This case study of a single campus of a California public university looks at what involvement faculty want in the financial components of the shared governance of their institution. It explores their real involvement on a campus with a particularly strong shared governance culture and systems, where academic senate subcommittees allow faculty to…

Objective: The purpose of our study was to explore the perceptions of internal authorities of public universities in The Gambia--with a focus on the University of The Gambia (UTG)--on service quality amid massification and thereby elicit their recommendations. Method: This qualitative case study of service quality in public universities in the…

We examine changes in public funding and student access, and the role resource capacity plays in access to higher education by students in two public universities in Africa namely the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, and the University of Ghana, Ghana. The public funding of higher education and student access in South Africa and Ghana…

Financial sustainability had become a primary concern among public universities worldwide due to the declining trend of government's funding and the unceasing growth in higher education cost. Hence, public universities are forced to generate alternative income sources. Resource dependency theory asserts that revenue diversification is a prudent…

Public Agenda surveyed Illinois residents to learn about how they view public higher education and what would help it serve them and the state better. Three research briefs highlight key findings from the broader survey findings. This brief finds that nearly three in four residents--including majorities of Democrats, independents and…

This mixed methods dissertation investigates the impact that cost-disaggregating tools like the Delaware Cost Study (DCS) have on the expenditure patterns at large, public research universities. It draws on public budgeting and higher education finance literature to form a theory of action that hypothesizes that expense management at such…

Colleges and universities are struggling financially as revenue streams decrease and institutional needs increase. To manage resource allocation, they use the budget as a strategic tool for planning purposes that can represent institutional goals, opportunities, and limitations. Increased competition for funds and cost concerns have placed…

Tuition discounting has become a common strategy used in higher education to generate enrollment; however, little academic study has been done on its impact on the overall financial condition of higher education institutions. Those studies that have been completed regarding tuition discounting have primarily analyzed the use of tuition discounting…

This paper examines the mechanisms through which higher education institutions (HEIs) explore, focusing on organizational status and institutional logic. We hypothesize that the exploration mechanisms differ depending on the public and private sectors. Revisiting middle-status conformity, we assert that the U-shaped relationship is stronger for…

This study examines alumni motivations for engagement and philanthropic contributions at one small, public, liberal arts college struggling with low alumni participation. In an electronic survey, three categories of alumni (donors, inconsistent donors, and non-donors) responded to 28 multiple choice questions and two open-ended questions. The…

Financial pressures on public doctoral universities are forcing them to seek more new student enrollments to grow net tuition revenues. This study evaluated public doctoral university net tuition revenue and its relationship with tuition discount rates and state appropriations. It focused on public doctoral universities with institutional…

This dissertation examines whether Tennessee's adoption of PBF as part of base appropriations for public higher education institutions in 2010 is associated with changes in STEM degree production patterns at public four-year universities. The study investigates the policy impact on the total number of degrees awarded, the number and proportion of…

Higher education scholars often investigate the policy mechanisms of external accountability, but rarely explore institutional mechanisms of internal accountability. This chapter, which reports select findings from an in-depth case study of institutional budgeting at an American public research university, examines an underexplored mechanism of…

This report provides comprehensive data about the tuition and fee prices published by public higher education institutions in the West for academic year (AY) 2024-25, including changes in tuition and fee rates over the past one-, five-, and 10-year periods. For the first time, the report includes tuition and fees from each of the U.S. Pacific…

The murder of George Floyd in May 2020 spurred a period of worldwide civil unrest. His death also catalyzed a phase of organizational reckoning and reflection on the pervasiveness of racism, which continues to exist in and influence societal systems. This study aimed to shed light on the budgeting ecosystem at a flagship, public, 4-year university…