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Integrated Planning and Budgeting

WWCC uses an integrated approach to planning at the program level and allocating resources through our budget process with the aim of supporting the college’s mission, vision and strategic plan in a transparent and equitable manner. The Standardized Evaluation of Programs and Services (STEPS) provides a framework to evaluate the contributions of all programs and services at the college towards student success. STEPS informs meaningful change by identifying needs, setting priorities, and facilitating continuous improvement in alignment with the college’s vision, mission, and strategic goals. All programs, departments, and other budget areas of the college will submit their budget requests via their annual STEPS report, due the last Friday in December. The Budget Council will prioritize funding according to criteria that align with the college’s strategic plan and STEPS standards, always with the aim of student success.

STEPS Budget

STEPS

The Standardized Evaluation of Programs and Services (STEPS) provides a framework to evaluate the contributions of all programs and services at the college towards student success. STEPS informs meaningful change by identifying needs, setting priorities, and facilitating continuous improvement in alignment with the college’s vision, mission, and strategic goals.

The STEPS standards are essential practices to enact good work within institutions of higher education and are informed by practice and applicable research. They include:

Mission
Organizational Structure and Objectives
Student Learning, Development, and Success
Interpreting Information
Human Resources
Finances & Other Resources
Planning & Continuous Improvement

The STEPS annual report will explicitly ask questions to help assess all programs’ compliance with Standards 1, 2, and 7 and instructional programs’ compliance with Standard 3.

All programs (both instructional and non-instructional) submit a STEPS report each year by the last Friday in December. Functional unit leaders should check with their division leadership to determine who will report. Download the STEPS Guidebook and report template. Complete the form in Word, save it as a PDF renamed with your program name as described in the Guidebook, and upload via the Upload Portal.

WWCC Institutional Research & Effectiveness (IRE) is available to provide support for STEPS reporters. Reporters should also work closely with their respective vice presidents and other division leaders.

Budget

WWCC is committed to a financial planning framework that includes meaningful opportunities for participation by stakeholders and ensures appropriate available funds, realistic development of financial resources, and comprehensive risk management to ensure short term financial health and long-term financial stability and sustainability. Great strides have been made towards creating a transparent and inclusive annual budget planning process that aligns with the College’s mission, vision, and strategic plans. Integration of the annual budget planning process with STEPS will increase this alignment, while also providing valuable context for those making budget recommendations (Budget Council) and decisions (ELT).

Look for more changes during the FY 2026 planning cycle, including the adoption of an objective scoring rubric for budget requests and open meetings where you will be invited to observe as divisions present their budget requests to the review panel (Budget Council + ELT). In our ongoing efforts to bring the college community into the budget process, expect more communication, more training, and workshops to assist you in completing STEPS and budget requests this fall.

The FY 2026 planning cycle officially begins on September 17, 2024 with a kickoff presentation at Fall Conference.

WE CAN DO BETTER!

Please take our survey to provide your feedback on the budget process as you’ve experienced it so far.

We will ask for your feedback again this Spring, to make sure we are continuously improving.

Your responses are anonymous.

The survey will close at 4 PM on Friday, September 20, 2024.

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FY2026 Budget Planning Timeline
Phase 1: Department Resource Planning
Budget Director meetings with stakeholders for budget reviews and training will be ongoing during this phase. September 17, 2024: Kickoff presentation at Fall Conference Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs engage in annual STEPS and budget planning, and create resource requests October 23, October 30, November 20, 2024: STEPS + Budget drop-in work sessions December 1 – December 15, 2024: STEPS/Budget check-ins December 15, 2024: Budgets due to VPs December 15 – December 30, 2024: VPs review, discuss, and revise budget requests with submitters December 31, 2024: Budget requests due to Budget Director (and IR/STEPS committee) Budget Director compiles resource requests
Phase 2: Budget Deliberations
Revenue and enrollment forecasting and budget model building will be ongoing during this phase. January – February 2025: Open Budget Presentations – Areas present their budgets to the Budget Council and ELT in open sessions March 2025: Budget Council deliberations and ranking of resource requests April 2, 2025: Budget Council presents a summary of recommendations to College Council April 8, 2025: Ranked resource requests are sent to ELT
Phase 3: Budget Finalization
April 8 – May 19, 2025: ELT deliberations and decisions April 22, 2025: Washington State signs 25-27 budget bill (estimated) May 20, 2025: Summary of budget and decisions presented to Union representatives May 20 – May 27, 2025: VPs meet with their areas to share and discuss final budget decisions May 21, 2025: All-College Budget Forum May 28, 2025: Board of Trustees first reading of FY2026 Budget Plan June 25, 2025: Board of Trustees second reading of FY2026 Budget Plan

Integrated Planning and Budgeting

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STEPS

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WE CAN DO BETTER!

FY2026 Budget Planning Timeline

Phase 1: Department Resource Planning

Phase 2: Budget Deliberations

Phase 3: Budget Finalization