FY 2024-25 Savings Strategies
Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Strategies
For fiscal year 2024- 2025, we are continuing the one-time strategies put in place for 2023-2024, but making some important changes and additions. These strategies are need to cover the gap between tuition revenue, state funding, and our core operating expenditures. We have compiled information about the strategies that we published last year with the questions received during the budget forum to provide comprehensive information in one place.
We will post additional questions from the Spring Budget Forum as we receive responses from our campus partners.
Restrictions on Purchases above $1,000
Vice President (VP) approval required on all state operating funds for purchases above $1,000. Approval flows were updated in our procurement systems last summer to reflect this restriction. For 2024-2025, expenditures over $1,000 should be restricted to those that are essential and cannot be deferred.
Travel Restrictions
Vice President (VP) approval required for all travel authorizations regardless of funding source. Travel should be restricted to essential travel only, with exceptions for travel required by collective bargaining agreements, certifications, grant related-travel, and other non-discretionary travel.
Approval flows were updated in our travel system for state-funded travel and those workflows will now be applicable for other funding sources. As a reminder, fully approved travel authorizations are required for any university-paid travel or travel reimbursement.
Vice Presidents have been encouraged to provide a fresh review of approved travel approved before June 1, 2024 to ensure that it is not discretionary and is needed based on the approved exceptions. Grant travel and travel subject to the terms of the faculty collective bargaining agreement are not impacted.
Institutional recapture of 6 months of position savings when it becomes vacant
For state-funded, permanent positions that become vacant after June 1, six months worth of savings (salaries and benefits) will be transferred into an institutional holding account to prevent fund balances from being overcommitted.
Recruitment and hiring authorizations
Before departments can proceed with any job action, Vice Presidential and Presidential approval are needed. This includes all job actions and all position types, including temporary and student positions. Blanket approvals have been provided for job actions that are 100% grant or work-study funded, contractual commitments of faculty startup funds, job actions related to approved NTT Allocations, and Chart 2/Endowments specific to that work. The President’s review will help ensure that Western’s hiring reflects institutional priorities.
Process Overview
After identifying a critical staffing need and dedicated funding, departments can submit a request for Presidential review using the Position Recruitment & Hiring Authorization Request form. Once submitted, the forms are reviewed by each division's budget officer and forwarded to the respective Vice President. Approval from a Vice President is required before request are forwarded to the President.
The following requests do not need Presidential approval:
•Positions that are fully funded by grant funds
•Foundation funded positions that are specified in a gift agreement
•Student positions that are funded by S&A fees or course fees
•100% work study funded positions (work study is part of a student’s financial aid award)
Areas can submit their quarterly or annual student employee requests for Presidential review by specifying the number of students needed for the position. Departments will need to convey their staffing needs, available funding, and other required information for all positions to provide context for the request.
Yes, subject to approval during the review. The ability to move forward with recruitment for a vacant position may be approved by the President depending on the role being filled, the nature of the work, and available funding. Areas should note the timeline and funding plan (if applicable) when submitting a potential recruitment for review.
For non-tenure track faculty hires already built into the 2024-2025 academic schedule, the review process will not add significant delays. For additional non-tenure track faculty hires not already approved and discussed, early communication can help avoid delays. For any urgent hiring needs identified at the VP/Provost level, an expedited review is possible.
Staff should communicate with their supervisor or manager if they feel that they have an unreasonable workload so that conversations about prioritization of work and critical tasks can occur.
Strategy, Management & Budget has developed a form for areas to submit requests to their divisions for routing through the Presidential Review process. While this is an additional step, it should not impact workload, and this is a necessary step to ensure that the Western is being strategic in hiring and using sound fiscal practices.
While positions are vacant, it is essential that managers and area leaders triage work and determine what can be set aside, delayed, deferred, or accomplished differently. Vacant positions mean less work ultimately gets done, not that the same work is done by fewer people.
While no centralized automation or technologies are being explored currently, areas are encouraged to consider their operations and where they may be able to eliminate unnecessary work or find efficiencies to alleviate workload pressures.