Special Committee on University Finance

Chair: Katharine Abraham (kabraham@umd.edu)

Coordinator: David Turner (dturner8@umd.edu)

About This Committee

The Special Committee on University Finance (SCUF) is a new venture for the University Senate that was approved by President Loh in April 2019. This new body gives the campus community a unique opportunity to engage directly with the administration and have an impact on the direction of the University.

SCUF is charged with advising the administration on institutional priorities and with educating the Senate and the campus community on the University’s budget and the budget process. Members of the committee are responsible for developing a deep understanding of the University's budget and budgeting processes. SCUF gives the Senate a role in advising the administration on short- and long-term planning, and in ensuring that academic excellence and the University’s educational and research missions are key considerations when budgetary priorities are determined. SCUF also serves as a resource to the campus community to help improve understanding of the budget, and advises the Senate and Senate-related bodies on the fiscal implications of recommendations under consideration. SCUF will be integral to the Senate's ability to make informed decisions and recommendations, and will be central in demystifying the complexities of our current resource tensions.

The Special Committee was established by Senate Document #17-18-20 and will operate until May 2022, at which time the Senate will decide whether it should be codified as a permanent body.

The committee consists of a presiding officer chosen from the tenured faculty; five tenured or tenure-track faculty members; one professional track faculty member; one exempt staff member; one non-exempt staff member; two undergraduate students; one graduate student; the immediate Past Chair of the Senate; the Associate Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer; the Associate Vice President for Finance and Personnel, Academic Affairs; and the following persons or a representative of each: the President, and the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Senior Vice President and Provost shall also appoint a representative chosen from among current and former unit-level budget officers or former department chairs.

There are no current members for this committee.