish and how we use our resources to have a thriving school/college/department, rather than deficit based that focuses solely on budget. Utilization and engagement with this framework may take various forms with the below steps occurring across multiple time periods, consistent with PSU’s policies and collective bargaining agreements.
Academic Budget Model
Several years of operating under PSU’s Performance-Based Budgeting (PBB) model showed some of what worked well and what could work better with this model. Provost Jeffords and the Academic Leadership Team decided to launch a project to refine the model to guide budget allocation decisions within Academic Affairs so that it is both more responsive to the performance objectives that define PBB and that the definition of performance be expanded to encompass more dimensions of a unit’s contribution to PSU’s fiscal health. This would include contributions to student success, cooperation and collaboration, and the University’s research and service missions.
In academic year 19-20, a working group was convened to develop a model for resource allocation within Academic Affairs that would integrate multiple factors and balance responsiveness and stability in connecting funding to underlying activity. A final report was issued in June 2021 that details the result of this work. The budget model is used as a tool to inform budget scenarios during the IPEB process but does not determine final allocations.
Our goal in allocating resources is to create a sustainable academic enterprise that serves current and future students. The foundation for this is a strong faculty bolstered by effective support services, which requires balanced investments.
Once the units (e.g., the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) receive their allocation, they make the decisions on how to allocate those resources to departments (e.g., History) and to particular uses (e.g., faculty salaries, office supplies, etc.). Any budget funds not used by the end of the year are “carried over” and held in management reserves controlled by the college or major unit, encouraging each budget unit to take a multi-year approach to managing resources.
In addition to making the decision on allocations to the units, the Office of the Provost monitors the alignment between plans and actual activity during the year, coordinates initiatives between units, encourages consistent fiscal and managerial practices, and provides funding to advance institutional objectives.