Frequently Asked Questions

The goal of this initiative is to ensure OSU's ability to deliver its education, research, and outreach and engagement mission for years to come. To achieve this, SRR is working to diversify and strengthen the university's financial foundation through new revenue generation, cost optimization, and reinvestment across the university and enable the goals of Prosperity Widely Shared (PWS), OSU’s strategic plan, by aligning resources with our highest institutional priorities.

Phase I identified significant potential across OSU's operations, with most of the opportunity coming from growth. Phase II will translate these findings into proposed solutions with defined targets, clear ownership, and measurable outcomes, which will be evaluated for feasibility and impact before decisions are made. These outcomes are expected to come in the form of solutions that strengthen success and educational outcomes; improve financial sustainability and resilience; support and grow OSU's research, outreach and engagement mission; and free up and generate resources that can be reinvested in OSU's highest priorities.

SRR is designed to enable Prosperity Widely Shared (PWS), OSU’s strategic plan, by aligning resources with the university’s highest priorities and strengthening our ability to achieve its goals. It is a transformational step to take, and the university is ready to take it, building on work already underway to streamline business processes, implement the Administrative Modernization Program, and realign the budget. 

OSU faces the challenge of state support failing to keep pace with growing costs, affordability pressures for students, and shifting federal priorities. Nationally, we are seeing heightened competition for research funding and overall enrollment. This initiative will ensure we remain strong and can invest in priorities directly tied to OSU’s mission. 

Phase I identified opportunities across enrollment growth, research and innovation, academic programs, auxiliary operations, external spend, capital, and administrative services. Phase II will focus on designing and implementing solutions in each area — some will require investment to generate growth; others will improve efficiency and reduce costs. All will be evaluated against OSU's mission and the goals of Prosperity Widely Shared. 

Reductions in services or programs are not the goal. Most opportunities identified in Phase I focus on growth and better alignment of resources – such as expanding enrollment, strengthening research and improving student success. Some proposals may involve changes or reprioritization, but these will be evaluated carefully and in alignment with OSU’s mission and shared governance processes. 

OSU's enrollment opportunity is not simply about overall growth. It is about targeted, strategic growth in areas where OSU has clear competitive strengths. Demographic headwinds are real and factored into our work. The SRR process will further refine projections and ensure that the investments required to support growth (staffing, advising, housing, and student support services) are accounted for as solutions are designed and validated.

OSU is actively working to strengthen its research infrastructure, diversify funding sources through greater focus on corporate and industry partnerships, and improve cost recovery and support for faculty and research teams. Research and Innovation is one of the 11 workstreams launching in Phase II, reflecting the priority we place on our research mission.

The External Spend and Administrative Optimization workstreams are specifically focused on this. These workstreams will explore contract negotiation, procurement discipline, vendor consolidation, reducing duplication, and improving service delivery across the university. 

The current timeline represents the anticipated schedule based on current planning assumptions and calls for the following three phases:   

• Phase I: Diagnostic & Benchmarking: Completed April 2026  

• Phase II: Solution Design & Implementation Planning:  April-July 2026  

• Phase III: Implementation & Ongoing Support:  Fall 2026 and beyond 

Over the course of the winter term, the SRR team conducted a comprehensive review of OSU. The effort spanned more than 70 interviews across all colleges and major administrative units and included collaboration with more than 30 subject matter experts and functional leaders to identify opportunities to advance OSU's mission and support the goals of Prosperity Widely Shared (PWS), the university's strategic plan.

Phase I identified significant potential in enrollment, research and innovation, academic programs, auxiliary operations, external spend, capital and administrative services – with most of the opportunities centered on growth. Phase II will translate these findings into concrete solutions, organized into workstreams led by university leaders serving as workstream sponsors and leads.

Phase II is where OSU moves from analysis to developing and evaluating options. University leaders will serve as workstream sponsors and leads, guiding the design of proposals, led by university faculty and staff, that include business cases, implementation plans and mechanisms for ongoing support. They will be supported by a structured process, clear decision-making pathways and a leadership team that is fully committed to seeing this through. Faculty and staff will have opportunities to contribute their thinking and help develop solutions through community town halls and structured engagement sessions. 

Workstreams are the organized areas of focus through which Phase II work will be carried out. Each represents a broad theme where OSU may pursue opportunities, but they do not represent final decisions or direction. The initial Phase II workstreams span enrollment, research and innovation, academic programs, auxiliary operations, external spend, capital, and administrative services. Additional workstreams may be added as Phase II progresses.

As part of each workstream, subject matter experts will assess both impact and feasibility of proposed projects. Impacts include student and community outcomes, employee experience, community engagement, research outcomes, revenue growth and cost savings and avoidance. Feasibility factors include OSU’s capacity to deliver, alignment with strengths and existing efforts, required resources, pace of change, and additional challenges. Possibilities demonstrating feasibility and impact are then evaluated for delivery-readiness, clear ownership, manageable dependencies, limited overlap and realistic timing.   

Projects demonstrating the strongest combination of momentum and value become the focus.

Budget planning for 2026 and for 2027 balances expenses based on expected revenues without fundamentally changing university operations. Whereas annual budgets keep OSU financially sustainable in the present moment, SRR is about proactively setting OSU up for a stable and prosperous future, as outlined in Prosperity Widely Shared. The Strategic Resource Renewal (SRR) is not a one-time budget exercise. The SRR is a part of the university’s multi-year effort to optimize resources, including streamlining business processes through the Administrative Modernization Program, and the budget realignment process that began in early 2025.  

The cost of an outside consultant is a one-time investment that we expect to generate long-term and recurring revenue and resources.   

Affordability is a guiding principle of SRR and a central consideration in every decision. By strengthening OSU's financial foundation, we will be better able to support affordability and access for students.

Capability building, capacity and organizational readiness are part of the Phase II approach to ensure that solutions are not just designed but also implemented in ways that are sustainable and embraced by the OSU community.

The SRR leadership team is actively managing this. The workstream structure is designed to distribute work across the institution, supported by workstream leads and project owners with clearly defined time commitments. In many cases, work may align with what many of us are already doing, and we are committed to being realistic about expectations and providing appropriate support throughout.