Will the proposed budget model create an “even playing field” or will units have unequal starting points because of historical inequities that are not addressed by the current budget model?
Recommendation: The BMRIC recognizes that workloads and responsibilities for units have changed and the current budget model did not adequately address those changes in a timely manner. This situation highlights one of the primary reasons that ISU is exploring an alternative budget model. However, the committee believes that it is not practical to rebase the budget in the first year and at the same time, implement a new budget model. In addition, the Resource Management Model is not designed to immediately eliminate inequalities, but is designed to be more dynamic and responsive to changes moving forward. In the base year, the model will be neutral on adjusting for historical inequities. In subsequent years, the model provides university leadership with the Resource Management Fund to address these inequities.
