Approval of Previous Minutes —

Agenda modified to have Jason Hornberger’s presentation first and move Corinne Bannon’s presentation to the next meeting. Motion to approve by Ward Lyles. Seconded by Nils Gore. Approved unanimously.

Meeting minutes from December 14, 2022. Motion to approve by Ward Lyles. Seconded by Jin Feng. Approved unanimously.

Unfinished Business —

Update on Budget Model

1. This is a high-level summary and the same presentation that was shared with the Deans and Vice Provosts. It is an overview of the methodology of general fund allocations for FY2024.
2. History of General Fund Allocation method
   1. Consists of money received from the state of Kansas and from general tuition dollars
   2. Moving away from a historical incremental model and working towards aligning allocations with campus activity
   3. FY2022: differential budget cuts rather than across-the-board budget cuts
   4. FY2023: no budget cuts
   5. FY2024: some units are always going to have to be subsidized (not enough enrollment)
3. Guiding principles
4. General Fund Allocation model (recap)
   1. Goals: decrease structural deficit; address competitive pay
5. Key assumptions
   1. Sources assumptions: tuition growth (tuition rate increase or SCH increase); 1.5% SGF increase
   2. Uses assumptions: employee merit; OOE increase; health insurance increase; utilities cost; faculty promotion and tenure; scholarship support
6. Jayhawk Global tuition earnings
7. Discussion
   1. Promotion bonuses have been stagnant for over a decade. Has there been any conversation about increasing those?
   2. Everything but 099 funds can be rolled over to the next year, so 099 funds are spent first. Rhetoric says one thing and incentives say the opposite. How do we get those to align? Should we be allowing rollover of more funds? Should it be taxed? Carryover is currently helping overcome structural deficit.
   3. Regarding the research output within the academic part of the model, budget proportion should be in line with what is expected of faculty (x% teaching and y% research).

Academic Portfolio and Workload Review (Nate Brunsell)

1. Rpk was tasked to evaluate teaching loads and academic portfolios and to identify redundancies. Nate was brought in as the KU representative and meets with other Faculty Senate presidents from other universities. Last week rpk issued its final report to KBOR, which will be disseminated next week and open for comments until Feb. 17.
   1. Rpk received lots of feedback in faculty and provost meetings but did not seem to respond to feedback.
2. As part of report, rpk identified programs to “monitor and review,” those to “optimize,” and those to “maintain.”
3. It is up to KBOR to respond to these recommendations.
   1. A possible (worst-case) scenario is that KBOR asks universities to conduct program reviews of every program identified as “monitor and review,” which would create considerable anxiety and trauma even if nothing is discontinued.
   2. Another (more likely) scenario is that KBOR will ask universities to incorporate some of these recommendations into their ongoing program reviews.
4. The best way to influence what happens and to communicate one’s opinion of rpk’s process is to provide feedback on the final report after it is disseminated next week.

11th and Mississippi Project

1. Ward Lyles met with Jeff DeWitt, Karla Leeper, and Ashley Lonnberg
   1. Proposal
      1. Standing committee for such projects on the borders of campus
      2. Opportunity to provide a third space for campus constituents that is currently absent, as The Hill is isolated from downtown. This requires a link with downtown.
      3. Solar panels on the parking lots that feed the stadium
   2. Meeting participants seemed amenable to the ideas as ways to improve the project rather than curtail it

Prep for Meeting February 6 at 1:30 PM with the CFO

1. What are we hoping to accomplish?
   1. Discuss 11th and Mississippi project (see above)
   2. Budget model for university
   3. Transportation (or is that a better conversation to have with Jason and the Provost?)
2. What questions do we want to ask?

Planning for Public Forum in the Spring

1. What are we hoping to accomplish?
   1. Ask University Senate president for further guidance
2. Who should be there? CFO, Provost, VP Finance, VP Analytics
   1. Is there a campus comprehensive planner?
   2. Travis Goff, Director of KU Athletics?
3. Who should chair it?
   1. Bonnie Johnson? Emily Ryan?
4. What should the format be?
5. Who’s the target audience?

New Business —

1. The next scheduled meeting will be on February 6 at 1:30 PM with the CFO.
2. David will check in with Ani Kokobobo about what University Senate wants from the public forum.