The Council of Vice Presidents

The activities of the Council of Vice Presidents are continuous. Meeting frequently, the Council serves the President of The University of Montana by working as a team in collaborative decision-making and implementation of the University’s Strategic Plan and Budget.

Charge

The Council of Vice Presidents provides the President with the mechanism for collaborative discussion, executive planning, and decision making.  The Council also helps the President formulate and coordinate internal and external communications strategy. The Council’s responsibilities related to the planning/budget cycle are to:

Deliberate

• Review and ratify or adjust the Strategic Plan, as prepared and recommended by the University Planning Committee,
• Collaboratively evaluate University Budget Committee recommendations, including  budget models,
• Review current enrollment, revenue, and expense projections, 
• Review Montana University System policy directives, and State economic and policy prospects, 
• Monitor legislative actions, particularly as they relate to appropriations;

Advise

• Make final recommendations to the President regarding annual and biennial planning priorities; and
• Make final recommendations to the President regarding current year budget adjustments, OTO contingency allocations, base reallocations, or new capital or operating budget initiatives;

Communicate

• Form consensus as to internal and external communications strategies, and
• Assist in the delivery of the University’s message, as directed by the President.

While collectively the Council makes final recommendations to the President, individually these executive officers are responsible for implementation of the planning and budget decisions, within and across the sectors.  In this way, linkage – from planning through budget to execution – is assured.

Composition

Chair

 Royce C. Engstrom, President

Members

• Perry Brown, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Michael Reid, Vice President for Administration and Finance
• Teresa Branch, Vice President for Student Affairs
• Scott Whittenburg, Vice President for Research and Development
• Peggy Kuhr, Vice President for Integrated Communications
• Matt Riley, Chief Information Officer 

Facilitator

Dawn Ressel, Associate Vice President for Planning, Budgeting, and Analysis

Council of Vice Presidents Timeline

The University is in its first year under the new NWCCU accreditation standards (requiring reporting of the University's Mission and Core Themes) and is preparing to enter a new biennium. Please follow the link for the Council of Vice Presidents timeline.