Shared Governance
Temple’s budget model is guided by a shared governance that brings together academic and administrative leadership to ensure that financial decisions support the university’s long-term mission, priorities, and sustainability. Reshaping the university’s financial framework requires discipline, collaboration, and creativity. It also requires a governance structure that promotes transparency, accountability, and thoughtful decision-making across all areas of the institution.
Through shared governance, university leaders work together to evaluate how resources are used, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure that investments align with Temple’s academic mission and strategic priorities. Below is a sampling of how Temple regularly engages faculty and administration to drive meaningful outcomes through collaboration:
Administrative Council
Administrative Council represents 8 campuses, 17 schools and colleges, and the various departments that support the university enterprise. We meet periodically for timely updates on policy, procedures, systems, and information related to fiscal roles and responsibilities. All faculty and staff have access to the Budget and Finance resources in TUportal, designed to support your key business roles (look under “My Offices”). Here you will find the resources and tools you need to help you efficiently plan travel, navigate the budget process, and manage procurement through payment procedures from start to finish. Based on your feedback, we continue to develop these role-centric tools.
Budget Advisory Committee
The Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) provides a forum for informed, institution-wide consultation on Temple University's budget priorities, financial planning, and resource allocation policies. The BAC will bring an institution-first and multi-year perspective to its work, considering the financial, academic, research, and operational implications of resource allocation decisions.
Budget and Planning Council
The Budget and Planning Council is an existing standing body comprised of the senior business officer for every school/college and central administrative unit. This group meets quarterly to review planning priorities and align budget decisions with the university’s mission, enrollment strategy, and long-term institutional goals. The Task Force recommends that the Deans and Business Officers for all schools and colleges convene at least twice a year with the Provost and COO leadership team to review the actual operating budget, strategic priorities, decision factors, and review budget allocation decisions as they are taking shape.
Cost and Services Committee
The Cost and Services Committee, comprised of deans and financial officers, evaluates the effectiveness and cost of central services and support units. The committee reviews internal charges, defines service expectations, establishes performance metrics, and helps ensure that operational costs align with institutional priorities. This group plays an important role in Temple's partnership with HelioCampus and the use of Labor Cost Analytics benchmarking tools as well as the Administrative Quality Satisfaction Survey (AQSS).
Faculty Senate
Faculty Senate is a critical part of the budget development process and appoints an existing standing committee of faculty to review budgets and liaise with administration and faculty on budget and financial matters. In addition to including Faculty Senate representatives on the new Budget Advisory Committee described below, members of the central finance team meet with the Faculty Senate at minimum two times during the process. Faculty are appointed to serve as representatives of the schools and colleges, to review the University academic and non-academic budgets, and to liaise with the University administration on budget and financial matters.