KU School of Medicine Mission-Based Allocation Model; Aligning Funding with Expectations

Medical schools have not been spared. In the case of the University of Kansas School of Medicine (KU SOM), state support declined nearly every year between 2007 and 2017. In 2017, the inflation-adjusted annual state allotment to the University of Kansas Medical Center was $40M less than it was in 2007 (Figure 1). To some extent, this decrease was offset by increases in revenue from tuition and fees, such that the decrease in overall funding was approximately 7%. However, during this period student enrollment increased by 23%. The decline in state funding at a time of expanding demand forced University leadership to reconsider how financial resources should be distributed so that they best align with the school’s missions in terms of research, education, and service. T