The University Leadership Team (ULT) has launched a new budget website and feedback form in response to a budget process survey distributed last fall.
The ULT, which is comprised of the Executive Leadership Team, Deans, and Shared Governance Leaders, met in early December to begin discussions about charting the path toward a Financially Healthy Campus.
“We heard clearly that our campus community values clarity, transparency, and decisive action, paired with respect for the people who make UCCS thrive every day,” the group said in an email to campus. “We also heard a desire for earlier communication, clearer timelines, and a better understanding of how input informs decisions. And finally, we heard that our campus has valuable knowledge that can enhance the plan for a Financially Healthy Campus.”
ULT is asking campus to share that knowledge via a feedback form, which will be open for the next two weeks. While not all ideas shared via the form will be feasible, the email noted, all submissions will be reviewed and considered as part of the broader planning process.
ULT will give an update at the January 22 UBAC meeting and another update will be shared at the UBAC Retreat on January 29 prior to a full campus report. To share your thoughts, please complete the feedback survey here.
The team has also launched a Healthy Campus Initiative website where the campus community can review key elements to this process, learn more about frequently asked questions, and track the university’s progress toward creating a Healthy Campus.
“We know that there will be some hard discussions and difficult decisions, and we recognize that not everyone will agree with every outcome,” ULT stated. “What matters most is that decisions are made thoughtfully, transparently, and with the long-term health of UCCS in mind. This work, along with your continued contributions, will help us chart a path toward a Healthy Campus together.”
The feedback ULT received in the fall highlighted six key priorities for improving how the university approaches budget planning and decision-making:
- Clear direction and priorities to anchor decisions and provide context, even when choices are difficult.
- Predictable timelines to reduce uncertainty and bring closure to decisions.
- Greater transparency through earlier and more consistent communication.
- Meaningful engagement and shared governance that moves beyond forums to shared understanding, opportunities for feedback, and collaboration.
- Alignment with people and mission to ensure decisions support our students, faculty, staff, and operations.
- Clear communication of student impact, so outcomes are understood through the lens of student experience.
The ULT also drafted working definitions for a Healthy Campus and Transparency to help anchor future decisions and communication:
Healthy Campus
A healthy campus enables an environment where students, faculty, and staff can thrive, and where the university can adapt, grow, and fulfill its mission well into the future. A healthy campus anticipates challenges and opportunities, plans intentionally for desired outcomes, and reinvests in student, faculty, and staff success. A healthy campus responsibly stewards its resources to remain agile, stable, and competitive, with revenues aligned to expenditures and the capacity to invest in people, programs, and infrastructure.
Transparency
Transparency means communicating openly about our priorities, constraints, and the reasoning behind decisions. It does not guarantee that everyone will receive the answer they prefer or immediate access to all information. Instead, transparency is achieved through a clear and consistent process; explaining the “why” behind decisions in a timely and respectful manner; building trust; and ensuring people know when, how, and where they can offer input.
Practices that support transparency include:
- Sharing decision timelines, criteria, and responsibilities as early as possible.
- Providing concise summaries of key decisions and the rationale behind them.
- Offering clear and meaningful opportunities for input at campus-wide levels as well as college/division levels during the process.
- Closing the loop by communicating how feedback informed the outcome and implemented when applicable.
The University Leadership Team includes:
Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet
Thomas Aicher, Dean of the College of Business and Administration
Bret Amundson, Dean of the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Deann Barrett, President of the Staff Council
Aidan Burke, President of the Student Government Association
Hillary Fouts, Dean of the Graduate School
Jeff Greene, Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Melinda Hagemann, Interim Vice Chancellor of Advancement and Engagement
Stephanie Hanenberg, Interim Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
David Havlick, Chair of the Faculty Assembly
Amanda Hull, Managing Associate University Counsel
Christina Jimenez, Chair of the University Budget Advisory Committee
Kevin Laudner, Dean of Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences
David Moon, Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Robin Parent, Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff
Seth Porter, Dean of Kraemer Family Library
Ying Shang, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science
Lynn Vidler, Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Joseph Wehrman, Dean of the College of Education
Bill Wells, Dean of College of Public Service