Budget Preparation and Control Policy
The Council on Postsecondary Education, (“the Council”) is responsible for the submission of the proposed budgets of the public institutions of higher education and the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (OPC). After the proposed budgets have been submitted, the chair of the Council, with such assistance from, the Commissioner, Associate Commissioners, other members of the Council and from the presidents of the institutions as is deemed appropriate, shall maintain the necessary contacts with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Governor and the Rhode Island General Assembly in support of the requested appropriations. In budget hearings, the commissioner and the presidents will be expected to explain the budgets of their respective institutions.
I. The Council will review the budget proposals submitted by the commissioner and the presidents of the institutions with such careful consideration that it can accept responsibility for:
A) The policies implicit in the proposed budgets which it approves;
B) The appropriation requests which are made; and
C) The wise and economical use of the appropriations if granted. In other words, the requests for appropriations are requests by the Council, and therefore, will be a financial expression of its corporate purposes.
II. Estimates
A. In the proposed budgets, estimates of expenditure shall be realistic, adequately inclusive for efficient operation but sufficiently limited to require discerning economy in administration. In this connection, it is important to note that effective budgetary control involves not only a negative restraint upon unnecessary expenditures but also an affirmative encouragement of wise expenditure when there are needs to be met and funds are available for that purpose.
B. In the proposed budget, estimates of income from sources other than state appropriations shall be realistic, based upon cumulative experience and all available information regarding future prospects.
C. If and when new estimates of income are available after the proposed budgets have been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget but before the state budget is completed, such revised estimates shall be made known to the the Director of the Office of Management and Budget,.
III. The Council expressly enjoins approaches to the Governor and their executive associates or the Rhode Island General Assembly, by members of the staffs of the institutions, soliciting legislative appropriations for special purposes, except in the case of the president of an institution and such persons as they may designate when acting with the consent and on behalf of the Council. In so far as it is in a position to do so, the Council will also discourage such approaches for such purposes by alumni groups and others.
IV. The Council’s mid-year review process will take place after the Governor has submitted their recommendations in January. Updated revenue and expenditure projections at mid-year will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget and the House and Senate fiscal offices prior to the final enactment of the appropriation bill.
