Budgeting at small Christian colleges and universities can be a big challenge for a number of different reasons. Dr. Barton shares his philosophy on budgeting. It's critical that the stakeholders are involved in the budgeting process. You need to have people making the budget decisions who aren't embedded in a particular department or particular area. They represent the overall health of the institution in total, and through that healthy budgeting process, you will make good budget decisions and help take ownership. It's in the weeds that will make you successful—like knowing how many athletic socks the athletic department needs next year. As a budget committee, it shouldn't just be left to some lump sum budget. Dr. Barton is a firm believer in very detailed budgeting for small Christian colleges and universities, because that's the only way you keep control of your costs to be the best steward of every tuition dollar that you get.
