West Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships/Area Health Education CentersWest Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships/Area Health Education Centers

Finance Minutes september 2003

MINUTES - SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

Voting Members in Attendance:  Bobby Brown, Malinda Turner, Gaye Mitchell, Parr Thacker.  Absent:  David Hughes, Steve Smith, Ralph Utzman, Jim Welshonce. 

 

Other Interested Parties Attending:  Margaret Novacich, Sonnie Strader, Judy Koehler, Robert Harman, Kathryn Greenlief, Connie Simmons, Carla Campbell, Sandy Michaels, Elizabeth Richmond, Stephen Thomas, Jacquelynn Copenhaver, Hilda R. Heady, Debra Riggs, Jay Prager, Anna Reno. 

 

Bobby Brown opened the meeting by thanking all those in attendance for coming.  It was noted that there was not a majority of voting members present and that voting could not take place. 

 

Bobby asked that everyone review the minutes from the prior meeting and note if there were any additions or changes to be made.  The minutes from the July meeting would be sent to the committee for approval by e-mail vote. 

 

First the group heard from Bobby Brown regarding the September 30, 2003 conference call with the Chancellor.  Bobby had requested during that call that the chancellor quit vacillating on decisions and work with the committee to achieve the goals of the partnership.  He requested the chancellor allow the committee to develop the guidelines and that he not micromanage the program.  The chancellor told us that he would allow the finance committee to determine the budget allocations to the sites as long as the totals meet the FY 2004 and FY 2004 less 9.6%.

 

Margaret explained the 3 spreadsheets.  Actual FY2005 Requests from Zero Based Requests, Actual FY2005 allocated at 2004 level and Actual FY2005 with 9.6% reduction from 2004.

 

Hilda discussed the Higher Education Presidents "Unity Plan" compact to insist that there be no further cuts in Higher Education by the Legislature.  If the Higher Education budgets are not cut, then allocations to RHEP will not receive further cuts. 

 

The group then began discussion of the worksheets, the process used to develop the worksheets and the justifications behind the theories that have been used over the years.  Other methodologies were discussed and one method that received much interest was using student numbers combined with a base allocation. 

 

The group then broke for lunch. 

 

After lunch, Bobby broke the group into 3 focus groups and assigned group #1 to prioritize factors that need to be addressed in any allocation plan.  Groups #2 and #3 were to discuss alternate solutions to the allocation process.  The following principals emerged from the discussion. 

Group #1

  1. Each site must be allocated resources adequate to meet program goals.
  2. There are common costs to each consortia
  3. Consortia must operate as efficiently as possible
  4. Resources or other than common costs should be allocated based on current student utilization
  5. The consortia should consider feasibility of consolidation to achieve greater efficiency (based on sensibility of location).

Group #2

  1. Consolidation where possible
  2. Fixed and variable budget - initial parameters using policy approved by the Finance Committee.  Take the available allocation and allocate $95,018 to each site coordinator.   The remaining allocation would then be divided based on student weeks.  This method has a built in requirement for the consortia to operate efficiently to utilize funds for budget requirement.  (This is the formula that was approved by the FC in February, 2003). 
  3. Allocate $95,018 per site coordinator to consortia at beginning of year and send remaining based on current student numbers.
  4. It is essential that a student volume or other type of measure be used. 
  5. The method of reporting may need to be adjusted as well as the method of disbursing the allocations.  The program could allocate in arrears. 

Group #3

This group reached no conclusions.  They discussed consolidation where possible. 

 

The minutes from this meeting will be sent to Site Coordinators and Finance Committee members.  Site Coordinators are to take notes to their boards and do a reality check.  The allocation numbers will be run and prepared review by the finance committee prior to the November meetings. 

 

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:00.