Budget Department

At the inception of College of Eastern Idaho, a base budget was created for each department. These budgets were developed by analyzing prior year spending as well as expense projections from department managers and projected growth. Personnel costs, operating expenses, and capital outlay make up each departmental budget. As a new department is created, a similar process takes place to build a new base budget. 

Usually in January, the Vice President of Finance and Administration (VPFA) will call for annual budget requests each year. These requests allow individual department managers to request funds in addition to their base budget. Starting with a Department Manager or Dean, a budget request is created and prioritized according to need. Once finalized, these requests are passed onto the VPFA and Vice President of Instruction and Student Affairs (VPISA), who compile all submissions into a single prioritized request. At this time, the Budget Committee will meet and review the budget requests. The Budget Committee is comprised of VPFA, VPISA, Budget Director, Director of Human Resources, and a Faculty Representative. The Committee analyzes each request and approves or declines requests due to need and projected revenue. The Committee may invite a Dean or Department Manager to further explain their request. This process allows CEI employees to have meaningful engagement in the creation of CEI’s annual budget.

It depends on the departmental budget. Please check with the Budget Department to find out.

The annual budget is broken down into two sections: revenues and expenses. Each of these is further broken down into individual line items

Revenues

• Tuition and Fees  
• Out-of-District Fees 
• State Allocation – General Fund 
• State Allocation – Career and Technical Education 
• State Liquor Fund 
• Property Taxes 
• Interest on Investments 
• User Charges 
• Miscellaneous Revenues  

Expenses

• Personnel Costs 
• Operating Expenses 
• Capital Outlay 
• Contingency Fund 

CEI may also budget an amount to be put into reserves if revenues allow. CEI operates within a balanced budget. An external finance committee reviews a draft version of the budget. The finance committee may recommend changes or may approve the budget. Once approved, the budget is presented to the Board of Trustees. The Board will recommend changes to the budget. CEI holds a budget hearing allowing the public to learn about the College’s budget and ask questions. This meeting, usually in June, is when the Board will approve the budget. Once the Board approves the budget, it becomes final and remains unchanged throughout the rest of the fiscal year unless altered by the Board of Trustees.

The Controller, Budget Director, and VPFA monitor the budget. Each month, a college-wide budget vs. actual report is created. The Finance Committee and Board of Trustees review this report. Likewise, the Budget Director creates a budget vs. actual report for each individual department. These reports are reviewed by each individual department manager. Department managers may request additional budget allocations as needed. These requests are approved or denied by President’s Advisory Council (PAC). If approved, the additional budget allocation is funded by the “contingency fund” so as not to change the overall board-approved budget. CEI utilizes Colleague Self-Service for additional budget monitoring. Self-Service is updated daily to ensure that Department Chairs and other financial managers can access the most recent financial information.