"Inventing the future at UCCS -- An Overview"

The Challenge

If state revenue and expenditure projections hold as currently projected, and no Constitutional fiscal reform is adopted by voters in the General Election this fall, UCCS’ share of the projected budget shortfall is expected to be approximately 6 million over the next two fiscal years.

The Outcome for Inventing the Future

Identify revenue enhancement strategies and possible expenditure reductions to meet any state support reduction while striving to support our vision and to meet the needs of our students, faculty and staff.

Background

The Colorado Springs campus of the University of Colorado faces an uncertain financial future due to conflicting constraints in the state’s Constitution. The campus leadership team has determined that a targeted and timely comprehensive planning effort is needed to ensure that the campus is positioned to not only “weather” this uncertain future, but grow and thrive to meet community, state and national needs.

Guiding Principles

• Use our vision and mission statements to guide this planning process.
• Review resource allocations in the context of our current vision and mission statement.
• Build on UCCS’ connections to our community and student base in the Pikes Peak region.
• Foster a climate of “community” throughout the campus.
• Consider alternative organizational frameworks that will enhance our ability to achieve the stated vision.
• Identify strategies to cope with the anticipated financial framework.
• Respond to the changing landscape, including economics, regulations, and demographics.
• Develop and embrace strategies that insure UCCS remains a viable and thriving university.

Planning Assumptions

• An estimated $6 million budget problem must be addressed in the first two years of the planning horizon.
• The planning process will cover a 6-year time horizon, building on the four major initiatives identified in the SILO report. These four major initiatives are:
  • Create a consistent marketing effort across campus.
  • Engage the entire UCCS community in retention and recruitment
  • Make more effective use of resources
  • Foster a climate of community in a time of enrollment growth
• The demographics of the student body, including income level, campus residence vs. commuting, and mix of Colorado resident/nonresident students, will stay fairly constant during the six-year time horizon.
• The State Personnel System, Tenure, and PESA employment policies will remain in effect as currently constituted.
• UCCS will remain a comprehensive university, anchored by programs in the letters, arts, and sciences, and selected graduate and professional programs.
• The needs of the Pikes Peak region and southern Colorado will continue to provide the primary focus for most academic programs.

This amount is estimated based on an existing $1.8 million base budget deficit that the campus continues to carry into FY 04-05, plus a median estimate [$4.2 million] of UCCS’ possible share of the state general fund budget reduction for state agencies if no structural remedies or other fiscal strategies are utilized by the state for FY 05-06.