Board of Trustees Meeting Nov. 17 | Photo by Caitlin Shatsby | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University’s Board of Trustees Finance Committee explains the university’s positive financial outlook is driven by COVID-19 funding.
COVID-19 funding
Cash inflow and investments have also increased during FY 2022, with total cash and investment amounts resting at $159.1 million according to documentation presented at the meeting.
This increase was accredited to an influx of COVID-related funds. The university received $18.9 million in COVID funds and one-time cash flows for FY 2022. This is a $9.3 million increase in pandemic funds from FY 2021.
Committee Chair Doug Fecher noted how the university’s current positive financial outlook is due in part to COVID relief funding.
“Covid ended up bringing in a lot of dollars,” Fecher said. “ It [increased cash flows] was not driven from operations necessarily, [it] was driven more from the reaction to the pandemic.”
Financial standing
The Committee met Wednesday afternoon to discuss the financial status of the university and report on financial progress for fiscal year (FY) 2022. FY2022 began July 2021.
The university is reporting a positive financial status. Increased revenues for enrollment, tuition and fees, contributed to the positive financial outlook.
According to the monthly financial performance reports through Sept. 30, 2021, enrollment revenue was down 11% and tuition and fees were down 7.6% in FY 2021.
Projected totals for FY 2022 show that enrollment is projected to only be down 6.3% with tuition and fees down 4.9%.
Enrollment for fall semester 2021, rests at 9,530 students on the main Dayton campus and 1,136 students on the Lake campus. This is an increase from spring 2021 enrollment, but a decrease from fall 2020 enrollment.
According to the report, the university is expecting to use $7 million in reserves for FY 2022.
Voluntary separation payouts
The financial report included $6.1 million in payouts to bargaining faculty members and administrators who took the voluntary separation agreement.
Part of retrenchment and downsizing of the university, bargaining faculty and administrators were offered voluntary separation agreements in the spring of 2021. These agreements included increased financial benefits for those who separate from the university by the end of 2022.
Separations and payouts begin Dec. 31, 2021.
Open positions
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Greg Sample, presented to the committee on the search for a new internal auditor and a new compliance officer.
Kelli Tittle, former director of compliance and WSU’s Title IX coordinator, left the university in early November. Tittle now serves as the research compliance and export control administrator for the University of Dayton.
Sample did not elaborate on when the searches would be concluded.
Additionally, the compliance division is moving to the office of General Counsel, According to Sample.
