The aim of this empirical study was to explore the extent and the determinants of management accounting practices' (MAPs) adoption in UK universities. In this vein, the current study serves as a 'stock-take', first reference study for future studies investigating the effects and impact of HE funding changes on accounting systems and practices in…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose the concept of higher education institutions (HEIs) offering educational services based on value for money. The value is determined based on customers' (i.e. students) expectations of the service and the costs in comparison to the competitors. Understanding the value and creating customer value are…

This spotlight focuses on data from the 2013 CDS to better understand how higher education institutions approach financial management systems. Information provided for this spotlight was derived from Module 8 of Core Data Service (CDS), which asked several questions regarding information systems and applications. Responses from 525 institutions…

In this paper, a model and tool is proposed to assist universities and other mission-based organisations to ascertain systematically the optimal portfolio of projects, in any year, meeting the organisations risk tolerances and available funds. The model and tool presented build on previous work on university operations and decision support systems…

Although virtually all universities have accounting systems that track every dollar in accordance with the accounting rules required by auditors, these systems are not adequate to inform their leaders or the public about the profit and loss, productivity, or efficiency of their activities. Instead, they obscure the different revenue sources on…

Of the various reports released in 2010, two purport to examine the state of accounting education in Australia. These are "Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010" and "Challenges Facing Accounting Education in Australia". Both were released as collaborations of the leading academic organisation, the Accounting and Finance…

This third and final volume of the 2007-08 edition of "Trends" focuses on the resources that Canadian universities have to support their teaching and research activities. The volume begins by comparing the combined funding for teaching and research in Canadian universities with higher education funding in some of its most important…

This annual report presents 1996-97 financial information on 20 degree-granting universities and related institutions in Ontario, Canada. The report first explains the general guidelines and reporting requirements used in compiling the report, including university accounting procedures, the principles of fund accounting involved, and definitions…

The quality of postsecondary education institutions should be enhanced by more effective procedures for evaluating and reporting to the public on the achievement of the stated goals and objectives of each institution. This paper considers the use of an educational audit as a means of meeting this need. An educational audit is defined as an…

This article describes the benefits one gets when big schools roll out highly effective eProcurement systems--strategic improvements and savings. eProcurement systems are hot again in higher education, driven by unrelenting cost containment demands, along with industry shifts that have consolidated choices and brought top products to the…

This paper presents an alternative to fund accounting by colleges and universities. Global accounting is intended to present an integrated view of a college's economic activities and financial status, by tracking planned and actual college income, college expenses, and effect on the institution's real wealth. Examples are given. (DB)

This document presents the background and analysis of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) guide to auditing colleges and universities. Highlights include the approval of the market value option, the treatment of endowment gains, debt services as transfers, the decisions on pledges, the use of financial statements, the…

The complexity of problems facing university administrators is examined, along with the confusion existing as to the role of research management within universities. Based on literature reviews, and discussions with administrators and researchers at various institutions, it is found that as university faculty move further away from pure or basic…

Ohio Wesleyan University has responded to the challenge of costing in colleges and universities by implementing a computer-based costing system, beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1970. This document describes the Ohio Wesleyan system that provides direct instructional cost per student enrolled for each individual course section, as…

A group of French universities modified the NCHEMS accounting method for use in a study of its budget control procedures and cost-evaluation methods. The conceptual differences in French university education (as compared to American higher education) are keyed to the adjustments in the accounting method. French universities, rather than being…