Recent demographic, economic and political trends have drawn attention to the issue of effectiveness and efficiency in the use of resources in the education sector. In the context of the renewed interest for the optimisation of resource use, this paper attempts to review the literature on budgeting and accounting in OECD education systems. The…

A common problem addressed in Managerial and Cost Accounting classes is that of selecting an optimal production mix given scarce resources. That is, if a firm produces a number of different products, and is faced with scarce resources (e.g., limitations on labor, materials, or machine time), what combination of products yields the greatest profit…

A feature of globalisation is encouragement of universities to become more businesslike, including adoption of the type of accounting routines and regulations used by businesses. The question debated in higher education policy research is whether this focus on being businesslike is compatible with the statutory public benefit obligations of…

Fort Wayne uses step allocation accounting and unit cost rates to locate the indirect costs of special -- and regular -- programs. (Author/JN)

Plant operation currently consumes about 8 percent of an institution's budget (10-12 percent is not uncommon), of which half is expended on energy. In addition, the deferred maintenance of existing plant, a measure by which many institutions balanced their budget or minimized their deficits, can no longer be postponed. Nationally, an estimated $22…

Higher Education has outgrown traditional fund accounting and needs to shift emphasis to managerial accounting principles. (Editor)

Discusses the theory of administrative cost accounting known as "internal pricing" for the purpose of describing how it is currently affecting the operations of academic departments. (Author)

In college and university administration, overhead costs are often charged to programs indiscriminately, whereas the support activities that underlie those costs remain unanalyzed. It is time for institutions to decrease ineffective use of resources. Activity-based management attributes costs more accurately and can improve efficiency. (MSE)

A system developed at the College of William and Mary that attributes all expenditures to the specific fund-raising programs for which they were incurred is described. It is suggested that this system can be utilized by other colleges and universities to determine the actual costs of operating these programs. (Author/SF)

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) program for regulating domestic telecommunications common carriers is assessed in this report, and several recommendations are made to the Congress and the FCC for improving the regulatory framework provided by the Communications Act of 1934. A digest of the report and a review of the nation's…

As part of a symposium that examined the utility of adapting the techniques of cost-effectiveness analysis for curriculum and program planning in higher education, this paper examines the methodology and procedures of the technique. A checklist outlines some of the problems and potential and some guidelines are suggested for cost-effectiveness…

The Philadelphia School District has a five-step program of site-based-management prerequisites for schools: (1) absolute support from the top administration; (2) clear and fair allocation formulas on which each school's budget is to be based; (3) universal understanding of any restrictions, rules, or guidelines; (4) full explanation of budget…

College administrators faced with declining enrollments must take a realistic approach and recognize the effect of any planned actions. Some financial warning signals are listed, and guidelines are offered to adjust management practices and philosophies to the enrollment trends. (Author)

This paper represents a backdrop from which to consider the development of a planning and budgeting model for local education agencies. The first part of the presentation describes the demands and external pressures that affect resource allocation decisions in school districts. The ability of local school officials to link the cost consequences…