Through the FY 24-25 All Funds Budgeting process, the University of North Carolina Wilmington crafted a budget aimed at bolstering both system-wide strategic objectives and priorities identified in UNCW’s new strategic plan. The budget was further informed by an institutional commitment to efficient operations and financial plans which are sustainable and responsive to enterprise risks. Examples of how UNCW’s budget supports system-wide strategic objectives and campus-specific strategic plan priorities is summarized below.
UNC System Performance Goals
UNCW has been successful in exceeding system stretch goals pertaining to: First Time Student Debt, Transfer Student Debt, and Masters Degree Efficiency. 1In addition, in FY 24-25 UNCW will receive a performance-weighted appropriation related to the Education and Related Expense per Degree metric, which recognizes the progress UNCW has made relative to the applicable 2020 baseline. 2While UNCW’s score pursuant to the Undergraduate Degree Efficiency indicator decreased modestly from the base year, at 28 it remains among the best in the system.
New Investments re: Performance Goals & UNCW’s New Strategic Plan
To support UNCW’s improvement in the aforementioned metrics, and progress towards objectives outlined in UNCW’s new strategic plan, the budget provides additional investments in a variety of programs/areas which are essential for attracting, serving and retaining students and helping to ensure their success. New investments include, but are not limited to:
- Academic Advising: Academic advising is essential to ensuring students make informed academic decisions, fulfill their academic aspirations, and progress towards degree completion in a timely manner. As a result, over $1 million in new funding will be invested to hire up to 12 additional academic advisors and ensure all UG students have a professional advisor and/or faculty advisor assigned to them throughout their time at UNCW.
- Disability Resource Center: As the number of students registering with/utilizing DRC services has increased significantly in recent years, so too have the staffing demands being placed on the center. As a result, the budget provides over $300k to support four additional staff positions for the DRC. These positions will ensure UNCW’s students continue to have appropriate access to the DRC services even as demand continues to increase.
- Facilities Staffing and Master Plan Implementation: Over the past five years, significant expansion of campus facilities along with the increasing complexity of building systems has created a pressing need for more facilities staff, especially in roles such as maintenance technicians, environmental technicians, housekeepers, and facility engineers. Additionally, with a number of major renovation projects on the horizon, there is a necessity to hire additional project management staff to handle the growing workload. Consequently, UNCW plans to allocate over $1.1 million in FY 24-25 to boost staffing levels and meet these demands.
- Financial Aid: Additional permanent investments of $750k will be used to appropriately scale the campus’s need-based aid budget to its growing student body and to enable UNCW to remain accessible and affordable to students with demonstrated need. As a result, these investments should inversely impact the amount of debt that resident students need to incur to attend UNCW.
- Interactive Learning and Research Opportunities: UNCW has identified $2.6 million to significantly enhance/expand research and applied learning opportunities for its students. By integrating both applied learning and research involvement into their education, students can greatly enhance their academic experience and improve their prospects for future employment or further study. Further, SGA leadership has identified the expansion of research opportunities for students as one of their top priorities for the upcoming year.
- Market Salary Pool: To address the specific needs within our workforce and retain talented faculty and staff, UNCW has set aside up to $1.9 million for targeted discretionary salary adjustments, which are separate and discreet from the legislative increases anticipated in FY 24-25. This fund is not intended for across-the-board raises but is designed for strategic use where it is most needed (particularly in areas where market pressures are most acute).
- Mental Health Services: Demand for mental health services has increased significantly in recent years, while simultaneously the market for recruiting/retaining care providers has become more competitive. To respond to this challenge, UNCW will be providing the counseling center with approximately $800k in new funding in FY 24-25 to support the hiring of additional clinical care providers and peer educators; and to make the market salary adjustments needed to fill vacant positions and retain existing care providers.
- Student Employees and Graduate Assistants: Through mandatory fee adjustments, additional funding is being provided to increase wages for students working in campus recreation. On- campus employment not only reduces the need for students to borrow, it also is considered a high-impact practice that aids in student retention, persistence, and graduation. In addition, up to $850k in general funds has been set aside to better align graduate stipends with current market rates. This will allow UNCW to recruit top-tier graduate assistants (which enhances the quality of applicable programs and the experience for all students).
New Investments re. ROI Study & UNCW’s New Strategic Plan
UNCW values the UNC System’s focus on providing a strong return on investment (ROI) for applicable students and the taxpayers of North Carolina. To maintain UNCW’s trajectory of success which was reflected in the ROI study released late last year3, the university intends to invest more than $1.2 million in FY 24-25 for developing and scaling academic programs which prepare the workforce for high demand occupations. Specific programs slated to receive said support in FY 24- 25 include, but are not limited to: Master of Healthcare Administration, B.S. in Cybersecurity, and B.S. in Intelligent Systems Engineering.
Additional Budget Considerations
UNCW has intentionally increased service, supplies, materials, and equipment expense budgets to account for inflationary pressures experienced in previous years, and that are anticipated to continue (albeit at a slower pace) in FY25. In addition, the university has proactively set aside resources to help address needs and strategic opportunities we anticipate beyond FY25, and also to be prepared for potential revenue volatility as we plan for the future.
1 Performance outcomes reflect scores calculated to create UNCW’s performance-based appropriation for FY 24-25.
2 While UNCW did not meet its stretch goal pertaining to Ed and Related Expense per Degree, at $46,279 per degree awarded, UNCW remains among the most efficient in the system with respect to this particular metric.
3 The November 2023 study (available here) indicated that UNCW provides the highest Incremental Lifetime Earnings per Incremental State Dollar invested of any campus in the UNC System.
