Budget Steering Committee

Dear colleagues,

As the President noted in his recent town hall discussions, we continue to make progress implementing recommendations of the Huron Consulting Group and others to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our systems and processes.

Our budgeting process was one area identified as an opportunity for improvement. Working with Huron and a Budget Steering Committee approved by the President, we have begun to evaluate budgeting methodology alternatives for Wayne State. Based on this evaluation, the steering committee will recommend a budgeting method that will be more academically driven and better align responsibility and accountability. Additional benefits we'd like to see include greater transparency and flexibility, and a more entrepreneurial approach to budgeting and planning. Our goal is to have a new budgeting process in place for FY2014.

We will continue to provide updates on the initiative's progress and, of course, along the way we will be working with many of you.

The Budget Steering Committee membership includes:

Ronald T. Brown, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Farshad Fotouhi, Dean, College of Engineering
Joe Kieleszewski, Director, Business Affairs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Rob Kohrman, Associate Vice President for Budget, Planning and Analysis
Ken Lee, Associate Dean, School of Medicine and Executive Director of the WSU Physician Group
Rick Nork, Vice President for Finance and Business Operations, Treasurer and CFO
Charles Parrish, Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Hilary Ratner, Vice President for Research
Matthew Seeger, Dean, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
Lisa Shrader, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the President
Margaret Williams, Interim Dean, School of Business Administration
William Volz, Professor, School of Business Administration

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Ronald T. Brown
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs