India desperately needs good governance in colleges and universities so as to create a culture of innovation, and entrepreneurship so as to become and remain competitive in world market. Poor governance and poor leadership is observed to be the root cause for all ills in university education. Indian students and professors are brilliant but…

A new study of endowments by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the Commonfund Institute has brought good news to college and universities: While endowment returns dropped precipitously in fiscal year 2009 as a result of the financial crisis and accompanying slide in equity markets, they climbed to an…

In May 2009, three senior financial leaders in higher education--Laurie G. Antolovic, Albert G. Horvath, and Margaret F. Plympton--participated in a panel session, moderated by Philip J. Goldstein, at the EDUCAUSE Enterprise Information and Technology Conference. The three also shared their thoughts in an audio interview conducted by Gerry Bayne,…

Despite conventional wisdom, the alcohol problem colleges face is not mainly about high-risk drinkers, and the solution is not about intervening with them alone. Yet studies show that, despite a handful of solid efforts in the realm of primary prevention, most colleges take a group-think approach to identifying and intervening with high-risk…

Over the last thirty years, the idea of sustainable development has come to be seen in policy circles across the globe as a necessary and urgent response to a range of social and environmental issues that threaten both the integrity of the biosphere, and human wellbeing. Increasingly, education, and particularly higher education, is seen to have a…

A sequel to an earlier article about the first round of Dutch retrenchment in higher education looks at the response to the second round, with the introduction of the concept of selective retrenchment and growth, a new approach to resource allocation. (Author/MSE)

It is argued that colleges and universities can use direct allocation costing to provide quantitative information needed for decision making. This method of analysis requires institutions to modify traditional ideas of costing, looking to the private sector for examples of accurate costing techniques. (MSE)

The common campus dilemma of decreasing or distributing central information systems (IS) resources while pursuing development of mission-critical systems that will require increased central IS support is discussed. Areas in which such increased support is needed are outlined, and the need for leadership is described. Specific steps are suggested.…

Fundamental to how much should be budgeted for computing is having a sense of how important computing is to the mission of the institution. A number of related questions are asked including how big a commitment an institution should make to computing. (MLW)

The strategy of deep selective budget cuts for institutions is not always the soundest policy, since the choice between these and across-the-board cuts is an oversimplification. The literature on rescission shows no instance in which a university administration has cut the same percentage across-the-board. (MLW)

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)

This paper applies the management science tool of break-even analysis to determine the costs of implementing an off-campus bachelor degree completion program at a four-year private liberal arts college. The first section describes break-even analysis which, in this application, is calculated by dividing the total annual cost for a cohort of…

Resource allocation is a key factor in promoting or retarding innovation. In a restrictive economic climate, it is easy to use resource allocation for decremental rationing and to stifle innovative thinking. The technique can also be used to ensure that the institution's human resources are encouraged to identify opportunities for innovation. (MSE)

Finds three areas of faculty/administrator interaction to have the greatest influence on organizational climate: goal setting and internal governance, application of resources, and organizational and personal development. Suggests strategies under each area for promoting a positive climate. Reports briefly on a panel's assessment of the analysis…

A strategy for college financing that would require each student to pay only for his share of the part of his college education financed from tuition and fees is outlined. Students consuming more goods and services would pay proportionately more than those consuming less. (MSE)