2025 Review of Budget Model 

Since adopting Responsibility Center Management (RCM) in FY2015, Temple has regularly assessed its budget model with input from faculty and leadership to align academic priorities with resource allocation and to empower our schools and colleges with more agency in their financial decision-making. In February 2025, President Fry charged a Steering Committee, supported by a team of advisors from NACUBO Consulting, to conduct a comprehensive review informed by extensive campus engagement—including stakeholder interviews, data analysis, and benchmarking against peer institutions - to recommend the optimal model for Temple.

The perspectives shared throughout this process—while diverse—coalesced around a common conclusion: Temple should transition away from RCM. While our current model has provided a degree of stability, it has also limited our ability to advance strategic priorities, foster collaboration, and align resources with our long-term goals. Temple faculty and staff can view the findings and report in TUportal.

Implementation Plan and Timeline

Design and implementation will occur during FY26 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026). This period will be structured around three coordinated initiatives:

• Budget Model Design – A detailed development process to define core features of the new framework, including incentive structures and allocation methodologies. Year one will remain intentionally straightforward while analysis identifies areas for deeper transformation.
• Academic and Administrative Review – Comprehensive examination of academic programs and administrative functions and costs to determine how best to align resources with mission-driven performance.
• Change Management and Engagement – An inclusive communication and consultation process, supported by workshops and forums to engage community members and foster campus-wide understanding.

We will launch a robust communication strategy over the coming months, focused on transparency, socialization of new budget principles, and creation of collaborative spaces to co-design the path forward.

Key Considerations

It is important to acknowledge that no budget model—by itself—can fix today’s challenges or deficits. Rather, it is the leadership and clarity of purpose behind the model that will guide our collective success. Our new model must serve as a tool for strategic decision-making, investment, and cultural alignment, not just as a method for distributing dollars.

By December 2025, we aim to complete the design work and articulate a clear model for implementation on July 1, 2026. This timeline allows for intentional planning, continued engagement, and preparation for successful adoption.

Steering Committee Membership:

• Chip Hunter, Dean, Fox School of Business and Management / School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Co-chair 
• Jaison Kurichi, Senior Associate Vice President Budget & Planning, University Budget Office, Co-chair
• Michael Bognanno, Professor and Department Chair, College of Liberal Arts
• Sharmayne Burns, Vice Provost for Finance
• Cheryl Carreno, Vice Dean of Finance and Administration, Tyler School of Art & Architecture
• Kathryn D’Angelo, Senior Associate Vice President for Administration & Planning
• Jason Gallagher, Clinical Professor, School of Pharmacy
• Josh Gladden, Vice President Research Administration
• Jennifer Ibrahim, Dean, College of Public Health
• Amid Ismail, Dean, Kornberg School of Dentistry
• Mohammad F. Kiani, Professor, College of Engineering
• Jonathan Latko, Assistant Vice President, Information Technology Services
• Vicki McGarvey, Vice Provost for University College
• Jonathan Reiter, Senior Associate Vice President, Business Affairs & Administration
• Ellen Unterwald, Chair and Professor, Lewis Katz School of Medicine