Responsibility Center Management at Drexel University

Drexel is adopting a Responsibility Center Management (RCM) model of budgeting, under which our revenue-generating units are wholly responsible for managing their own revenues and expenditures.  RCM offers a number of advantages over Drexel's traditional incremental model of budgeting:  increased transparency into budget decisions, enhanced stewardship of funds, incentives for academic entrepreneurship and a data-based foundation for resource allocation decisions.  It will lead to a sharper focus on revenue growth in our colleges and schools, an expanded research portfolio, stronger cost controls across the University and continuous improvement of administrative operations. The RCM model promotes:

• Encouragement and reward for revenue generation and cost effectiveness
• Alignment of authority and accountability at the local level
• Alignment of revenues and expenses
• Greater transparency regarding sources and uses of institutional resources
• Greater financial flexibility and improved responsiveness to change
• Enhanced ability to plan with a better sense of future resource flows
• Efficient operation of administrative units as they are expected to demonstrate that service levels align with operating costs
• Facilitation of conversations surrounding institutional priorities
• Translation of strategic goals into management and operating plans