Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSU Abroad eliminates budget deficit
By Meredith Galante
Posted: 10/14/09, 2:32 AM EST Section: News
SU Abroad has recovered from past financial troubles under a new budget system, but the program is still struggling to increase enrollment numbers.
Due to the recession, decreased enrollment numbers and complications with Syracuse University's budget system in 2006-2007, SU Abroad experienced financial woes in the last year resulting in a deficit of more than $1 million.
In July, the university reevaluated the abroad program's budget system and decided that the program would no longer operate under the Responsibility Center Management system. It will now operate as a non-revenue program, similar to the SU Library or the Division of Student Affairs, said Donald Saleh, vice president of enrollment management.
SU Abroad was able to erase its deficit before the beginning of this fiscal year. It did this with reserve money saved from when it was a revenue center and with help from the university's operating budget, Saleh said. Saleh and Jon Booth, executive director of SU Abroad, both said they expect SU Abroad to continue to operate with a balanced budget.
Under the new system, all enrollment money from students studying abroad through SU will be allocated to their home colleges instead of SU Abroad receiving the revenue. But enrollment money, from non-SU students studying through SU Abroad, will go toward the cost of educating students abroad through SU, as well as balancing the program's budget.
Under the Responsibility Care Management system, SU Abroad was a revenue center. More successful programs would help support university-based programs that were less successful. With this system, however, SU Abroad only received 75 percent of its total revenue earned in 2008-2009.
Saleh and Booth said the program's finances still heavily rely on students from SU Abroad's partner schools like Harvard University, Yale University and the University of Virginia, among others. Students at these universities can apply to study abroad through SU's international programs.
Due to the recession, decreased enrollment numbers and complications with Syracuse University's budget system in 2006-2007, SU Abroad experienced financial woes in the last year resulting in a deficit of more than $1 million.
In July, the university reevaluated the abroad program's budget system and decided that the program would no longer operate under the Responsibility Center Management system. It will now operate as a non-revenue program, similar to the SU Library or the Division of Student Affairs, said Donald Saleh, vice president of enrollment management.
SU Abroad was able to erase its deficit before the beginning of this fiscal year. It did this with reserve money saved from when it was a revenue center and with help from the university's operating budget, Saleh said. Saleh and Jon Booth, executive director of SU Abroad, both said they expect SU Abroad to continue to operate with a balanced budget.
Under the new system, all enrollment money from students studying abroad through SU will be allocated to their home colleges instead of SU Abroad receiving the revenue. But enrollment money, from non-SU students studying through SU Abroad, will go toward the cost of educating students abroad through SU, as well as balancing the program's budget.
Under the Responsibility Care Management system, SU Abroad was a revenue center. More successful programs would help support university-based programs that were less successful. With this system, however, SU Abroad only received 75 percent of its total revenue earned in 2008-2009.
Saleh and Booth said the program's finances still heavily rely on students from SU Abroad's partner schools like Harvard University, Yale University and the University of Virginia, among others. Students at these universities can apply to study abroad through SU's international programs.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Debra
posted 10/17/09 @ 5:13 PM EST
What is this story? Isn't SU Abroad still taking applications for the spring after the deadline passed? How in the world did you run an article saying the office 'eliminated' the budget deficit when SU Abroad's finances is clearly worse than ever before?
Post a Comment