Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024

Dear UNT Community,

One of the top priorities for the university is to identify a new strategic budgeting model to better support and advance the current and evolving needs of the university’s mission. As a result, the Strategic Budget Steering Committee has been charged with developing recommendations for a new budgeting model at UNT. While our current model has served UNT for many decades, we are striving to make recommendations that align UNT more closely with best practices to better enable us to strategically reach our goals.

The steering committee has been hard at work and meeting weekly since early September. The process to adopt a new strategic budgeting model includes many steps — all of which play an important role toward a successful outcome. Over the past several weeks, the committee has taken time to educate its diverse group of members on UNT’s current budgeting processes, outlining a participatory communications plan including the launch of the Strategic Budgeting website. The committee has begun to explore several model considerations and implications that are helping aid the technical committee’s research and support.

The success of this effort will be enhanced by the active participation and input from the entire UNT community. In the coming weeks, the Strategic Budgeting Steering Committee will host a series of presentations and discussions to share its activities and gather feedback as it contemplates the best strategic budgeting model for the university.

On behalf of our committee, I invite you to attend one of the listening sessions that best suits your interest group. Zoom links for each session are on the Strategic Budgeting Resources page. If you are unable to attend a session that corresponds to your position at UNT, you are welcome to join any other session that aligns with your schedule:

  • Staff supervisors and budget decision makers, 3-4 p.m. Nov. 5. Join us on Zoom.
  • Students discussion group, 11 a.m.-noon Nov. 6. Join us on Zoom.
  • Faculty chairs, faculty leadership and budget decision makers, 2-3 p.m. Nov. 6. Join us on Zoom.
  • General faculty discussion group, 11 a.m.-noon Nov. 8. Join us on Zoom.
  • Students discussion group, 2-3 p.m. Nov. 11. Join us on Zoom.
  • General staff discussion group, 10-11 a.m. Nov. 12. Join us on Zoom.

The committee’s aim is to find a strategic budgeting model that is comprehensive and designed to enhance our ability to address priority needs, plan for future goals, and offer greater flexibility and transparency. While the revised model will serve as a high-level tool rather than providing line-item guarantees, it will be instrumental in guiding our strategic financial decisions and ensuring our resources are aligned with our institutional priorities. Visit the Strategic Budgeting website to learn more and to provide feedback via a form on the resources page.

We are committed to ensuring the new strategic budget model meets the needs of the university and advances our collective mission. We appreciate your feedback and support as we work together to build a more robust and agile financial framework for UNT.

Thank you for your engagement and dedication to our Mean Green future.

Dr. Albert Bimper
Chair, Strategic Budgeting Steering Committee
Executive Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences