Offers a nine-step program to colleges and universities for selecting a consultant, including: (1) deciding what is needed; (2) evaluating in-house skills; (3) using what is available; (4) conducting research; (5) asking consulting firms key questions; (6) evaluating the information; (7) interviewing people; (8) selecting the consultant; and (9)…

It is no longer financially feasible to require faculty and staff to participate in benefit plans that they do not need or want and that may duplicate a spouse's benefits. Individuals should be allowed to decline to participate in certain benefits without losing the equivalent value applied to other benefits. (Author/MLW)

Presents three different, complementary statistical models for predicting faculty tenure dynamics, using data from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Massachusetts). The difference equation model exactly describes future behavior but requires complete specification. The Markov-chain model can predict the full life-cycle of tenure from initial age…

Intended for business officers of colleges and universities, this article lists and explains the 20 rules suggested by the Internal Revenue Service for determining whether a service provider is an employee or an independent contractor. (DB)

This article is an excerpt from the chapter titled "Information Technology and Systems" in the sixth edition of "College and University Business Administration." Issues addressed include competition for skilled IT staff, life-cycling budgeting and replacement, measuring and valuing the IT investment, funding mechanisms, and standards and technical…

Legal problems that colleges and universities might avoid are identified. Colleges are being sued over a broad range of legal issues and are expending money for legal and court fees, settlements, and judgments. Legal problems include right of admission to particular colleges, the right to stay in school, questions of faculty promotion and tenure,…

The importance of and necessary procedures for evaluating noninstructional personnel are outlined. A performance appraisal system developed and implemented at Clemson University to help decentralize management of state personnel is described that uses communication and direction to establish personnel goals and expectations. (MSE)

Important steps in the computing administrator selection process are outlined, including: reviewing the administrative computing organization, determining a search methodology, selecting a search or screening committee, narrowing the candidate pool, scheduling interviews and evaluating candidates, and conducting negotiations. (MSE)

Health care costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York) were projected to double between 1986 and 1990. The university has met cost-reduction goals through varied approaches, planned future cuts in overall costs by studying its employee population and is working toward a flexible plan for diverse health care needs. (MSE)

Voluntary severance plans for college employees offer a possible solution to the problem of limiting labor costs in an inflationary economy, particularly when mandatory retirement is eliminated. The severance package must be carefully budgeted, constructed, and communicated to the employees, and the institution must be disciplined in carrying it…

Issues pertaining to equity rights to intellectual property and policy concerns of colleges are discussed. The following factors need to be addressed: the extent to which the intellectual property is created and/or reduced to practice during time paid for by the institution; the extent of use and value of facilities provided by the institution and…

A number of economic and social factors suggest that this is an appropriate time for colleges and universities to review employee retirement plans. Information that employees should have for retirement planning is reviewed, and basic principles for institutions to use in selecting a pension company are outlined. (MSE)

Discussion of child care for college personnel, fast becoming requisite in every benefits package, presents three composite cases illustrating the range of child care options available, looks at the kinds of flexibility parents need and program options available, and examines federal child care initiatives and program legal liabilities.…

This article argues that, to be effective and ethical organizations, colleges and universities should develop and implement codes of conduct and staff training programs in business ethics and fraud prevention, which are most logically managed by the internal audit department of the institution. (MSE)

The uncapping of college faculty retirement age in 1994 has implications for tenure, retirement programs, and potential for age discrimination litigation. Institutions should carefully examine the probable impact of the change on the quality of their academic programs and financial situation and develop contingency plans as early as possible. (MSE)