The Daily Bulletin

As we respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and plan for the new fiscal year during these uncertain and unprecedented times, I am writing to provide a 2020–2021 budget implementation update to the campus community.

The pandemic has created significant budgetary challenges, severely affecting the economy of New York State. SUNY System Administration has informed the campuses that it is not known whether the state will be able to provide direct tax support as usual. As a result, for the 2020–2021 fiscal year, SUNY will provide us with only enough of our allocation for six months of operations, with the intent to provide the balance of operating funds at a later date.

This allocation change, combined with an increasing dependency on tuition revenue and campus enrollment shortfalls, will make it necessary for Buffalo State to continue to leverage its college reserves; however, this approach can sustain operations only for the short term.

As we manage this challenging situation, we all must continue to very efficiently and effectively manage our resources. We must optimize all funds, from all funding sources, and continue to curtail costs to essential needs related to health and safety, and critical costs related to continuity of operations. 

Please continue to follow the Buffalo State Spending Control Procedures (PDF, 420 KB) for the COVID-19 public health emergency. These procedures apply to salaries, Other than Personal Service (OTPS) expenses, and capital projects.

To assist with the important campus objective of closely managing resources, account managers should actively monitor and stay within their account allocations. We encourage active monitoring at the division and account levels, using SUNY Business Intelligence (BI) data. The Financial Management Office will provide regular reporting at the division level. Please also continue to use cross-divisional planning to maximize resources. This will position the campus to embrace strategic opportunities and help us ensure our financial future. 

Thank you for your cooperation and support during these challenging times. Questions about this budget update may be addressed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.