NYState University

Empire State University

Aligning Budgetary Decision-Making with Institutional Goals to Prioritize Student Success

Resource AllocationStudent Financial Barriers

About Empire State University

Empire State University, part of the State University of New York system, stands as New York state's premier public institution with a rich history spanning decades in online education. Catering to over 16,000 students globally, SUNY Empire is committed to offering high-quality, flexible, and affordable online education tailored to meet workforce needs.

Improvement Project

Develop a Budgeting Model to Prioritize Measurable Student Success

Toolkit Used

Funding Allocation Matrix

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Results

Identification of approximately $500K in partially or non-student-centered software within the ITS department, highlighting areas for potential reallocation or replacement to better serve student needs.

Streamlined budgeting process using the Funding Allocation Matrix, enabling SUNY Empire to align strategic investments more closely with student-centric priorities and metrics.

Over the past couple of years, SUNY Empire has already redirected or saved over $1.5 million within ITS areas.

The Full Story

Facing the challenge of optimizing budget allocations to best serve its diverse student population, SUNY Empire recognized the need for a structured and transparent framework to guide its investment decisions. The Funding Allocation Matrix emerged as a strategic tool to align budgetary choices with the institution's core mission and strategic goals of enhancing student success. Through the ITS budget analysis using the toolkit, SUNY Empire identified approximately $500K allocated to partially or non-student-centered software.

“The Funding Allocation Matrix has enabled us as an institution to focus on the student first during the budget and strategic funding allocation process. Using the tool, we can set priorities to invest in the resources that our historically and currently marginalized students need for better outcomes.”
Lexie BonitatibusBudget Control Officer