The University Budget
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The University budget consists of funds generated through various sources of revenue: state, institutional, self-supporting, grants and sponsored projects.
The State funds budget has two separate categories: the operating budget, and the capital budget. The development of these budgets begins almost two years before funds are appropriated and expended.
The budget for operations includes funds for ongoing campus activities such as salaries, wages, and support expenses (including the operation and maintenance of facilities). The budget for capital improvements includes funding for new buildings, additions to existing buildings, major remodeling, utility infrastructure, and site improvements.
Requests for operating and capital budgets are prepared annually by all campuses in the University of Illinois system. The chancellor and provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, with the assistance of the Office of Budgeting and Program Analysis, are responsible for preparing budget requests on behalf of the UIC campus. The academic and support units are consulted in the preparation of the campus budget requests.
The university administration, in consultation with the campuses, develops a request for the university as a whole that is presented to the Board of Trustees for approval. After action by the Board of Trustees, the university’s budget requests are presented to the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
The IBHE reviews requests from the University of Illinois as well as requests from other Illinois public higher education agencies and institutions. After these reviews, the IBHE develops a combined higher education budget request that is presented to the governor and to both houses of the General Assembly. The University of Illinois and all other institutions and agencies that request state funds submit appropriation bills to the General Assembly. After reviewing appropriation requests, the General Assembly appropriates operating and capital funds for the next fiscal year. The governor may, by use of an amendatory veto, alter the appropriated amount forwarded from the General Assembly. In such a case, the altered amount approved by the governor represents the actual funds available to the university, unless the legislature overrides the amendment.
At the same time that State support to the University is being reviewed by the governor and the legislature, the university determines tuition and fee rates for its programs and services. The university administration, in consultation with the campuses, makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees for annual changes in tuition and fee rates.
Academic and support units make resource requests to the campus through the annual campus budget planning process. Once State operating budget appropriations are made known to the university and tuition and fee rates are set, the provost, in consultation with the chancellor, allocates resources to individual units and activities within the university.
Funds for capital improvements are appropriated to the Illinois Capital Development Board, which oversees all construction activities. Appropriations are made for specific projects. Responsibility for project management rests in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services.