Leveraging Collaboration with Academic Leadership to Improve Resource Allocation at Sonoma State University
Impact at a Glance
Strengthened collaboration between academic and financial leadership
Developed a revised approach to resource allocation
Used financial modeling to support planning and budgeting decisions
Advanced more interdisciplinary academic program models
Connected resource decisions with student needs and financial sustainability
The Challenge
Sonoma State University, a public institution in California with approximately 6,100 students, faced significant enrollment declines and corresponding revenue losses. Regional demographic and college-readiness trends added to the challenge, increasing the need to serve current students effectively while maintaining financial sustainability.
University leaders needed to:
- Respond to multi-year declines in enrollment and revenue
- Reevaluate academic offerings and resource allocation
- Align programs with evolving student and labor market needs
- Maintain a balanced budget with fewer resources
- Strengthen collaboration between academic and financial leadership
The provost and chief business officer recognized that close collaboration would be essential as the university revised its academic master plan and made difficult resource decisions.
The Action
Sonoma State used NACUBO’s IPEDS Peer Benchmarking Dashboards, Financial Impact Analysis, and Budget Builder to support conversations about academic planning and resource allocation.
Working across academics, institutional research, and finance, university leaders:
- Used dashboards to identify information needed for a more robust program review
- Applied financial models to inform planning and resource decisions
- Used Budget Builder resources to encourage a systems-thinking approach
- Examined the expertise and capacity required to implement resource changes
- Determined which analyses could be completed internally and which required outside expertise
- Engaged an external firm to conduct a comprehensive financial program review
The tools helped create a common foundation for conversations about academic priorities, resource needs, and financial sustainability.
The Results
Immediate Impact
- Developed a revised approach to resource allocation
- Used pro forma financial models to strengthen planning and budgeting
- Identified which analyses could be completed internally and which should be outsourced
- Initiated a comprehensive financial program review to support academic planning
Process Improvements
- Strengthened collaboration between the CBO, provost, and interdisciplinary teams
- Established new approaches to planning and budgeting
- Increased consideration of interdependent expertise and capacity when reallocating resources
- Began consolidating academic leadership and moving toward more interdisciplinary academic program models
- Kept student needs and financial sustainability central to resource decisions
Ongoing Momentum
- Continue improving planning and resource allocation practices
- Expand the use of data and dashboards to inform decisions
- Innovate academic and student support offerings to help improve enrollment
- Continue using Student Success Hub toolkits to support equitable student outcomes
- Advance the university toward sustainable financial health
“There are opportunities that exist when there are challenges that must be addressed. There was a need to look at the needs and expectations of the students and the labor market and re-envision the institution collaboratively with academic leadership. The NACUBO tools served as catalysts for so much of our work here, ...”
M. Monir AhmedVice President for Administration and Finance / CFO
