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TUFTS UNIVERSITY
Tufts Faculty Handbook for Arts, Sciences and Engineering
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Chapter 10: Administrative Procedures and Services
BUDGET CYCLE
Tufts' fiscal year is July 1 to June 30. The budget development cycle for the following fiscal year begins in July and August. The Financial Planning and Budget Office requests input from all Schools and support divisions on the major factors which will influence the next fiscal year's operating budgets. The primary planning variables are: expected enrollments, faculty size, and inflation factors for salaries, utilities, equipment, and supplies. The major planning variables for the next fiscal year are approved by the Trustee Finance and Administration Committee in October, after review by the School and University administration.
The individual schools develop their respective budgets from September to November. Each school is responsible for its own internal review of program, faculty size, physical plant and equipment requirements, and the recommendations of inflationary factors to its respective budget. Each school forwards its preliminary balanced budget and recommendation of student tuition and fee levels to the Executive Vice President, the Senior Vice President/Provost, and the President of the University.
The approved budgets and tuition and fee schedules are forwarded to the Trustee Finance and Administration Committee for approval in January. Upon receipt of the Committee recommendation, the full Board of Trustees approves tuition and fee levels for the following academic year at its February meeting.
During April and May, each school prepares its detailed budget submissions, which also includes the individual salary increases for faculty and staff. The completed detailed budgets are entered into the University's computerized financial accounting system in June, and the budget cycle is repeated for the next academic year.
Overhead Costs (Indirect Cost Rate)
The following is a brief explanation of overhead costs or indirect cost rate (ICR). For further information, contact the Budget and Fiscal Officer of your school.
Overhead or indirect costs are those expenses that are essential for the performance of research but which cannot be easily or directly assigned to specific projects. For example, research projects require the use of space and attendant energy and maintenance costs; they require significant administration by the academic departments, the School's central administration, and at the University level; and they require the use of libraries and other centrally available services. As those costs cannot be associated precisely with individual programs of research, Federal regulations require that they be aggregated and accounted for in accordance with specific and complex formulae and then assigned to individual research grants on the basis of an average rate.
The indirect cost rate is a prospective reimbursement mechanism to the University. The ICR
for a given year is based, of necessity, on estimates made before the beginning
of that year. When the year is over and when actual overhead costs are known and have been audited, adjustments are made to the extent actual costs differed from those estimated in advance. As a result, the University ultimately is reimbursed only for costs actually incurred.
HUMAN RESOURCES
The Department of Human Resources provides technical support, counseling, and expertise in staff recruitment, employment, employee relations, supervision, employee benefits, compensation, and organizational development and training. The department has responsibility for:
Planning, recruiting, and hiring all non-faculty staff, following University compensation and affirmative action policies.
Employee relations, including counseling employees and supervisors, assisting in resolution of issues between staff and managers, approving leaves of absence, and handling disciplinary action grievances.
Compensation for all non-faculty staff designed to meet certain objectives: to determine fairly the value of each job in relation to other jobs (position grading and re-evaluation); to attract and retain the most qualified people through competitive pay practices; to recognize individual performance and to reward employees for the results achieved.
Maintaining a competitive, diversified benefits package for all University employees, both faculty and staff, in the areas of medical, dental, and life insurance, long-term disability, pension, and tuition assistance benefits that afford comprehensive benefits for employees and their families.
Organizational development and training, including management programs, day programs for staff, internal consulting, performance management, supervisory training for University supervisors, faculty as well as non-faculty, and career counseling.
Labor relations, involving participation in contract negotiations and monitoring, management of all employment issues with legal ramifications, and consultation with labor counsel.
Development and interpretation of personnel policies and procedures, ensuring consistent and equitable applications.
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICES
Information on the Office of Communications can be found at
http://www.tufts.edu/publications/
Information on the Office of Public Relations can be found at
http://universityrelations.tufts.edu/pr/index.shtml
>> Return to the Faculty Handbook Index page
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