School of Education Budget Sustainability

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Like other universities nationwide, the CU Boulder campus is embarking on a transformation and financial resiliency initiative to proactively address projections that expenses will exceed revenues in FY27. The School of Education is simultaneously facing a pivotal juncture for the sustainability of our budget that requires us to think collectively and collaboratively about ways to address our shortfalls in the near term.  

The school's budget transformation project aims to provide budget resiliency through transparency and multiple points of engagement for faculty, staff, and students. A representative Ad Hoc Budget Sustainability Committee will regularly engage with students, staff, and faculty and advise the leadership team and dean.

Our vibrant School of Education community and our equity and justice commitments are critical parts of CU Boulder’s mission and service to the state and nation — those truths have not and will not waver. We are committed to thinking and working together, remaining student- and people-centric, and upholding our vital research, teaching, and public mission.

Thank you for your collaboration, positivity, and confidence in our positive intent as we work through this process together, 

Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Interim Dean

  Review email archive     View the Budget Sustainability Project Launch Slides 

  View the Budget Sustainability Committee Final Report 

Budget Sustainability Ad Hoc Committee

   Project Timeline

April 3 & 4: Dean presents at faculty meeting & staff meeting
April 5: Dean hosts information session for all School of Education students
April 10: Committee member nominations and self-nominations due
April 19: First committee meeting: chair selection, charge and scope
April 24: Committee meeting: Overview of CU Boulder and school budget​
May 8: Committee meeting: Overview of school organization​
May 22: Committee meeting: Overview of course releases and leadership roles​
June 5 and 17: Committee meets and develops recommendations​
July 1: Committee recommendations due to the interim dean and leadership team
Early August: Dean shares final recommendations
Fall Semester: Sub-committees review recommendations

   Guiding Principles

Our School of Education community and our equity and justice commitments are critical parts of CU Boulder’s mission and service to the state and nation

We will be student- and people-centric in our thinking, while holding care for all our people

We will remain committed to upholding the School of Education’s vital research, teaching, and public mission

Read Committee Charge 

   Committee Members

  • Emily Johns O’Leary, PhD student, literacy studies 
  • Karla Scornavacco, director of field experiences 
  • Kelsey Ostenaa, sponsored projects manager 
  • Oded Gurantz, assistant professor, REM 
  • Roudy Hildreth, executive director, CU Engage 
  • Terri Wilson, associate professor, EFPP
  • Travis Anderson, assistant dean of academic program and planning
  • Valerie Otero, professor, STEM education

   Committee Report

The Budget Sustainability Ad Hoc Committee finalized and shared their final report with the interim dean and the leadership team on July 1 and it was shared with the community at large the following week. The leadership team will review recommendations to develop a roadmap and implementation strategy to be released in August and September.

  View the Budget Sustainability Committee Final Report 

Budget Committee Office Hours

Join office hours either in person (MBE 144A) or via Zoom.

  • Monday, May 6, 9-10 a.m. (Oded Gurantz & Roudy Hildreth) 
  • Monday, May 13, 1-2 p.m. (Terri Wilson & Karla Scornavacco) 
  • Monday, May 20, 9-10 a.m. (Travis Anderson & Valerie Otero) 
  • Tuesday, May 28, 1-2 p.m. (Karla Scornavacco & Roudy Hildreth) 
  • Monday, June 3, 9-10 a.m. (Oded Gurantz & Kelsey Ostenaa)  
  • Monday, June 10, 1-2 p.m. (Travis Anderson & Emily Johns-O'Leary) 
  • Monday, June 17, 9-10 a.m. (Kelsey Ostenaa & Valerie Otero)  
  • Monday, June 24, 1-2 p.m. (Emily Johns-O'Leary & Terri Wilson) 

Dean Office Hours

  • Thursday, May 2: 10-11 a.m. (in-person, MBE 210) 
  • Monday, May 6: 3-4 p.m. (in-person, MBE 210) 
  • Thursday, May 16: 1-2 p.m. (Zoom)
  • Thursday, May 23: 1-2 p.m. (in-person, MBE 210) 
  • Thursday, June 6: 10-11 a.m. (Zoom) 
  • Thursday, June 13: 10-11 a.m. (in-person, MBE 210) 
  • Monday, June 17: 3-4 p.m. (Zoom) 

Implementation Sub-Committees

Implementation sub-committees that will help us examine and implement the nine main recommendations from the Budget Sustainability Committee Report:

  1. Teaching Loads and Course Variation
  2. Leadership and Administrative Roles
  3. Creative Course Configurations
  4. Undergraduate and Teacher Education
  5. Graduate Education
  6. Research Mission
  7. Campus Funded Programs
  8. Organizational Structures and Budgetary Practices
  9. Ongoing Advocacy for the School of Education

These nine areas were combined into five sub-committees, with a member of the leadership team and a budget committee member informing the conversation for each bin: 

  • Undergraduate & teacher education: Led by Elizabeth Dutro (4)
    • Committee includes: Karla Scornavacco, Melissa Braaten, and Ashley Cartun
  • Leadership structure/support: Led by Fernando Rosario-Ortiz (1, 2, 8, 9)
    • Committee includes: Oded Gurantz and Travis Anderson
  • Research: Led by Joe Polman (6)
    • Committee includes: Kelsey Ostenaa, David Webb, Derek Briggs and Debra Haffey
  • Campus funded programs: Led by Fernando Rosario-Ortiz (7, 9)
    • Committee includes: Emily Gleason, Valerie Otero, Tania Hogan and Roudy Hildreth
  • Graduate education: Led by Millie Gort (3, 5)
    • Committee includes: Natalie Koster, Emily Johns-O’Leary and Terrenda White

Over the fall semester, the sub-committees will review the corresponding recommendations; identify short-term (< 1 yr) and long-term goals; outline an implementation process; think about communication plans and change management approaches; identify barriers to implementation; and develop a budget impact statement.

   

We want to hear from students, faculty, and staff. Submit suggestions and questions for review by the committee via this web form.

  This form is now closed.

Organizational Diagnostic Study

The Organizational Diagnostic Study aims to examine and recommend improvements for the School of Education staff functions at CU Boulder as part of the school's 2024-25 priority to further stabilize budget and operations. The school partnered with an external agency and CU Boulder partner, C-Shift, on a three-month study which focused on understanding the current roles, process and systems for School of Education staff. More than 20 staff members participated in the assessment process through documentation meetings, and those insights and documentation meetings aimed to inform the assessment and final report for the School of Education.

Organizational Diagnostic Study Report

The School of Education and C-Shift released the findings from the Organizational Diagnostic Study to the School of Education community on Sept. 20. Detailed findings from the assessment are outlined in the final report and supporting appendices.

  Read the Organizational Diagnostic Study Report (doc) 

  View the Organizational Diagnostic Study Slides (ppt) 

School of Education Budget Sustainability FAQs

The School of Education has been evolving and changing over many years. We are growing in some areas and reimagining others. In past years, we have covered budget deficits with reserved funds and this coming year the reserves are not projected to cover the next year the way we have historically funded past fiscal years. In addition, the new campus budget model initiated in July 2022 has created a number of important differences in the school’s funding situation and campus procedures, which have contributed to structural budget challenges.
This project is related and also separate. This project is important for our school’s sustainability over time. We will be learning about the campus budget and financial resiliency efforts as part of the School of Education budget sustainability process and committee work.
CU Boulder has developed a website with information about the budget revision process and new budget model. Please read more about the budget model here.
 Refer to committee charge and the communications calendar. There will be strict confidentiality and legal requirements to uphold as the committee does its work, but the committee will communicate with the School of Education community following each meeting, roughly.
We remain committed to our mission, students, research, and the people who make that mission possible. The School of Education Budget Sustainabilty Ad hoc Committee will review ideas around staff structure, leadership structure, course releases, and plans for future hires, and as a community, we will think creatively and collaboratively about the structure of the school and our continued success. We will be people-centric in our thinking, while holding care for all our people.
Yes, we will be working with an external firm, C-Shift. This firm is also supporting the HR blueprint process at CU Boulder and is familiar with CU’s operations and with higher education. The organizational study will be supplemental to the budget sustainability input from the committee and the work co-created by faculty, staff, students, the leadership team and the interim dean of the School of Education.
  • As a school and university, we remain committed to work on competitive salaries for our faculty, staff, and also to maintain stipends for graduate students at rates that are comparable to other AAU peers. 
  • For more information about upcoming compensation plans, please read the Provost and COO’s March 5 messageabout financial resiliency commitments, including competitive pay for faculty and staff.
Consistent with our student-centered mission, we aim to limit impacts on student experience, and we don’t envision any disruption to student experiences or support. Our commitments to teaching, research, and service remain steady.
No. All of our commitments to doctoral student funding and our student fellowships and scholarships will be honored. Commitments to student support will not waver. All of our doctoral students funding packages and graduate research assistantships will remain steady. We want all of our students to be able to focus on why they are here — to learn — free and clear of the administrative work of faculty, leadership oversight, or budget concerns.
  • The committee will provide recommendations to the interim dean by early July 2024. The interim dean, in collaboration with the leadership team, will evaluate the recommendations. This process will occur in July and early August. Ultimately, the interim dean will make final decisions.
  • Participation from committee members in addition to faculty, staff, and students at large will be a key component in the co-creation of the interim dean’s final recommendations.