Home

Strategy, Management & Budget

Mountains on the horizon are seen from Western's campus with a view of Bellingham from above.

Spring 2025 Budget Forum Resources Now Available

The Spring 2025 Budget Forum provided important updates on Western’s financial outlook and the steps being taken to ensure long-term financial sustainability. To support continued transparency and campus-wide engagement, three resources from the forum are now available for review:

The university's home for budget planning, management, analysis, and financial resource stewardship. Strategy, Management & Budget operates under the Vice President for Business & Financial Affairs and works closely with various campus units to deliver budgetary and financial planning services. The team is dedicated to enhancing financial accountability and transparency throughout the university from building the university operating budget to communicating the university’s financial positions such as the final expenditures and outcomes. 

What We Do

Strategy  

  • Strategic support for the university and the BFA division
  • Division strategic planning, project management, organizational development, and change management  
  • Strategic planning and budget development, strategic alignment of institutional resources  
  • Strategic communications, planning, and organizational management  
  • Leading organizational and change management for Business & Financial Affairs

Management  

  • Manages comprehensive financial planning and analysis functions for the university.
  • Supports financial planning, analysis, and management at the institutional level.
  • Strives to advance financial stewardship and transparency at all levels  
  • Supports budget management by forecasting employee benefit costs and reflecting them in the university’s financial system
  • Promotes transparent and collaborative financial stewardship initiatives

Budget  

  • Manages the University’s operating budget request to the state and analyzes the fiscal impact of legislation in collaboration with Government Relations.
  • Assist in strategic planning, producing, and monitoring biennial and annual budgets for the university
  • Builds the university’s annual base budget and oversees budget transactions.
  • Builds and manages the university’s budget system, including position creation, activation, and compliance with internal controls

  • Assist in strategic planning, producing, and monitoring biennial and annual budgets for the university

     

Quick Links and Resources

The Budget & Financial Management Training Resources webpage provides a variety of tools and training materials designed to support effective budget and financial management. These resources help employees understand processes and best practices.

The focus of the FY25 budget continues to be on preserving WWU’s excellence and position in the higher education sector, giving enrollments a chance to rebuild without significantly damaging our ability to recruit, retain, and graduate students.

Explore the approved tuition, fees, and service rates for the current academic year on the Fees and Standards webpage. This page ensures transparency and consistency in Western’s pricing structures.

Strategy, Management & Budget (SMB) creates and distributes Management Reports as a tool to assist departments in strategic budgeting, to promote financial stewardship, and to facilitate communication about planned spending not yet reflected in the system.

Visit the Position Control webpage to learn about the policies and processes related to managing Western employee positions within the university budget. This page explains how positions are tracked, approved, and funded.

Learn about the University Budget Committee’s role in advising the President on matters related to the university's operating budget. Meeting materials and membership information are available to promote transparency.

University Budget Forums aim to bring clarity and transparency to the university budget process. Topics for these events include overviews of the different funding sources and timelines Western operates within, and how factors like enrollment interact with and inform the budget.

Browse past budget documents, reports, and presentations for historical reference on the Archived Budget Materials webpage. This archive supports transparency and institutional records.