College Budget Committee

The Committee is chaired by the President or her delegate and composed of members from across the College: 

One (1) member of the Finance and Administration team serving ex officio: 

• Budget Manager 

Four (4) undergraduate student representatives from the Student Government Association (SGA) serving ex officio: 

• SGA President 

• SGA Vice-President 

• SGA Treasurer or Co-Treasurers (2) 

Two (2) Graduate student representatives, selected by those schools’ student governing bodies: 

• GSAS Student Representative 

• GSSWSR Student Representative 

Three (3) representatives from the Staff Association, the selection of whom is delegated to leadership of the Staff Association. 

Faculty representation will be comprised of the Chair of the General Faculty, a member of the Committee on Academic Priorities, and a member of the Faculty Welfare Committee per the Faculty By-Laws. 

Members of the Senior Staff who will sit on the committee ex officio and will be there to listen to the constituents and answer questions as needed: 

• Provost 

• Chief Financial Officer/ Chief Administrative Officer 

• Chief Enrollment Officer 

• Chief Alumnae Relations and Development Officer 

• Dean of the Undergraduate College 

• Chief Investment Officer 

• Senior Advisor for Operational and Administrative Strategic Initiatives 

New members of the Committee each year will be given a separate, brief introduction by the Budget Manager to the College’s budget/financials, timelines, and other topics related to the annual budgeting process prior to their first Committee meeting. 

Committee members shall serve without compensation for services as such. 

The composition of the Committee’s membership shall be evaluated annually by the President and Chair of the Faculty. 

Committee members are expected to attend all Committee meetings insofar as practical. 

Repeated failure to attend, unless due to a College-approved leave (e.g. sabbatical, medical leave, etc.), or failure to perform the duties described herein may be grounds for removal of the member from the Committee as determined by the Committee Chair. If at any point, meeting attendance is below 50% for the members, the Committee Chair can determine whether to cancel or postpone the meeting.  

The Committee shall meet as often as it deems necessary and appropriate in its judgment, but the Committee must meet at least once each during the Fall and the Spring semesters.  It is expected the Committee will meet at least three times a year: twice in the Fall semester, and once in the Spring semester. The dates and times of the meetings shall be pre-determined on an annual basis and communicated to the members of the Committee at the first meeting of the fiscal year. 

The Committee may hold meetings in person or by video conference so long as all members can be identified to each other and all members participating in the meeting may hear each other. 

The Committee may delegate certain projects or work to one or more members of the Committee when appropriate. 

Input and feedback will be provided by the Committee on a regular basis on topics including:

Learning/Education  

• Facilitate learning and communication among all constituencies to enhance understanding of College resources   

• Understand working assumptions that contribute to the budget development process  

• Provide perspectives on emerging student, faculty and staffing issues, and changing needs and interests, that may be relevant to annual budget  

Prioritization  

• Share issues necessary to inform the budget development process and recommend funding priorities   

• Make resource allocation recommendations guided by the College’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities  

• Provide suggestions to enhance efficiencies, generate revenues and/or reduce costs  

• Advise on the development of budget policies and processes to ensure timely governance review, continuous improvement, and input of the annual budget  

Continued Feedback  

• Review and assess the integrity of the annual budget, ensuring the Committee has carefully considered the needs of the College (students, faculty, and staff)  

• Highlight areas of risk to, and/or opportunities for, the annual budget 

• The Committee expects to engage in open, civil and respectful dialogue to generate diverse perspectives.   

• It is expected that the members of the Committee will maintain regular communication with their constituent organizations regarding the work of the Committee, and that the Committee will do the same with the College’s leadership. The Committee may also decide to issue a written annual summary of its activities and discussions. 

The Charter may be amended or modified, in whole or in part, from time to time only in writing and at the discretion of the Committee.