Using Assessment in University-level Planning and Budgeting, Annual Planning, and Benchmarking

The University of Pittsburgh is a complex, decentralized organization composed of a wide range of schools, programs, campuses, and administrative units. Planning, budgeting, and benchmarking activities are designed to foster alignment between individual units and the University while allowing sufficient flexibility to recognize individual needs andrequirements of the units. The activities encourage assessment at every level of the University, and they are themselves reviewed on a regular basis to seek improvements in the process. The resulting processes reflect the diversity of the units while at the same time encouraging them to advance the overall goals and mission of the University. An in-depth examination of the planning, budgeting, and benchmarking for the Provost-area schools is provided in this report to illustrate the impact of assessment on planning, resource allocation, programming, and decision making across the University.

The responsibility for planning and budgeting at the University of Pittsburgh is shared among administrators, faculty, staff, students, and trustees. The Chancellor develops the vision for the University and has final authority for planning and budgeting, subject to appropriate action by the Boardof Trustees. Other participants in planning and budgeting include the Provost, who, as the senior academic officer, is responsiblefor the academic mission of the University. The Council of Deans and University Senate provide advice to the Chancellor and Provost on all aspects of planning and budgeting. The University Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC), chaired by the Provost, acts in an advisory capacity to the Chancellor. The senior vice chancellors and the chairs and heads of responsibility centers, with the participation of their planning and budgeting committees, develop unit-level plans and budgets. Thus, each unit has an individualized planning and budgeting process that fits into the overall structure of the University’s Planning and Budgeting System.