Milestone 1
For this milestone, submit a four- to six-page document that analyzes the current economic landscape that impacts higher education and how the challenges of the landscape relate to the scenario provided in the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric.
To complete this assignment, review the following documents:
Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric: follow this rubric verbatim
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a 4- to 6-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format
HEA 620 Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric
Overview: For this milestone, you will write a 4- to 6-page document that analyzes the current economic landscape that affects higher education and how the
challenges of the landscape relate to the scenario in the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric (and below) and its appropriate facts provided.
Prompt: Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
a. Describe current economic challenges that impact higher education. What are the financial pressures on institutions of higher education from
areas such as changes in demographics, politics, and other external socioeconomic factors? What financial trends or patterns have an influence?
Have different types of higher educational institutions been impacted differently? What other relevant details will give a full picture of the
economic challenges?
b. Describe how these challenges relate to the institution, using the data from the assumptive facts. See the appropriate facts and figures below
for the scenario institution.
How might the factors that you described previously have influenced your functional areas operating budget?
How are current enrollment and projected enrollment crucial factors in your budget, and what influence(s) does enrollment have on
your functional areas operating budget?
Given the current economic challenges, what changes in revenue stream are likely for the institution?
What other relevant details about the institutions financial landscape will help give a full picture of the institutions budget
challenges?
Institution Scenario and Initial Budget Assumptive Facts
In preparing your initial budget, you will work with your instructor to build and justify an annual operating budget for the Office of Student Leadership and
Engagement within Student Affairs at a public university. Your instructor will serve as your budget-approving authority, the vice president of Student Affairs.
Certain assumptive facts are provided to bring contextual relevance to the given scenario. You will also be asked to reforecast your budget based on a 10%
decline in fall enrollment. To be successful, you need to acknowledge current challenges in the higher education financial landscape, examine enterprise
frameworks governing the allocation of revenue streams, demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts that comprise the annual budgeting
process (including re-forecasting activities), evaluate and interpret financial statements specific to the higher education environment, and then reflect on the
budget process and how it addresses college priorities.
For your initial annual budget, utilize the following assumptive facts (you may also identify and introduce additional assumptive facts into your planning as you
deem appropriate):
You are the director of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement within the Division of Student Affairs at a large, public university.
You have four full-time staff members, one part-time (10-hours per week, non-benefited) staff member for social media, 10 student workers on Federal
Work-Study, two part-time graduate student educators, and your position as director.
Consider fringe benefits to be 32% of each annual salary.
Your current budget (including staff) is $1,628,000.
The college created its original budget based on 16,280 full-time enrollments (FTEs).
The fall enrollment was down 10% from the budget, only 14,652 FTEs.
Your facility and technology expenses are paid from a budget outside of your area.
Your department receives all funds based on enrollment at $100 per FTE.
Line items in your budget include many individual items and activities.
o Office supplies
o Student staff training
o Staff professional developmenttwo staff to attend NACA, one staff to attend ACPA or NASPA
o New student orientation
o Marketing materials
o Institutional membership to American College Personnel Association (ACPA), National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA),
and National Association for Campus Activities (NACA)
o Two students to attend Social Justice Training Institute (STJI)
o Travel
o Meals and entertainment
o Staff salaries
Director: $75,000 x 32% (fringe benefits, such as medical, dental, etc.) = $24,000 + $75,000 (base salary) = $99,000 total
Assistant director: $65,000 x 32% = $20,800 + 65,000 = $85,800 total
Two entry-level coordinators: $55,000 x 32% = $17,600 + $55,000 = $72,600 x 2 (coordinators) = $145,200 total
One part-time social media position: 10 hours per week x $20 an hour for 32 weeks = $6,400 total
Two part-time graduate student staff: 10 hours per week x $15 an hour for 32 weeks = $4,800 x 2 (staff) = $9,600 total
o Salaries and benefits are $1,113,400.
o The 10 work-study staff salaries are paid via their Pell Grants; therefore, there is no cost to the department.
Note: Based upon our classroom discussions, certain assumptive facts may be identified that have not been provided here. Consequently, your instructor may ask
you to incorporate new facts at any time prior to the submission of your initial budget or reforecasted budget milestones. These possible last-minute changes to
your budget are reflective of the real-world higher education environment, and budget managers must be able to demonstrate fiscal flexibility in light of new
changes in the financial landscape.
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a 4- to 6-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font,
one-inch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format.
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Current Economic
Challenges
Describes current economic challenges that
impact higher education, providing an
accurate and comprehensive overview
Describes current economic challenges that
impact higher education, but description is
inaccurate or is not comprehensive
Does not describe current economic
challenges that impact higher education
45
Institution Describes how the economic challenges
relate to the institution, integrating the data
from the assumptive facts
Describes economic challenges that relate
to the institution but integration of data is
cursory or inaccurate
Does not describe economic challenges that
relate to the institution
45
Articulation of
Response
Submission has no major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization
Submission has major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization that negatively impact
readability and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization that prevent understanding of
ideas
10
Total 100%
HEA 620 Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric
Institution Scenario and Initial Budget Assumptive Facts
Rubric 1
HEA 620 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a budget report and memos to communicate the budget decisions to various stakeholders.
As you continue your journey toward becoming a degree-carrying higher education administrator, you must examine the basics of financial budgeting associated
with the management of a higher education enterprise.
By providing a reasonably accurate picture of the upcoming year, the budgeting process will help improve your understanding of both departmental and
institutional goals. Properly created or subsequently reforecasted budgets afford you the opportunity to plan in advance to meet projected needs, thereby
sharpening your ability to decide what you will be able to accomplish, given your goals. While working with budgets can certainly teach you effective ways to
manage large amounts of money, the budgeting process can also encourage you to seek alternative funding sources in order to satisfy departmental needs within
specific financial constraints.
Further, the budgeting process is a necessary element of higher education administration, as you will be required to reference your budget when submitting
various expenditure proposals throughout the fiscal year. Without question, developing effective budgeting skills will help you to better communicate the
financial realities you encounter and bring context to all financial discussions within the institution. By working in advance, maintaining a sound understanding of
the budgeting process, and exercising prudent fiscal control, you will become better able to avoid financial shortfalls. Quite frankly, it is incumbent upon all higher
education administrators to accept this fiduciary responsibility for the funds entrusted to them.
In this budget report and communication, you will examine the financial landscape of an institution of higher education and develop budgets, based on specific
parameters, for functional areas. To do this, you will apply into your budget appropriate tuition and fee revenue schedules, government appropriations, large
grants, and investment income as revenue streams. You will also apply the complexities of financial aid regulations, institutional budget planning, and the
expanding expense of compensation and technology upgrades, as well as all routine and recurring expenses.
This project is divided into four milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, Six, and Seven. The final project will be submitted in Module Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Analyze current economic challenges for their impact on the higher education financial landscape
Create budgets by applying basic financial concepts to the higher education budgeting process and that address relevant regulatory and compliance
requirements
2
Communicate how budget and finance activities impact stakeholder audiences and the operational planning process
Analyze the budget process for how it informs college priorities
Institution Scenario and Initial Budget Assumptive Facts
In preparing your initial budget, you will work with your instructor to build and justify an annual operating budget for the Office of Student Leadership and
Engagement within Student Affairs at a public university. Your instructor will serve as your budget-approving authority, the vice president of Student Affairs.
Certain assumptive facts are provided to bring contextual relevance to the given scenario. You will also be asked to reforecast your budget based on a 10%
decline in fall enrollment. To be successful, you need to acknowledge current challenges in the higher education financial landscape, examine enterprise
frameworks governing the allocation of revenue streams, demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts that comprise the annual budgeting
process (including reforecasting activities), evaluate and interpret financial statements specific to the higher education environment, and then reflect on the
budget process and how it addresses college priorities.
For your initial annual budget, utilize the following assumptive facts:
You are the director of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement within the Division of Student Affairs at a large, public university.
You have four full-time staff members, one part-time (10-hours per week, non-benefited) staff member for social media, 10 student workers on Federal
Work-Study, two part-time graduate student educators, and your position as director.
Consider fringe benefits to be 32% of each annual salary.
Your current budget (including staff) is $1,628,000.
The college created its original budget based on 16,280 full-time enrollments (FTEs).
The fall enrollment was down 10% from the budget, only 14,652 FTEs.
Your facility and technology expenses are paid from a budget outside of your area.
Your department receives all funds based on enrollment at $100 per FTE.
Line items in your budget include many individual items and activities.
o Office supplies
o Student staff training
o Staff professional developmenttwo staff to attend NACA, one staff to attend ACPA or NASPA
o New student orientation
o Marketing materials
o Institutional membership to American College Personnel Association (ACPA), National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA),
and National Association for Campus Activities (NACA)
o Two students to attend Social Justice Training Institute (STJI)
o Travel
3
o Meals and entertainment
o Staff salaries
Director: $75,000 x 32% (fringe benefits, such as medical, dental, etc.) = $24,000 + $75,000 (base salary) = $99,000 total
Assistant director: $65,000 x 32% = $20,800 + 65,000 = $85,800 total
Two entry-level coordinators: $55,000 x 32% = $17,600 + $55,000 = $72,600 x 2 (coordinators) = $145,200 total
One part-time social media position: 10 hours per week x $20 an hour for 32 weeks = $6,400 total
Two part-time graduate student staff: 10 hours per week x $15 an hour for 32 weeks = $4,800 x 2 (staff) = $9,600 total
o Salaries and benefits are $1,113,400.
o The 10 work-study staff salaries are paid via their Pell Grants; therefore, there is no cost to the department.
Note: Based upon our classroom discussions, certain assumptive facts may be identified that have not been provided here. Consequently, your instructor may ask
you to incorporate new facts at any time prior to the submission of your initial budget or reforecasted budget milestones. These possible last-minute changes to
your budget are reflective of the real-world higher education environment, and budget managers must be able to demonstrate fiscal flexibility in light of new
changes in the financial landscape.
Prompt
In this budget report and communication, you will work with your instructor to build and justify an annual operating budget for a functional area of a university.
Appropriate facts and figures for a scenario institution are provided above.
First, you will provide an overview of the current economic landscape facing higher education, the course-provided institution scenario, and the specific
functional area. You will then create an annual budget for the functional area, utilizing the provided template. In this budget, you will annotate your budget
items, explaining the rationale for your choices. Next, you will be asked to reforecast your budget based on a 10% decline in fall enrollment. You will create the
reforecasted budget, showing how you will respond to the institutional budget requirement. As before, you will utilize the Budget Template document in the
Reading and Resources section and annotate your choices.
To be successful, you will acknowledge current challenges in the higher education financial landscape, examine enterprise frameworks governing the allocation of
revenue streams, demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts that comprise the annual budgeting process (including reforecasting
activities), evaluate and interpret financial statements specific to the higher education environment, and then reflect on the budget process and how it addresses
college priorities.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction: Analyze the current economic landscape and explain its impact on the institution and functional area.
4
a. Describe current economic challenges that impact higher education. What are the financial pressures on institutions of higher education from
areas such as changes in demographics, politics, and other external socioeconomic factors? What financial trends or patterns have an influence?
Have different types of higher educational institutions been impacted differently? What other relevant details will give a full picture of the
economic challenges?
b. Describe how these challenges relate to the institution, using the data from the assumptive facts.
How might the factors that you described previously have influenced the functional area’s operating budget?
How are current enrollment and projected enrollment crucial factors in the budget, and what influence(s) does enrollment have on
the functional area’s operating budget?
Given the current economic challenges, what changes in revenue stream are likely for the institution?
What other relevant details about the institution’s financial landscape will help give a full picture of the institution’s budget
challenges?
II. Create an initial departmental budget for the upcoming fiscal year based on research and the assumptive facts, using the Budget Template document.
a. Your budget should reflect planned expenses and revenue by line item and by month of planned encumbrance. What compliance and regulatory
requirements had to be considered?
b. Annotate your line items. Why have you made the choices that you made? What information informed your decision for each item? See
instructions in the Budget Template document for how to annotate entries.
III. Create a reforecasted budget for the remainder of the year that reflects the 10% institutional budget reduction based on research and the assumptive
facts, using the line item template.
a. Your budget should reflect planned expenses and revenue by line item and by month of planned encumbrance. What compliance and regulatory
requirements had to be considered?
b. Annotate your line items. Why have you made the choices that you made? What information informed your decision for each item? See
instructions in the Budget Template document for how to annotate entries.
IV. Communicate your reforecasted budget decisions to your staff, being sure to focus on your functional area’s role in the operations of the institution.
Write three different memos that explain your budget cuts to the following audiences: your staff, a vendor, and your supervisor. Keep in mind your
specific audience’s needs and ways to gain their support. Be sure to use facts, information, and approaches that will be the most useful to them. Keep in
mind the following as you craft your communication:
a. Write a memo to your staff that explains the economic, compliance, and regulatory requirements that drove your decisions. Be sure to use facts,
information, and approaches that will be the most useful to your staff.
b. Write a memo to a vendor that explains the economic, compliance, and regulatory requirements that drove your decisions. Be sure to use facts,
information, and approaches that will be the most useful to a vendor.
c. Write a memo to your direct superior that explains the economic, compliance, and regulatory requirements that drove your decisions. Be sure
to use facts, information, and approaches that will be the most useful to your superior.
5
Milestones
Milestone One: Introduction
In Module Two, you will submit a 4- to 6-page document that analyzes the current economic landscape that affects higher education and how the challenges of
the landscape relate to the scenario provided in the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Upcoming Fiscal Year Budget
In Module Four, you will submit an initial departmental budget for the upcoming fiscal year that is based on research and the assumptive facts of the scenario
introduced in the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Reforecasted Budget
In Module Six, you will review the initial budget that you created in Milestone Two and submit a reforecasted budget based on provided research and assumptive
facts. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Milestone Four: Communication
In Module Seven, you will submit three different memos that explain your budget cuts to the following audiences: your staff, a vendor, and your supervisor. This
milestone is graded with the Milestone Four Rubric.
Final Submission: Budget Report and Communication
In Module Nine, you will assemble and submit your initial departmental budget, your reforecasted budget, and your three communication memos. It should be a
complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the
course. This submission is graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Deliverables
Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading
1 Introduction Two Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric
2 Upcoming Fiscal Year Budget Four Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric
3 Reforecasted Budget Six Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric
4 Communication Seven Graded separately; Milestone Four Rubric
Final Submission: Budget Report and
Communication
Nine Graded separately; Final Project Rubric
6
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Assemble and submit your initial departmental budget, your reforecasted budget, and your three communication memos. Be sure to
incorporate all feedback that you received from the milestone submissions. Written components of projects must follow these formatting guidelines, when
applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction:
Current Economic
Challenges
Meets Proficient criteria and
details and examples
communicate a nuanced insight
into the interplay among the
economic dimensions
Describes current economic
challenges that impact higher
education, providing an accurate
and comprehensive overview
Describes current economic
challenges that impact higher
education, but description is
inaccurate or is not
comprehensive
Does not describe current
economic challenges that impact
higher education
7.5
Introduction:
Institution
Meets Proficient criteria and
details and examples
communicate a nuanced insight
into the interplay among the
challenges and the data
Describes how the economic
challenges relate to the
institution, integrating the data
from the assumptive facts
Describes economic challenges
that relate to the institution but
integration of data is cursory or
inaccurate
Does not describe economic
challenges that relate to the
institution
7.5
Upcoming Fiscal Year:
Budget
Meets Proficient criteria and
choices demonstrate a
resourceful allocation of funds to
meet department needs
Creates a detailed budget for the
upcoming fiscal year that reflects
planned expenses and revenues
and addresses relevant
regulatory and compliance
requirements
Creates a cursory or inaccurate
budget for the upcoming fiscal
year that reflects planned
expenses and revenues but may
not address relevant regulatory
and compliance requirements
Does not create a budget for the
upcoming fiscal year
15
Upcoming Fiscal Year:
Annotations
Meets Proficient criteria and
details and examples
communicate a multidimensional
insight into the budgeting
process and its relationship to
institutional decision making
Annotates line items with
explanations of budgeting
choices and the information or
data that informed those choices
Annotates line items with
explanations of budgeting
choices but information or data is
cursory or inaccurate
Does not annotate line items
with explanations of budgeting
choices
15
Reforecast:
Budget
Meets Proficient criteria and
choices demonstrate a
resourceful allocation of funds to
meet department needs
Creates a detailed reforecasted
budget that reflects the 10%
institutional budget reduction
and addresses relevant
regulatory and compliance
requirements
Creates a cursory or inaccurate
reforecasted budget that reflects
the 10% institutional budget
reduction but may not address
relevant regulatory and
compliance requirements
Does not create a reforecasted
budget
15
7
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Reforecast:
Annotate
Meets Proficient criteria and
details and examples
communicate a multidimensional
insight into the budgeting
process and its relationship to
institutional decision making
Annotates lines items with
explanations of budgeting
choices, especially regarding the
10% budget reduction, and the
information and data that
informs those choices
Annotates line items with
explanations of budgeting
choices but information or data,
especially regarding the 10%
budget reduction, is cursory or
inaccurate
Does not annotate line items
with explanations of budgeting
choices
15
Communication:
Staff
Meets Proficient criteria and
choice of details to present to the
audience demonstrates a
nuanced insight into the role of
the audience within the
institution
Writes a memo to functional
area’s staff that explains the
requirements that drove the
budget decisions using
information and approaches
directed at this audience’s needs
Writes a memo to functional
area’s staff that explains the
requirements that drove the
budget decisions, but memo is
cursory, inaccurate, or does not
use information and approaches
directed at this audience’s needs
Does not write a memo to
functional area’s staff
5
Communication:
Vendor
Meets Proficient criteria and
choice of details to present to the
audience demonstrates a
nuanced insight into the
audience’s role in the functional
area
Writes a memo to a vendor that
explains the requirements that
drove the budget decisions using
information and approaches
directed at this audience’s needs
Writes a memo to a vendor that
explains the requirements that
drove the budget decisions, but
memo is cursory, inaccurate, or
does not use information and
approaches directed at this
audience’s needs
Does not write a memo to a
vendor
5
Communication:
Direct Superior
Meets Proficient criteria and
choice of details to present to the
audience demonstrates a
nuanced insight into the
audience’s role in functional area
Writes a memo to a direct
superior that explains the
requirements that drove the
budget decisions using
information and approaches
directed at this audience’s needs
Writes a memo to a direct
superior that explains the
requirements that drove the
budget decisions, but memo is
cursory, inaccurate, or does not
use information and approaches
directed at this audience’s needs
Does not write a memo to a
direct superior
5
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization
and is presented in a professional
and easy-to-read format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
10
Total 100%
