Personnel responsible for telecommunications systems need a way to ensure pursuit of the right technology at the right time does not lead them away from considerations of the right price. A three-step method of historical and monthly reviews offers a straightforward means of regaining control of expenditures and tracking costs. (MSE)

A new Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) advisory, designed for colleges and universities to use in accounting for gifts and pledges according to new Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) regulations, is summarized. The publication is entitled "The Impact of FASB Standards 116 & 117 on Development Operations: An…

A revision in the federal regulations governing audits of student financial aid programs will require changes in present practices concerning student aid "servicers" that administer financial aid in small institutions and may lead to modifications in servicing contracts and financial terms. The new requirements are described in detail. (MSE)

Many colleges and universities have found introduction of a student technology fee troublesome. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a carefully designed explanation of what the fee buys has won the endorsement of both student leadership and trustees. The plan articulates costs, distribution of fees, and accounting. (MSE)

The first years of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) pilot project to collect benchmark data on college costs and service levels are discussed, focusing on lessons learned, needs identified, current use of the results, and the project's place in the association's long-term research plan. (MSE)

A new national survey of college fund raising practices suggests that colleges and universities are not following Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) guidelines for campaign length and donation accounting. The voluntary standards seek to build uniformity and comparability in procedures, but many institutions continue to use…

The college or university's business office can help reduce problems with student receivables through procedural review of the tuition revenue process, application of analytical methods, and improved operating practices. Admissions, financial aid, and billing offices must all be involved. (MSE)

The Office of Management and Budget's new alternatives for reporting an institution's activities under federal grants are outlined and explained, and possible implementation problems with each alternative are suggested. Options discussed include personnel activity reporting, monitored workload, multiple certification, and statistical sampling.…

Discussion of investment of planned gifts to colleges and universities identifies three common administrative problems (inappropriate investment strategies, tracking of performance, no performance comparisons), three factors focusing greater attention on planned gifts (fiduciary responsibilities, rapid growth in planned giving, donor…

The design and use of a departmental decision support system at Florida State University are described from the perspective of a department head. The decisions selected for study are ones of adequacy, equitability, quality, efficiency, and consistency. The complexity of the decision is related to the complexity of the support system. The major…

Explanation of the technological setting in which college and university financial systems have developed is provided for financial officers, to aid in devising a plan for the chart of accounts and erecting an efficient, logical, flexible financial structure. Topics include software/hardware advances, understanding the demand for financial…

This manual on the collection of student loans is intended for the use of business officers and loan collection personnel of colleges and universities of all sizes. The introductory chapter is an overview of sound collection practices and procedures. It discusses the making of a loan, in-school servicing of the accounts, the exit interview, the…