Winners of a national contest for cost-cutting in campus maintenance, institutional planning, and program administration and the nature of their innovations are reported. (MSE)

Research administrators must establish and maintain control over discretionary spending, assure all deliverables are completed on time, and assure adequate and controlled funding for grants and contracts. Steps and approaches for accomplishing these tasks are outlined, including planning, tracking, and reporting techniques. (MSE)

To increase the value of its endowment, a college or university must manage three separate but interdependent factors: endowment spending rate; investment policy; and fund-raising. Using lessons learned by other institutions, Oberlin College (Ohio) developed strategies for spending and investment that balance the institution's need for income, the…

The 1996 National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) study of 472 colleges' endowment fund performance found an equal-weighted mean return of 17.2%, with private institutions faring slightly better than public institutions. Data are presented on investment pool asset allocations, investment pool nominal returns,…

If faculty and other groups are to play a significant role in the budget process, the administration should format the budget to invite discussion. A properly prepared budget can serve as an excellent means of consensus building on campus. A new technique known as "framework" budgeting is described. (MLW)

Information that payees need for program operation, as well as guidelines for grants and contracts paid through the Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS), is provided in this guide. The guide is intended to help users understand their responsibilities in expediting payments, in completing forms and reports, and in controlling federal cash…

This guide offers school principals suggestions for economizing, cost containment, fund raising, and general ideas for maintaining a positive bottom line. The book is divided into nine chapters. Chapter 1 examines ways to cut costs without cutting essential programs and services. The chapter emphasizes the abstract notion that fiscal fitness is an…

In developing an endowment spending policy, the college or university governing board should seek both endowment protection and growth while providing reasonable current budgetary support. A sound policy should include built-in features that adjust to budgetary requirements, changing economic conditions, and the dynamic investment market…

A study of resource allocation in the Nigerian university system is reported, and results are used to construct a model for budgeting and fund allocation for other African countries. The model is then applied to actual allocations for three universities to determine the extent to which current allocations fit the design of the model. (MSE)

A national ranking of 508 colleges and universities, based on the size of their endowment funds and life-income-fund assets, is presented. Over 80% of endowment wealth is held by 124 institutions; 31 institutions have over $1 billion in endowment assets. Returns averaged 18% in the last fiscal year; there was little change in investment patterns.…

Results of the National Association of College and University Business Officers' annual study of endowment funds and investment performance are summarized. Analysis focuses on size of investment holdings, expenditures, institutional investment patterns, and trends. Data are presented on investment pool asset allocation patterns and rank 495…

While costs are no longer reported to the Child Care Food Program on the monthly reimbursement voucher, Federal regulations for the program require that each participating sponsor operate a nonprofit food service and that any income accrued from the program be used solely for the conduct of improvement of the food service operation. Therefore, it…

In order to succeed, a college or university must link its mission and plans to the budget. The statement of cash flow is a useful tool to establish this connection and adjust expenditures when necessary. Financial Accounting Standards Board formats help in preparing statements for planning purposes. An example of cash flow statement use for…

Facing severe budget reductions in 1991 despite institutional restructuring in response to budget cuts in the mid-80s, the Chancellor's Ad Hoc Budget Planning Group at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) proposes a process for fiscal change while aiming to retain institutional excellence. A first section states the current problem, reviews…

The derivation of discipline cost indexes, developed to permit accurate interinstitutional comparisons of relative costs among disciplines, is explained using expenditure data from five peer institutions. How the indexes have been used in one research university's budget allocation process is then described. (Author/MSE)