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Members of the Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA) were updated on the university’s integrated marketing and communications plan (IMCP) and the current budget allocation model discussions during the first meeting of the semester on Feb. 5.

Budget allocation model updates

In October 2025, С���� Boulder launched a yearlong design review of its budget allocation model, as part of the university’s��Financial Stewardship Initiative. This review is meant to ensure the model, which was adopted in 2022, continues to reflect С���� Boulder’s values of transparency, accountability and collaboration, while advancing the campus strategic priority of aligning resources to its mission.��

The budget model review discussions are being led in part by Andy Cowell, BFA faculty shared governance advisor, budget and planning committee chair and professor of linguistics; and Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, interim vice chancellor and executive vice provost for academic resource management and professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering. One piece of feedback that has come up repeatedly, they said in their presentation to BFA, is that the current budget model incentivizes teaching—not research. Relatedly, there is concern about the impact on the model of shrinking graduate programs in some units.

While neither Cowell nor Rosario-Ortiz disagreed with those points, Rosario-Ortiz said the university is a comprehensive institution, which means we must factor in both research and teaching when it comes to the university’s mission. Rosario-Ortiz also commented that the model is focused on campus-level allocations to schools and colleges, not on the school, college or departmental level, which is where decisions about allocating funds to teaching or research are made.

“Obviously, we’re listening and we’ll have notes that we can take back for further discussion,” said Cowell. “This (conversation) was not meant to resolve anything today. It’s an ongoing discussion that will go on for at least several more weeks.”

Rosario-Ortiz reiterated, adding, “We’re trying to take all (feedback) into consideration, but there needs to be coordination between what we (the administration) need to do for the budget model allocation and what units need to do operationally to meet their mission of research and teaching.”

The discussions are still underway, and recommendations will be available later this spring.

Integrated marketing and communications

Jon Leslie, vice chancellor for strategic communications, introduced the BFA to the��integrated marketing and communications plan (IMCP), a comprehensive campus strategy that unifies advertising, public relations, digital marketing and constituent engagement to deliver consistent, meaningful brand experiences.

“Our goal is to take what the leadership says our mission, vision, priorities, value and outcomes are and translate that into what stories we tell, for what purposes, and how those purposes are achieved efficiently or not,” said Leslie.

The IMCP began its implementation in July 2024 and has already shown positive results, including higher rankings in an annual statewide poll of how Coloradans perceive the university. Some of the projects undertaken so far using IMCP strategies include the re-envisioning of the Conference on World Affairs, the launch of the “Beyond” LinkedIn research newsletter and the launch of the��shared campus values project.

Next steps for the IMCP include bringing С���� Boulder’s story to life, Leslie shared. That includes communicating��“What makes us Boulder” and a comprehensive communications campaign for the university’s��150th anniversary.

In other BFA action��

• The BFA voted to suspend their bylaws so they could quickly approve a��Statement on ICE Activity in Minnesota, which they felt was necessary given the urgency of the moment.
• There was a reminder about upcoming BFA elections, including an election of at-large representatives that opens for nominations in two weeks and the election of the BFA chair-elect at the end of the semester.
• During last December’s meeting, the BFA voted to approve a change to the bylaws that allows them to meet four times each semester, regardless of academic calendar. That change goes into effect this spring, with two meetings scheduled for April.

Learn more about the BFA and previous actions on��the BFA website.