Operational Budget Guidelines and Procedures

Budgetary control is essential to ensure the college meets its fiduciary responsibilities and strategic goals.  An operating budget does not stand alone, it is closely related to other college planning efforts; and as a result, operational budget management is essential to the long-term financial stability of the college.

President’s Leadership Team

Each member of the President’s Leadership Team (PLT) is responsible for managing their division’s budget.

• Expenditures must be within budgeted limits.
• Account deficits are the responsibility of the division.
• Funds may be transferred within each division to meet program needs, with the exception of funding from permanent, board-approved salary and related benefit object codes.

Vice President of Administrative Services

The VP of Administrative Services provides oversight and monitoring of the annual operating budget and related expenditure of funds.

• To facilitate the monitoring of college budget and expenditure of funds, the following reports are made available as appropriate.
  • Burn Report
  • Vacancy Control Report
  • Temporary Pay Report by Department ID
  • Year to Date Summary Report for All Fund
  • Fund 230, 250, 280 Overview Reports
  • Fund 7 - Capital Overview Report

Division Chairs/Department Managers

Division Chairs/Department Managers with budget responsibility have the discretion to use base budgets, within their charge center(s) of responsibility, to meet program needs with the exception of funding from permanent board-approved salary and related benefit object codes.

Funds for adjunct/overload and other direct instructional related and regulatory requirements will be held in a central college account.  Expenses for these object codes are the responsibility of the appropriate Vice President.

Account deficits are the responsibility of the Division Chairs/Department Managers and the respective Vice President/Dean.  Any account deficit must be cleared monthly.

College Operational Budget Guidelines

The college practices a Positive Balance Expenditure Policy which requires available funding for all expenditures. 

Funding provided to meet legal requirements, contractual obligations or mandates are restricted for that specific purpose.  Any surplus funding not used for these purposes will be returned to the college general contingency accounts.  Examples are utilities, software licensing, and capital purchases.

The college retains budget reserves for mandatory expenses to maintain maximum flexibility of these funds.  The appropriate Vice President/Dean provides a quarterly review of these expenses, in relationship to available funding for financial planning purposes, results of the review are provided to the Director of College Budget and Grants.  Funds will be transferred to offset expense throughout the fiscal year.

Any surplus or deficit balances in permanent, board-approved salary and related benefits object codes are the responsibility of the college.  Surplus funding will be transferred to a central college salary push/pull account; transfer of these funds will be limited to clearing deficits in permanent, board-approved position object codes.

Expenses related to temporary wages, student wages, shift differential and overtime are the responsibility of the department.

Approved one year only positions will be funded to employment assignment amount or actual fiscal year expense in the case of position starting after July 1.

Official functions and travel object codes must be in balance each month.

Employees must first exhaust professional growth opportunities before expending department funds for travel expense except for specifically designated or required activities approved by the President.

The college maintains a central college mileage account for official travel status mileage expense.

Requisitions include applicable tax and shipping to ensure full encumbrance of expended funds.

Utility expenses are fully encumbered on July 1st to ensure funding availability.

Funding availability and expenditures against college central accounts are the responsibility of the Vice President of Administrative Services (VPAS); expenditures are monitored by the Fiscal Director.

Projections for enrollment growth incentive funds and carry-forward one time only funding funds are the responsibility of the VPAS.

All operational requests (one time only/one semester only funding) for the current fiscal year must be requested annually if operational funding is required.