Standard 9: Financial Resources
Since the last accreditation visit, LPC has begun to create the Las Positas College Foundation. This foundation will be separate from the District Foundation that supports both Chabot and Las Positas. The College plans to ensure that the new foundation supports LPC-specific services, mission and goals.
In response to a recommendation from the last accreditation, Las Positas College has developed and implemented a formal process for documenting and validating the link between budgeting and institutional planning. This process ensures that the College mission, goals, and objectives are being funded through the budget development process. The intent has been to increase the role and responsibility of the Institutional Planning Committee in establishing and reviewing important budget decisions to more closely integrate College planning with budget development and financial decision making.
The relationship between the Institutional Planning Committee and the College Budget Study Group (the group that approves basic budget assumptions for each fiscal year) is somewhat unclear. The College plans to increase the communication and direct links between these two groups to insure that budget development is integrated into overall institutional planning.
College-wide annual budget plans are developed for ongoing operating funds, special one-time moneys and Partnership for Excellence funds. Annual anticipated state revenues are estimated conservatively based on projected information about the state budget provided by the Chancellor's office.
LPC attempts to maximize enrollment-based state revenues by achieving the base level enrollment targets and enrollment growth beyond the minimum level as determined by the state. This revenue, combined with additional sources of revenue that include lottery, enrollment fees, categorical non-resident tuition fees, and grants provides funding for the ongoing operations of the college.
The budget process allows for an ongoing examination by all interested parties to verify that guidelines are being followed. However, less than 50 percent of faculty, staff and administrators feel that the budget process is clearly defined at LPC. The College plans to develop strategies for increasing administrator, faculty, classified staff, and student understanding of financial planning and budget development guidelines, and to improve communication with these groups so that all concerns can be addressed.
Policies and procedures governing finances at LPC are sound. Separation of duties between departments and individuals within them provides for internal controls against errors and misuse of funds.
