State University | Public 4-year

Sam Houston State University

Centering Students, Transforming Practices, and Improving Outcomes

Improving Budget Request Processes for Non-Financial Leaders at Sam Houston State University

The Problem

Sam Houston State University, located in Huntsville, Texas, enrolls approximately 21,000 students annually across its eight colleges. The institution offers medical, doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate programs. Sam Houston State is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.

The Action

Deans and departmental leaders at Sam Houston State historically presented their budget requests in a content-dense meeting format that allowed little time for inquiry and dialog. A newly appointed chief business officer (CBO) hoped to refine the process to allow more time for conversation and interdisciplinary engagement by providing leaders with a concise guide that would support preparation for more focused, consistent budget submissions.

The Results

To support consistency and alignment with strategic priorities, the CBO customized the Budget Builder Discussion Guide and shared it with deans and other campus leaders to help them develop their presentations of their budget requests.

By supporting advanced preparation of budget requests with the guide, presented and submitted requests were better aligned with institutional priorities and budget allocation parameters.

“We recognized we needed to be more transparent about the dollars available to be allocated, and to honor people's time by providing them with better guidance in advance of, and throughout the budget development process.”
Amanda WithersChief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Operations

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