CSU Pueblo Highlights June 2026 Board of Governors Meeting
CSU Pueblo leaders reported on benefits management, budget trends, internal audit priorities and institutional operations during the Colorado State University System Board of Governors meeting.
FORT COLLINS — The Colorado State University System Board of Governors convened June 6 and 7 on the CSU Fort Collins campus for its regular meeting, bringing together system leaders, board members and campus representatives to review finances, employee benefits, compensation, internal audit priorities and university operations.
CSU Pueblo leaders participated throughout the two-day meeting, providing updates on the university's benefits structure, budget management and institutional operations.
CSU Pueblo at a Glance
Covered Members
CSU Pueblo benefit plans currently cover 337 employees and 349 dependents.
Medical Premium Support
CSU Pueblo covers 74.2% of employee medical premium costs.
Total Enterprise
CSU Pueblo's total enterprise is approximately $115 million across all university subfunds.
Education & General
The FY27 Education and General subfund supports academic programming, facilities, campus safety and operations.
CSU Pueblo Demonstrates Sound Benefits Management
Jennifer Martin White, Director of Human Resources for Employee Relations at CSU Pueblo, presented the university's benefits structure and its participation in the Colorado Higher Education Insurance Benefits Alliance Trust, known as CHEBA.
CHEBA combines purchasing power across eight Colorado higher education institutions and covers more than 9,000 members across participating institutions.
“Employees should be able to choose what is best for them and their families as opposed to just the cost.”
Jennifer Martin White, Director of Human Resources for Employee Relations at CSU Pueblo
Managing Benefits Costs
CSU Pueblo offers three medical plan options ranging from a high-deductible plan to PPO and point-of-service options. The PPO and point-of-service plans are priced at the same cost to employees to preserve flexibility in choosing coverage.
Dental costs are shared equally by the institution and employees. CSU Pueblo moved to self-funded vision coverage in 2025 and self-funded dental coverage in 2026. University leaders are now analyzing whether medical insurance should also move to a self-funded model in 2027.
CHEBA plan adjustments reduced projected premium increases by 4% last year without increasing employee contributions.
CFO Reports on FY27 Budget Trends
CSU Pueblo's chief financial officer presented a year-over-year budget trend report to the Finance and Audit Committee. Two major factors shaped the university's Education and General subfund: the loss of federal Title V grant funding and actions taken to reduce vacancies in Academic Affairs.
As part of the university's Workday implementation, fringe benefit costs were decentralized from a central cost pool to individual colleges and positions. The change gives campus leaders greater visibility into the actual cost of positions within each college.
CSU Pueblo entered FY27 managing a structural gap in its Education and General fund. Reductions across schools focused largely on vacant positions and changes in funding sources while preserving core instructional programming.
Academic Affairs and the Provost's Office contributed more than 5% in reductions over the previous two fiscal years. The largest single variance in the report was a 13.9% reduction in Student Affairs associated with the university's broader structural balancing efforts.
Internal Audit Priorities
The Finance and Audit Committee approved the FY27 internal audit plan, which includes a system-wide Workday post-implementation review as well as audits involving parking services, the bookstore and artificial intelligence governance.
A recently completed CSU Pueblo Auxiliaries audit included 10 recommendations: eight classified as medium risk and two classified as high risk. The high-risk findings focused on financial controls within the auxiliaries unit.
The audit team will also provide direct campus training on internal controls and fraud awareness during the coming year.
Board Reviews System Leadership
The Personnel and Evaluation Committee conducted its annual review of compensation for CSU System leaders. Board members recognized the work of the chancellor and the presidents of the three CSU System institutions during a challenging period for higher education.
President Rhonda Epper's compensation remains governed by her existing employment agreement, and the committee recommended no changes to her current compensation structure. System base salary adjustments take effect July 1, 2026.
The Board unanimously approved the committee's recommendations.
New Board Members Bring Pueblo Connections
Two new board members introduced themselves during the meeting with direct connections to Pueblo and CSU Pueblo.
Nathaniel Krieger, incoming student board president from CSU Pueblo, shared his connections to Pueblo, Colorado Springs and smaller communities across Colorado. Governor Justin Holman noted that he grew up in Pueblo and attended Centennial High School.
The CSU System Board of Governors provides oversight for Colorado State University, Colorado State University Pueblo and CSU Global.
