L&S Summer Budget Model

This document is an explanation of the summer budget model in L&S. It describes the different planning exercises and related reporting.

Summer 2024

This page has been updated for summer 2024.

The reports mentioned below are sent via Box (folder name = '48-#### Summer Sessions'). Department chairs/directors and administrators have access to this folder, and will need to distribute these materials to departmental staff.

Summer Budget Model Definitions

Summer Budget Definitions
Summer 131 Funding

Default funding for summer instructional expenses.

  • Funding string = 131-2 A48##93. '##' is the department number from your unit's UDDS.
  • Precise funding strings are listed on the Expense Details report.
Actual costs

Expenses incurred by the department on Summer 131 funding.

  • The planning materials will calculate estimated fringes, which may be higher or lower than actual fringes.
  • The final cost of summer instructional salaries will include actual fringes
Paid Credits 

Paid credit hours are associated with students who paid tuition to the campus tuition pool.

  • Paid credits are not affected by factors that determined the amount of tuition paid, like residency status (in-state or out-of-state) or level (undergraduate, graduate, or special student).
  • Students in non-pooled programs (e.g., 131 capstone or masters programs) or who received full tuition waivers (e.g., graduate students with tuition remission, or students with veteran’s benefits) do not generate paid credits.
  • Estimating paid credits:
    • Departments should reference actual paid credit figures from previous summers whenever possible. These figures are available on the Final Financial Report with Revenue, available in summer Box folders.
    • Departments will need to make educated guesses for new courses, or courses that have not been recently offered.
Revenue per paid credit

The fixed dollar amount that departments will receive for each paid credit.

Current amount = $325, last updated for summer 2023.

This rate will be reviewed every two summers and adjusted if revenue per credit continues to trend upward.

Department surplus

The department surplus is equal to revenue per paid credit minus actual costs on Summer 131 funding.

$325 * paid credits minus instructional costs

Initial Summer Budget Proposals - September/October

Initial Summer Budget Proposals
Surplus calculation

$325 * estimated paid credits minus estimated instructional costs

Reporting
Related KBs

Process

Each department will complete a Summer Budget Proposal.

  • The proposal spreadsheet is used to communicate the list of planned courses with their estimated enrollment and paid credits, along with planned instructional appointments and expenses.
  • The spreadsheet includes a Financial Summary page, which calculates an estimated departmental surplus.

The following materials are sent as part of the department's initial approval for summer. They are updated as changes occur:

  • Expense Details report - L&S - This report contains specific details for instructors, student appointments, and supplies & expenses.
  • Initial Financial Report - This report creates a surplus estimate for the department, based on estimated paid credits and planned expenses.

After the initial approval, changes may be sent via the Instructional Staffing Request form (instructions).

Guidance

You may find the following documents helpful for your summer planning:

Departments should begin by reviewing the previous year’s financial and expenditures reports to help determine course offerings, and to estimate paid credits and costs. This reporting is available in summer Box folders.

During this initial planning stage, departments should not review each course in isolation. Because elimination of one course might increase enrollment on the remaining courses, even courses that make a positive contribution to department surplus deserve scrutiny.

Courses that decrease department surplus require special attention. Departments will be permitted to run such courses as long as the department maintains a positive surplus overall.

Review of preliminary enrollment & financial data - April

Preliminary enrollment & financial Data
Surplus calculation

(90% of student credit hours * $325) minus estimated instructional costs

Reporting
Related KBs

Process

In mid-April, the College will share with departments preliminary Financial Reports using early enrollment data on Student Credit Hours (SCH).

Based on past experience, preliminary mid-April student credit hours are typically 10-15% higher than final end-of-summer paid credits. This may be due to tuition waivers and students dropping courses throughout the summer. Therefore, this report includes a 10% correction to the student credit hour figure. You may compare your preliminary Financial Report with the previous year's Financial Report with Revenue to see this effect for yourself; both reports are available in Box.

Addressing Anticipated Losses per course

Associate Dean Jennifer Klippel will consult with the Divisional Academic Associate Deans, and then follow up with departments with projected losses.

As long as the department’s overall surplus is projected to be positive, decisions about course cancellation will be delegated to the department.

If the department’s overall surplus is negative, the College will ask the department for a plan to address anticipated losses (e.g., canceling courses or reducing spending on summer 131 funding). This plan is subject to College approval; the College may cancel courses (and eliminate other costs) if the department plan is unacceptable.

Course cancellation should occur as soon as possible as it creates significant problems for students. Course cancellation should not be viewed as a substitute for careful advanced planning. In the long run, substantial numbers of cancellations will undermine student interest in summer term.

Once any changes are finalized, departments will receive revised initial Financial Reports and Expense Details reports reflecting any change in courses, instructors, or expenses.

Revenue Reporting - August / September

Preliminary enrollment & financial Data
Surplus calculation

$325 * paid credits minus instructional costs

Reporting
Related KBs

The College will distribute final Financial Reports with Revenue in late August/early September each year. This report shows actual instructional costs charged to departmental summer 131-A48##93 accounts, enrollments, student credit hours, paid credits, and department surplus. Costs may ultimately be higher (and departmental surplus lower) if some costs have not posted to WISER at the time of the report.

The following page describes the process for revenue transfers: Summer Accounting in L&S

Primary Contacts for L&S Administration

  • L&S Budget Office
  • L&S Teaching & Learning Administration
    • Cathy Yu, Administrative Assistant for Teaching & Learning Administration


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OwnerCathy Y.GroupL&S KB
Created2011-12-11 18:19:13Updated2024-02-09 20:00:30
SitesL&S KB
CleanURLhttps://kb.wisc.edu/summerbudget
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