School of Education Budget Sustainability FAQs
The School of Education has been evolving and changing over many years. We are growing in some areas and reimagining others. In past years, we have covered budget deficits with reserved funds and this coming year the reserves are not projected to cover the next year the way we have historically funded past fiscal years. In addition, the new campus budget model initiated in July 2022 has created a number of important differences in the school’s funding situation and campus procedures, which have contributed to structural budget challenges.
This project is related and also separate. This project is important for our school’s sustainability over time. We will be learning about the campus budget and financial resiliency efforts as part of the School of Education budget sustainability process and committee work.
We remain committed to our mission, students, research, and the people who make that mission possible. The School of Education Budget Sustainabilty Ad hoc Committee will review ideas around staff structure, leadership structure, course releases, and plans for future hires, and as a community, we will think creatively and collaboratively about the structure of the school and our continued success. We will be people-centric in our thinking, while holding care for all our people.
We are evaluating options to support our organizational work and will offer more information when available. That support, if realized, would be supplemental to the budget sustainability input and work co-created by faculty, staff, students, and the interim dean of the School of Education.
- As a school and university, we remain committed to work on competitive salaries for our faculty, staff, and also to maintain stipends for graduate students at rates that are comparable to other AAU peers.
- For more information about upcoming compensation plans, please read the Provost and COO’s March 5 messageabout financial resiliency commitments, including competitive pay for faculty and staff.
Consistent with our student-centered mission, we aim to limit impacts on student experience, and we don’t envision any disruption to student experiences or support. Our commitments to teaching, research, and service remain steady.
No. All of our commitments to doctoral student funding and our student fellowships and scholarships will be honored. Commitments to student support will not waver. All of our doctoral students funding packages and graduate research assistantships will remain steady. We want all of our students to be able to focus on why they are here — to learn — free and clear of the administrative work of faculty, leadership oversight, or budget concerns.
- The committee will provide recommendations to the interim dean by early July 2024. The interim dean, in collaboration with the leadership team, will evaluate the recommendations. This process will occur in July and early August. Ultimately, the interim dean will make final decisions.
- Participation from committee members in addition to faculty, staff, and students at large will be a key component in the co-creation of the interim dean’s final recommendations.
