Talking Stick - January/February 2017 - 33

Posener, who has worked for both
private and public institutions. This
means that while housing departments
charge for rooms, the funds collected
are budgeted throughout the entire
campus. Sometimes, a department's
budget can be a mere 10 percent of
the actual revenue collected. However,
unlike larger public institutions, the
small college or university then, on
an institutional level, usually pays
for maintenance and upkeep. The
senior housing officer at a small
campus typically oversees programs
and staffing and is a key resource for
building and maintenance but doesn't
typically oversee those major projects
(or costs).
Budgets should not be thought

funds, always prioritize the student
perspective. "I always ask myself,
'How will the students be impacted?'
and when I sit down to review the
upcoming year's budget with our
team, I always start the conversation
from this perspective," says Marquart.
"It can also help open doorways of
creativity and collaboration." Shelle
Basilio-Murray, associate director of
residential education at Hobart and
William Smith Colleges in Geneva,
New York, highlighted the student
perspective when making plans for
an annual Halloween trick-or-treating
event for the local community at the
colleges' apartment complex. The
initial budget was fairly simple: candy
for each apartment and perhaps some

event was approved.
Clear and detailed assessment
should be tied to every budget request,
whether it be to propose a new budget
or defend a current one. Though staff
may have high priorities and wish
lists, the reality is that administrators
need to carefully consider how tuition
dollars are spent, especially at small
institutions which are typically heavily
dependent on tuition. As Marquart
notes, "If a residential coordinator is
preparing a budget proposal, I can
expect a document that aligns with
the philosophy of our department."
He continues, "Any time I am asked,
'How much can I spend?' I often
respond, 'I am not going to give you
a dollar amount. What do you think

CLEAR AND DETAILED ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE TIED TO EVERY BUDGET
REQUEST, WHETHER IT BE TO PROPOSE A NEW BUDGET OR DEFEND A
CURRENT ONE.

of as a one-size-fits-all plan or even
as a slight variation on the previous
year's model. "Budget proposals
should be tied to yearly unit plans/
goals," says Tracy McFarland, associate
vice president of student affairs at
Keuka. "Then those goals should be
tied directly to the key performance
indicators (measurements) of the
institution." Since the budget is
decided by senior staff who are
typically weighing one proposal
against many others, "it's important
in building a proposal to look at best
practices, benchmark against other
like institutions, and include other
research to complement campus
data that is available; including an
overall rationale for the money being
requested is essential."
When asking for additional

decorations. When planners decided
to include a college/community event
immediately following, money was
tight, and, while the event would
clearly benefit the community, she
knew that the selling point would be
its impact on the students. So she
asked, "What if the local community
impact was more of a byproduct of
volunteering or service experience
for our students?" Using that focus
as a guideline, the program this year
included a reflection assignment
for the students, asking them what
they learned about the community
and how they might engage with the
community in the next 30 days. The
response rate was phenomenal, the
program had a positive impact on the
student experience, and there was
tangible evidence that students were
learning from the service - and the

is reasonable so that you can meet
the objectives of this event, but also
be sensible with students' tuition
dollars?'" Even if housing is 100
percent occupied, if the institution
itself is down 50 to 100 students,
residence life will feel the crunch too.
Many assume that a line item will
simply roll over from year to year,
but they will need an assessmentdriven answer at hand when someone
questions that line item - particularly
if it has been underutilized.
Assessment should include statistics
about attendance and usage for such
things as programming, the current
inventory, the condition and the life
expectancy of furniture that needs
replacement, and what the student
experience would be if something were
cut from the budget. The real impact

JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2017

33
Talking Stick - January/February 2017

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