Savings Strategies & Spring Budget Forum FAQ

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.

Yes, the Presidential Review for Recruitments & Hiring was effective May 7^th, and all recruitment requests that were in progress were or will be compiled by divisions for the President’s review.

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. 

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.

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.

Prior to the Great Recession (2008-2009), state funding made up the majority of core operating budgets for higher education. During the recession, Washington state education policy changed, shifting the primary source of funding to tuition dollars. A few years later, the state made another change in policy, reducing tuition rates and adjusting the mix to nearly even for state support and tuition. A key focus of WWU’s legislative agenda for the coming year will be to further correct the state funding model, with an aim of a stronger ratio of state support for the core mission. 

The next operating budget request to the state will focus on more robust funding for our core operating budget so we can be on a more sustainable budget pathway in the long term. We are looking specifically at increasing our state funding per student relative to other regional institutions to reduce our reliance on tuition revenue to cover base operations; requesting 100% funding for compensation-related changes for state funded employees (currently funded at 70%); and requesting one-time funds be made ongoing for academic access and outreach, allowing us to maintain our focus on increasing enrollment. Other requests in consideration include funding for critical system updates/replacement for technology that is nearing end-of-life.

Our key focus since the start of the pandemic has been on preserving and advancing Western’s capacity to serve students and our region. That has looked like bridging the gap between reduced student enrollments and associated tuition revenue with one-time strategies, like federal stimulus dollars, use of reserves, and vacancy management. This means that we have maintained the programs, schedules, and services needed to serve students as we see the largest incoming classes in Western’s history. Going forward, we will continue to evaluate strategies and capacity to ensure we have a sustainable financial picture. 

Yes, the FY25 budget includes allocations for all general wage increases for state funded employees, including student employees. This funding will be distributed to each division during the base build process, based on payroll data. 

Information about the proposed property sale is included in the materials for the June 14, 2024, Board of Trustees meeting, here: 24 Approval of Real Property Sale.pdf

WWU offers a number of degree and certificate programs through the WWU Peninsulas programs.  These programs generate revenue similar to programs on the Bellingham campus.  Several new degree programs (Sociology for Professionals, Data Science, Industrial Systems and Engineering and an MSW) are on track to launch in the coming years that will also generate revenue once enrollment targets are met.  Additionally, new Professional and Continuing Education courses that are developed are also offered in Western on the Peninsula locations. The latest update on these developments can be found in the minutes of Senate OCE meetings.

The SEA Discovery is currently self-sustaining. It covers costs through partial rental of its facility and state maintenance and operations money for building maintenance. In the coming year, with grant funding from The Russell Family Foundation, Bainbridge Island Community Foundation and the Suquamish Foundation, Western’s SEA Discovery Center will provide free marine science field trips to 600+ 5th and 6th graders from throughout Kitsap County. We continue to focus on revenue generation through philanthropy, contributions to the public aquarium (from approx. 20k visitors), and events and exhibits at the location. Future exhibit plans include a new Giant Pacific Octopus habitat in early 2025, after a capital fundraising campaign to replace the existing tank. The center is not being considered as a source of additional revenue for Western more generally.  

This judgment will be paid by the Washington State tort fund, not as a direct cost by the university.

In partnership with Washington's baccalaureate institutions , and in close collaboration with participating school districts from the across the state, Western has fully implemented the WAGAP among the central components of our recruitment strategies. We are happy to report (unofficially), that in its third year, Western saw an increase of 68% in applications received through WAGAP compared with last year. For high schools that participated in both years, we received nearly 15% more applications. We continue our commitment to expanding access and opportunities to students from Washington, and look forward to further expanding WAGAP in the years ahead.

Western has adopted a stronger commitment to providing access to higher education in recent years—and specifically access to quality educational programs.  Our admit rate in Fall 2014 was 85% and has been in the low 90s in recent years.  Many factors impact the admit rate, including changes in the size of the applicant pool, the qualifications of the students applying, and the expected enrollment of new students. Our campus is committing much time and effort to developing strategies for ensuring that the students who are admitted are supported to succeed and persist to graduation.