The next steps in the university's strategic planning process, including how to deal with a proposed budget lapse in state funding, was the focus of Monday's open forum by UW-Superior's Continuous Improvement Planning Team.

See the Annual Integrated Planning Timeline

About 100 staff, faculty and students attended the session in the Yellowjacket Union. Interim Provost Faith Hensrud chaired the forum, at which CIPT members discussed the eight items that have been identified as planning priorities for UW-Superior in 2011-13. They are:

• Ensure adequate resources for UW-Superior's Liberal Arts high impact practices.
  
• Ensure that academic offerings have adequate resources to advance quality and meet student needs.
  
• Develop appropriate growth strategies for quality Distance Learning programs that meet ever-increasing student demands.
  
• Enhance the support and resources for the faculty academic advising model.
  
• Infuse strategies for Making Excellence Inclusive across the campus community.
  
• Develop a Strategic Information Technology Plan that establishes a long-term technology vision and addresses infrastructure needs.
  
• Develop a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan which includes strategies to improve retention and increase graduation rates.
  
• Develop strategies to address faculty and staff compensation and flexible work schedules.
  
• Develop a Strategic Information Technology Plan that establishes a long-term technology vision and addresses infrastructure needs.

Read more about the Investment and Planning Priorities

The forum included discussion about the budget lapse that state Department of Administration announced Oct. 14. The lapse requires that state agencies return funding already allocated in the state budget because of lagging state revenue

Of the $174 million lapse, the University of Wisconsin System would lose more than $65 million during the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year. If approved in its present form, the lapse would cost UW-Superior $700,290 this fiscal year and $298,176 next fiscal year.

Jan Hanson, vice chancellor for administration and finance, told the audience that UW-Superior is financially sound "but the lapses will be extremely difficult to manage" because they must be made during a fiscal year that already has begun.

Efforts will be made to minimize the effect of the budget lapse on students, to seek out cost-saving efficiencies, and to use open positions and attrition to save money.

Member of the CIPT are asking employees to for ideas and feedback on the planning process. Employees are urged to send their thoughts about the eight identified priorities and any additional priorities by Nov. 1 to provost@uwsuper.edu.