Implementing a Student-Centered Funding Request Process

(A. Solano)

Let's be frank. Funding requests, especially for soft money, are often based on interest group needs and politics with little to no thought on how the funding will specifically impact student outcomes. I unpack 3 steps to help institutions implement a student-centered funding request process.

Step 1: Ensure a shared understanding around a student journey framework
Consider Connection-->Entry-->Progress-->Completion-->Transition (aka Completion by Design), which aligns nicely with the Guided Pathways student journey points of clarify the path, enter the path, stay on the path, and ensure learning.
(Note: The "Transition" phase was not part of the original model.)

Step 2: Implement the student journey framework for the funding request process
a. If using Connection-->Entry-->Progress-->Completion-->Transition, understand your institution's known loss points and known momentum points for each part of the student journey.
b. If applicable, take into account student focus group data that aligns with each student journey point
c. List all strategies/outcomes to improve a specific student journey point. Don't reinvent the wheel, take strategies/outcomes from the college's student equity plan, strategic plan, ed master plan, DEI plan, GP work plan, etc.

Access the following forms to answer a, b, and c, and consider which college constituents will work together to answer all of the prompts in those forms. 

Download these resources:


d. Funding request alignment
The forms above become a "cheat sheet" for individuals to complete the official funding request form. Two key questions every funding request should answer:
i. How does the funding request align to the student journey framework and specific strategies/outcomes?
ii. Explain how implementation of the funding request will be measured

Step 3: Complete the official funding request form

A template is available HERE (click on "Request Form Template")

Or create your own funding request form with the following information:
- Name, date, email, phone
- Funding category: [use your institution's categories to create check boxes]
- Provide a brief description of the request
- How does the request align with the student journey and specific strategies/outcomes?
- Is the request allowable per appropriate funding guidelines?
- Amount requested
- Date needed by (if applicable)
- How will you evaluate the impact of the funds? 
- Signed by requester
- Include in the form a "For Office Use Only" to track the funding request process (e.g., check boxes of request date, when logged, when approved/denied, PO#, final cost, etc.)

When we include the funding's impact, the process is actually 5 steps.

If there's political will and courage, any campus can implement this process, but it's easier to implement this process if the college's current strategic plan or ed master plan is already aligned with a student journey framework. I also unpack this topic in my guide, Why Colleges Struggle to Implement Priorities and What To Do About It. 

As you embark on this process, it's important to have the "end in mind" in terms of how the college will be transformed, redesigned, restructured, reimagined (whatever word you want to use), especially colleges that appreciate and take the Guided Pathways framework seriously. Funding requests should also be reviewed through the lens of how the college will restructure itself to be a more student-centered and equitable. Remember, plans, strategies, and outcomes are great, but it's the college's structure that ultimately implements the plans and strategies. Funding requests should take into account the investments needed to realize a college's continuous improvement efforts.

Also, be mindful of all the obstacles in adopting any structure and process that is more student-centered and equitable. Turf and budgeting wars abound at colleges. Some people will pull out all of the tricks of the trade to maintain the status quo. This is from an OSS manual on how to sabotage an organization. The OSS was the precursor of the CIA.

Source: Office of Strategic Services: Simple Sabotage Field Manual. T
Thank you to Allan Hancock College President, Dr. Kevin Walthers, for sharing this with me.

Any of these 8 tactics sound familiar? 

Onward...

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Note: I want to thank Allan Hancock College (AHC), specifically researcher extraordinaire Erica Biely. AHC is one of the few colleges that agreed with me to implement a more student-centered strategic planning process. I have benefitted greatly from taking this journey with the college! I modified some of the forms Erica developed to create the downloadable tools.