NDSU is embarking on an effort to re-envision aspects of our University budget model to incentivize financial growth via a new tuition incentive model and financial operations assessment.  We have partnered with the Huron Consulting Group to assist in gathering information regarding how financial activities are distributed across our workforce.

Project Overview

We recognize the financial pressure our University is facing, in part from revenue reductions due to declining enrollment. To support a stronger financial future for our University, we are engaging leaders across the University to support a re-envisioning of our budget model via a new tuition incentivization plan and a financial operations assessment that will support long-term budget and financial success.  We look forward to working collaboratively with you throughout this process.

Each workstream in the project is divided into phases that tie to our project timeline. The phases include:

Tuition Incentive Model

Phase 1: Assessment and Visioning (July – September 2022)

This phase includes data collection and review. Data collected will include reports from our current systems and interviews with stakeholders, which will be used to assess areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Additionally, guiding principles and a vision for the tuition incentive model redesign will be discussed and agreed upon by the Steering Committee during this phase.

Phase 2: Financial Modeling (August – October 2022)

This phase includes the design of a preliminary tuition incentive model using the information gathered in Phase 1. We will socialize, refine and validate the test model using various scenarios. Our leadership team, Steering Committee and Working Group will work to ensure that the model and assumptions align with the established guiding principles and objectives for this project. This phase will also include meetings with Deans across campus to discuss the model structure and inputs.

Phase 3: Stakeholder Engagement (September – December 2022)

During this phase, there will be additional stakeholder engagement and model customization. The work in this phase will move the tuition incentive model closer to a customized product. Throughout this phase, there will be a series of meetings with University leaders and stakeholder groups to discuss tuition incentive model elements and framework.

Phase 4: Infrastructure Development (December – January 2023)

This phase involves developing the infrastructure for the new tuition incentive model, including the refinement of processes, procedures and policies to ensure model design elements and operations support NDSU’s mission, vision and values.

Operations Assessment

Phase 1: Assessment and Visioning (July – September 2022)

This phase includes data collection and review. Data collected will include interview and focus groups of stakeholders on campus, which will be used to assess areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Business process focus groups will be held, an activity assessment will be sent to a select group of employees and a current state report will be provided to set the stage for Phase 2. Additionally, guiding principles and a vision for the financial operations assessment redesign will be created during this phase.

Phase 2: Design (October – December 2022)

This phase will begin with a series of workshops that will conceptualize future-state operations and transition this project from a conceptual framework to a deployable process. Workshops will help determine the optimal operations structure, define the plan to transition into the future-state operations model, identify necessary governance structures, and establish financial and operational performance metrics that will measure success and progress throughout the implementation. By the end of this phase, a future state report will be provided, and pre-implementation activities will begin.

Phase 3: Implementation Planning (January 2023)

This phase will establish in-scope financial structures and teams, identify the implementation timeline, and define transition activities. Once these items have been confirmed, a comprehensive roadmap and toolkit will be developed that includes user-friendly templates, resources, and supporting tools that outline discrete steps for a successful roll-out of services.

Guiding Principles

As part of this project, the Steering Committee established guiding principles to describe priorities for a desired future at NDSU.

Strategic Alignment to Land Grant Mission: Support the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, land grant mission and prior investments by developing a resource allocation and operating model that provides support and incentives to decision-makers and prioritizes resources for institutional effectiveness.

Authority and Accountability: Align units’ resource authority with accountability to empower decision-makers to be efficient, entrepreneurial and collaborative.

Simplicity: Develop and communicate resource allocation and operating models that are easy to understand, explain, and maintain.

Trust and Transparency: Incorporate collaborative governance and communicate clear information that promotes trust and transparency.