Enrollment - Enrollment remains the key to the implementation of many institutional plans. Enrollment increases during the current academic year permitted the institution to pursue the implementation of plans in areas such as salaries and staffing, and are the only viable means for generating revenues to finance future activities. Given that the UW Colleges is still 9 percent below its target enrollment goal of 7538 FTE, it is critical that the institution continues its marketing activity in order to maximize its revenue situation.

Salaries - UWC faculty and staff are the lowest paid in the UW System. For reasons of equity, competitiveness on the job market, and institutional stature this situation needs to be addressed. The keys to rectifying this situation will be the crafting of a reasonable plan which can gain both internal and external acceptance and the generation of revenues to fund this plan.

Staffing - During the period of rapid enrollment declines in the mid 1990’s staffing levels for full-time permanent faculty were squeezed down in favor of instructional academic staff. Assuming continued enrollment growth this situation needs to be reversed without a necessary overall increase in total faculty levels. Similarly, staffing levels in certain key non-instructional areas, such as student services and maintenance, also need to be addressed.

Faculty & Staff Development - Given the quickening pace of change in higher education, the veteran nature of the institution’s faculty and the limited resources which have marked its operation, a key variable in preparing the UW Colleges for the future is increased investment in the development of its human resources. Such investment, if it is to truly play a major role in the institution’s development, needs to be both fiscally significant and focused upon the goals of the institution as a whole.

Technological Development Technology is increasingly playing a significant role in providing educational services of high quality to students and the delivery of these services in a cost-effective manner. Both quality and efficiency are especially critical to an institution like the UW Colleges because it has a mission of access & teaching and a structure that inhibits cost savings.

Libraries are increasingly being viewed by UWS as part of the instructional technology area. UW Colleges’ campuses should integrate libraries into instructional technology and academic program planning to the fullest extent possible. The new library system will be implemented in Spring 1999. Campuses should insure that library computers meet the access needs of library staff and students.

Physical plant maintenance budgets may not be reduced unless positions are eliminated or other substantial arguments are presented. Physical plant S & E may not be reduced at all and in many cases should be increased. Preventive maintenance must continue to become part of standard operating procedures. Safety training is an area of increasing emphasis within the physical plant budget. Staff may be required to attend no more than two off campus safety training sessions during the fiscal year. Budgets should provide for that training.

Campus focused advertising, marketing and other efforts to insure recruitment and retention should be budgeted specifically in campus plans on at least a "maintenance of effort" basis. Plans should be appropriate to the campus community and area and reflect target enrollments as agreed upon for each campus. The institution wide marketing plan will be in addition to campus funding and will not be a direct replacement of campus funding.

Campuses should recognize the need for discretionary funds, spent through UW accounts, in support of (1) campus/county liaison needs; (2) campus development and advancement efforts.

The proposed use(s) of the student technology fee must be documented in a specific budgetary plan submitted with the campus budget. An EXCEL spreadsheet will be distributed to Business Managers showing the detail expected. The student technology fee budget plan must reflect line item allocations by major budget classes, provide detail within class for supply and expense items, must document the duties of personnel supported by the student technology fee, and must document the consultation of student representatives in developing the plan.

Any additional position FTE budgeted to the student technology fee during the current fiscal year or proposed for the next fiscal year should be specifically identified in the budgetary plan, so that additional position authorization may be sought when possible.

Campuses must build computer hardware and software purchases consciously into their budgets for replacements, upgrades, and technological "maintenance".

All computers purchased from any source of funds must meet the minimum specifications established by the UWC Chief Information Officer. The current version of these specifications may be viewed on the UWC Web site at: http://www.uwc.edu/cio/config.htm

Printers should generally be networked rather than providing single printers per PC. The reasons for the purchase of any non-laser printers must be specifically documented.

The state Basic IT Infrastructure Report has previously recommended a four year PC replacement cycle, and the ratio of one support staff to 55 user personal computers. A four-year cycle does NOT mean that the four-year-old PC is tossed out, but does mean that it needs to be moved to a lower use and is NOT current technology. UWC must consider these replacement cycle issues on a campus and an institution wide basis and begin to plan reallocations of funds as available to position the institution for "technological currency."

Business Office staff members should be prepared, at a minimum, to use the EXCEL spreadsheets required for budget and other institutional submissions and the ACCESS database required for State Building Commission capital equipment requests and other institutional data management submissions.

All staff using the SIS warehouse data should begin to become fluent in Microsoft Access.

Campuses must continue to allocate funds for high-end Windows based computers and networked laser printer(s) on the following schedule:

To the fullest extent possible, the needs for developmental education position and budget authority should be identified in the annual budget process. While identification of specific individuals may not be possible during the budget process, vacant positions should be established that reflect the core level of services that have historically been required. The quarterly position control reporting process requires explanation of changes from the budgeted FTE amounts. The budget should reflect the best information available at the time of budget preparation.

Information and Instructional Technology Planning; A biennial update will be required in Spring 1999. The Informational and Instructional Technology Committee will coordinate the process.

Auxiliary Operations; Budget information for auxiliary operations was distributed.

Specific budget information including individuals expected to teach in Summer should be submitted to the UW College’s Business Office by the budget deadline. Changes to the information should be submitted as final revisions by June.

Campuses and continuing education offices should continue to observe the spirit as well as the letter of the requirements related to credit outreach; no actions that could be interpreted as diversions of program and funds from the UWC 103 tuition revenue accounts should occur. The institutional tuition revenue effect of offering courses as credit outreach versus as a part of campus 103 offerings should be carefully considered. UWC is responsible for meeting the tuition revenue targets established in the annual budget process. Credit outreach revenues are not included in UWC net revenues.

A program revenue/104 allocation in support of campus and central administrative services to the continuing education program would follow the same principle as allocation of some institutional administrative costs to 128 supported activities. Further examination and clarification of existing levels of support from 104 budgets/operations for general campus operations and needs is appropriate before an allocation process is developed. Campuses that have not done so should begin to clarify those interrelationships.

The institutional and campus commitments to the integrated continuing education program should be examined in light of the potential needs for long term investment in outreach from institution funds.

UWC must plan and prepare for future enrollment shortfalls, but should retain the position and spending authority for longer-term needs. Any shortfall assessments during the fiscal year will reflect campus enrollments, recruitment and retention success, etc.

Campus professional development plans for all staff should be integrated with the UWC institutional plan.