Discussion questions and comments below:

How can BAG assist BLT in communicating with our constituents about the budget process?

• BAG can be a resource by becoming more familiar with the Budget Development process.
• BAG can review the criteria for budget additions and reductions from the Strategic Plan.
• BAG can explain the budget development process (below) to departments/constituents (or point to the Budget Development website: http://2011sitearchive.lanecc.edu/budget/budget.htm )

1. Budget Leaders meet with their departments/divisions managers and staff to give an overview of the budget situation and the budget process
2. Budget Development forms are distributed to departments.
3. Department managers, in consultation with their division/department staff, fill out the forms. (Managers have been made aware by their vice presidents that there are no new recurring funds to distribute to departments and any ìcriticalî additions would need to be considered with an offsetting reduction from somewhere.)
4. Management groups (Instruction, Student Services, Executive Services, and College Operations) will prioritize the department/division lists. (Ex.  College Operations Leadership Team (COLT) will review and prioritize all the requests for new funding and reductions for all of College Operations.)
5. Budget leaders meet and review the prioritized lists of requests for new funds and reductions.
6. Budget Leaders hold all-staff/student meetings during the end of February to the first week in March.
7. Budget subcommittee members meet with the vice president of their assigned groups (Instruction, Student Services, Executive Services, College Operations)  and review the Budget Leadersí recommendations.
8. The Budget Committee holds public hearings and makes final recommendations.

Budget Leaders meet regularly during January and February and spend a lot of time together in their meetings going over figures and criteria.  They review the same requests and should be ìon the same pageî as to rationale and justifcations.  If common criteria are applied to adds and cuts, there would be little reason for contradictions.

• Mary commented that there is a critical skill set that folks must have to understand the process.  This is something that comes with experience, but BAG could assist with this educational process.  She also commented that there are no ìsecret potsî of money and that the Budget Leaders have to meet the bottom line needs of the College.  They struggle with the challenges of having to cut from their own division's budgets as well as the others.
• Larry commented that there is incredible integrity with the current process that is beyond reproach.  He believes that they are very good at making the decisions that they do.
• Tracy added that if staff want to approach the Budget Leaders directly with any questions on the process they are encouraged to do so by e-mailing them directly.
• Carol echoed Tracy's comments.

• Board members will always be subjected to public pressure.  BAG can do everything possible to ensure the Board that there has been a budget process that many people have an opportunity to participate and provide information.  To change the process to gratify a few people, undermines what the college has already put in place.

• The Budget Leaders do not have total control and many factors have to be considered, such as state funding uncertainties, projected budget models, carryover, department recommendations, fixed costs and salary expectations, etc.  However, the integrity of the budget planning process should be beyond reproach and there should be no need for it to be a mystery.
• The vice presidents begin budget discussions early with their management groups and then attend department/division meetings early in the budget process to discuss the upcoming budget process.  The information they gather will be based on the groupsí interests.  Managers are encouraged to share the budget information they have been provided with their staff throughout the budget development process.
• Budget Leaders would like college staff to have trust in the process and how the results came about and to understand that to make actual decisions for the whole college, a larger skill set needs to be applied. 
• The Budget Leaders would like BAG to have any staff who have questions, or misgivings about the budget process and their recommendations to call, e-mail or visit them.
• BAG can also advise staff to talk with the budget analyst or the vice presidents rather than to go directly to Board members.
• BAG can remind the Board of the broad representation of this committee and re-emphasize the work they have already done to make the budget process more understandable and participative. 

• Helen Garrett provided a summary of the Tuition subcommitteeís discussions.  The subcommittee plans to hold discussions with students, and give a presentation at the Feb. Board meeting.  They have gathered information from Financial Aid, reviewed border statesí reciprocity agreements, and reviewed other Oregon community college tuition rates. 
• If tuition rates are to be raised, they would need to be before March 1 for Financial Aid purposes.
• The students who are not on financial aid and with low incomes would be most affected with a tuition increase. 
• There was an idea proposed to consider using additional funds to create some institutional scholarships for those students not qualifying for financial aid.
• Budget Leaders wanted to emphasize that an increase in tuition may not necessarily mean that the college can offer more classes.  There needs to be a balance to the access of affordability and the access to services.
• Departments have become forced to be dependent on the fees they charge. Should there be a cap on fees?
• Need to review the option of a technology fee and perhaps include it in the cost of tuition. Such fees would be used to address the constant changes in technology that department budgets cannot support..
• BAG Tuition Subcommittee would need to provide the Board with all the information they have gathered.  They would need to show tuition increase as a long-term strategy and how it matches with the inflation rate and show the access balance to affordability and services.
• BAG will provide the Board a multi-year tuition increase study

• Subcommittee Members:  Jane Scheidecker, Chair, Carol Beckley, Bill Kyker, Nanci LaVell, Kay Malmberg, and Jose Ortal
• The subcommittee proposes a seven step process  by which the college could identify and evaluate ideas from the college staff for revenue enhancements. The components are: 
Identify ñ host brainstorming sessions
Connect ñ A group will connect the results of the exercises to a plan
Evaluate ñ high level evaluation and consideration
Present ñ The evaluation group presents to ELT for consideration
Evaluation Further ñ selected proposals are reviewed
Implement ñ College supports
• Itís too late to apply this proposal to this yearís budget development process but it could be implemented for next yearís.  The subcommittee will continue to meet and bring their ideas to BAG.

NEXT MEETING:  February 6, 3-5PM, Apprenticeship 212.