January 24, 2025
Next-gen operational excellence: Relaunching our budget model review
Submitted by Jesse Perez Mendez
Dear colleagues,
Our Next-Gen K-State strategic plan calls on us to conduct a holistic review of our university budget model to ensure alignment with new university strategic imperatives and priorities. The review was initially launched in November 2023, then paused during the spring 2024 semester as priorities and resources were redirected to strengthen, fortify and enhance the university's IT infrastructure, parts of which support budget management and operations.
I am writing to you today to share that we are formally relaunching the budget model review initiative with updated planning teams — including an executive team and steering committee. Becca Zecha, associate vice president for financial and strategic planning, and Kevin Gwinner, dean of the College of Business Administration, will co-chair the steering committee that will guide the evolution of the university's budget model and elevate recommendations to the executive team.
Much has changed since the university's current budget model was implemented in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With four years of experience under the current budget model, clear themes have emerged as to the strengths and weaknesses of the model in today's environment. As we undertake this new budget model review, an updated budget model design must take into account a number of objectives:
- Support the imperatives of Next-Gen K-State.
- Incentivize teaching, research, engagement and interdisciplinary activities.
- Encourage enrollment growth and academic innovation.
- Meet the operating needs of the university.
- Provide greater financial accountability and transparency while preserving the mission-critical activities of our university.
We have enlisted the continued support of Huron Consulting Group to help guide the process and share analysis of possible budget model changes and their impacts on achieving or accelerating activity to reach our shared goals. The steering committee and external consultants will work to meet an aggressive timeline that will culminate in recommendations for budget process and model enhancements by the end of May 2025. There will be opportunities for stakeholder engagement and an implementation roadmap to assist in sharing the plan with the university community.
The new model will be tested with a shadow year in FY26 prior to full implementation for FY27. You can learn more about the budget model review timeline and more on the revamped budget model review website, including the guiding principles that anchor our efforts.
As we relaunch this initiative, we recognize that it is imperative for us to critically examine our current practices and evolve them to reduce barriers, increase transparency and foster collaboration, ultimately driving us to seize the opportunities that we know will advance our next-gen vision and goals. We will share updates as the budget model design work progresses. I want to thank the university community for its ongoing support of this important initiative and the potential it promises.
Go 'Cats!
Jesse Perez Mendez
Provost and executive vice president