Spectrum - Volume 18 Issue 08 October 12, 1995 - Governance structure minutes

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Governance structure minutes

Spectrum Volume 18 Issue 08 - October 12, 1995

University Advisory Council on Strategic Budgeting and Planning

May 3, 1995

Minnis Ridenour, executive vice president, presided. The first agenda item was the 1996-98 Biennial Budget Development.

Three handouts were distributed, titled, "Major Components of Biennial Budget Development," "Biennial Budget Initiatives Included in 1994-96 Governor's Budget," and "Potential Biennial Budget Issues." Dwight Shelton, university budget director, discussed the contents and the intent of the three documents, and suggested that this group would need to meet around mid-June, if not before, to review the initiatives selected to move forward. He discussed the variances, roles, documents and schedule priorities involved in finalizing the biennial budget submission. Ridenour commented that it is important for this group to play an integral role in identifying the major initiatives and the Virginia Tech position for acquiring funding as we move toward the year 2000. He discussed the current political climate and the priority areas identified by the current administration. Council members discussed Virginia Tech's well-established engineering program vs. new initiatives at other colleges and universities throughout the state, and the current emphasis on undergraduate education.

Peggy Meszaros, senior vice president and provost, suggested that talking papers for initiatives be prepared and presented during the next scheduled meeting, May 10. She added that two themes have emerged in today's discussions: technology and economic development, and suggested that proposed initiatives respond to these identified themes. The need for graduate education and the research component was discussed. Meszaros asked for suggestions for conveying the merit of a graduate education and research emphasis.

Meszaros noted a need to establish an approach for moving forward with the process of Selective and Differential Resource Allocation, and introduced a proposal for a two day retreat during August, September, or October. She suggested that a planning committee be selected to meet and set an agenda for the retreat. Wayland Winstead was charged with assisting the committee in setting clear objectives and processes for meeting the objectives. Other volunteers for the committee are: Rosemary Blieszner, Sam Hicks, Tim Pratt, Larry Shumsky, and Dick Zody.

A tentative summer schedule was presented for consideration. It was decided that the council members and the vice presidents and vice provosts should join the regularly scheduled deans meetings on May 10 and May 24 to accommodate joint review of the biennial budget initiatives. The possibility of additional meetings was discussed, and it was resolved that notification of called meetings would be effected by e-mail as usual. The timing and location of the May 10 and May 24 meetings will be confirmed by e-mail as well.

In other business, Sam Hicks, associate professor of accounting, distributed a "think piece" on budgeting and strategic planning for the future.