Buffalo State leadership has been laying the groundwork for several years to foster innovation across campus and to prepare for a prosperous and sustaining future. Planning has been key to this work. The college has worked toward identifying greater efficiencies and creative solutions to offset some of the consequences of the national and regional shifts that have negatively affected our campus budget.
In a precursor to the launch of the Strategic Resource Planning Process for fiscal year 2021-22, President Conway-Turner led the campus through a three-year budget rebalancing process (2017–2020) that has reduced our expenses by $7 million. The rebalancing process carefully reduced expenses by focusing on savings from retirements, resignations, modifications, and reorganizations. These efforts were executed to be minimally disruptive to our work, our systems, and our current norms.
In 2020, the financial impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency exacerbated Buffalo State's budget concerns and accelerated the need for a coordinated response. Handling the $15 million deficit that we now face will require collaboration among all campus constituents, keeping innovation at the center of our efforts as we fulfill our urban-engaged, anchor mission to educate our diverse student body.
This collaborative approach will include the Buffalo State Strategic Resource Process, a budget planning approach that links the vision, priorities, people, and physical attributes of the college in a flexible system of evaluation, decision-making and action. Integrated resource planning is an active and flexible process that supports data-informed decision making. Because it is conducted with transparency, it allows stakeholders to understand why and how decisions are being made.
As we move ahead with the Strategic Resource Planning Process to address our budget concerns, we will maintain a strong commitment to shared governance. The College Budget Committee and College Senate Budget and Staff Allocations Committee (BSAC) will meet on a regular basis to share ideas and receive feedback on the budget process.
