Understanding Your Budget Template

The following Headings refer to the tabbed sheets in your Budget file located in Box:

Summary Page

The Summary page is just that. It is populated by information that you enter on other pages. Do not fill in any cells on this page. If you have questions or comments, you can add text in the open cells to the right so that you remember your question, observation, or concern. Short story here: Is your program making money (Net Income line is Green) or being supported by other programs (Net Income line is Red)? Ultimately, we hope that all programs are making money so that we can invest in our campus growth. That said, we will always be supporting some programs out of our commitment to those programs for a variety of reasons. Also, programs in start-up mode will often take several years to have the student numbers needed for a positive balance. That said, looking for efficiencies in your program, particularly staffing, is greatly appreciated!

For a run-down of what each item on the Summary page means, click here for the Budget Summary Glossary.

Revenue Worksheet

  • This is where the work starts. You will only fill in the ORANGE cells. Other cells will populate by formula. 
  • Line 6. Are the headcounts realistic? Do you believe that you will be growing faster or slower than predicted and why? Change your headcounts if you have a good reason to do so. Otherwise growth is calculated by a percent increase.
  • Lines 7 & 9. Ask your dean if you want an explanation on these lines or see this page.
  • Line 14. Plan your summer courses. Predict your summer enrollment SCH (credit hours x est. number of students). Ask your advisor about courses that might be good candidates that support student success. In order to break even, summer courses need to enroll at least 12 undergraduate students.
  • Line 23: Academic Fees: List the courses with approved fees and the number of students you anticipate will enroll in those courses each year. The fee revenue generated here should be spent out on line 8 on the Expense Worksheet tab.
  • Line 35. Other revenue: Are you offering any summer workshops that will generate registration fees? ED 808 courses? Selling golf balls? 

Compensation Worksheet

  • Much of this page will be generated for you from the WUs Planner tab. Your full-time faculty should cover most of your course needs. If you are recommending new faculty, they may cover additional needs. What is left it the number of WUs of term-to-term faculty that you will need to hire during the year to offer your courses. 
  • If you have more than 60 WUs taught by term-to-term faculty, talk to your dean about the pros and cons of asking for hires at 0.50 FTE or higher to stabilize your staffing. 
  • Faculty Student Worker: Each full-time faculty member automatically receives 100 hours of student worker support each year. There is nothing to enter here.

  • Course Student Worker: Undergrad courses with enrollments over 40 and grad courses over 30 qualify for a Course Student Worker. Estimate how many sections you think will exceed these enrollment numbers. Then talk to your faculty. Will they actually need and use a Course Student Worker? Include a realistic number here.

  • Program Student Workers: Do you have a big accreditation report that is coming due? A Ten-Year review? If so, asking for student worker support may be a good idea.

Expenses Worksheet

  • Lines 6-8 are populated for you based on the number of full-time faculty.

  • Line 9, “Other supplies,” is where you need to think about all your other course needs. Don’t forget field trips, lab supplies and equipment, kayaks, etc. If you have complicated supply and equipment needs, create a new tab to both itemize and justify these expenses.

  • Lines 20 and 26. Be sure to include technology and videoconferencing needs here. Perhaps you need a camera for your lab room, a set of iPads for a class, or specialized software. Many of these expenses can be moved to our Technology Research Funds, which will remove them from your budget (a good thing). Remember, all supplies and equipment need to be justified.

  • Facilities O & M: Generally, you can ignore this section.

  • Professional Services:

    • Duplicating: Hopefully you are not still printing materials for students. Your copier expense is pre-populated based on your number of faculty.

    • Advertising: If you have special marketing needs, it would go here and then would be moved/considered in the Marketing budget.

    • Other: Are there professional society dues that need to be paid to support a student club? Parking passes for guest speakers? Accreditation expenses? Supplies and snacks to support a marketing event or other public function? (There are rules here that need to be followed, so ask.)

  • PD/In-State Travel: This section is generally populated for you, but look at the orange boxes. Do you need additional in-state travel to support program-based state-wide meetings? Extra travel to Corvallis for important committee work? Do you have mileage expenses used to take students to conferences? 

  • Other: Mileage to support internship supervisor travel to off-campus sites? Funds to pay for a meal function when your Corvallis faculty come over to attend a retreat or meeting?

WUs Planner

Faculty WU Report

  • A Faculty workload unit report is created automatically for each faculty member that you entered into the Workload Planner and assigned work to. Select each faculty member and the fiscal year you're interested in, using the pull-down menus. Do not change anything on this report. If you need to make changes to a course assignment, do so on the WU Planner tab.