Expenditures per student in Australian universities are examined by a university vice-chancellor. Focus is on cost indexes, real resources, and corrections for faculty costs. (LBH)

Allocation of a lump sum appropriation among seven colleges and universities in a single system can often be a source of wide dissention. Institutions in Oregon have achieved consensus on a budget allocation model that rests on recent advances in cost analysis. The model allocates funds on an equal basis for each major discipline and by level of…

Discusses a simple technique for stochastic resource planning that, when computerized, can assist educational managers in the process of quantifying the future uncertainty, thereby, helping them make better decisions. The example used is a school lunch program. (Author/IRT)

A national study of rural superintendents identified several fiscal practices to maximize resources, including seeking bids and comparison pricing for purchases, paying bills promptly where discounts are available, employing aggressive energy conservation measures, joining a regional service agency to provide services and programs, and increasing…

A poll of 1,933 voters in two counties that passed school bonds and two that did not examines voter perceptions toward school bonds. The factors linked to passage were that the number of students was growing, that most students would benefit, and that the dollar amount of the bond issue was reasonable. (SLD)

Discusses problems with reallocating public resources for education in developing countries from higher to lower education levels. There is a case for maintaining and even increasing higher education spending, as long as public funds can be directed to research and other "public good" functions. The true social rate of return to certain…

Asserts that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which is intended to close the achievement gap by improving schools, may be largely ineffective due to several of its questionable assumptions (e.g, school attendance is valued by and valuable to all individuals, and education creates opportunities). Suggests that simply providing the poor…

A new budgeting concept currently popular in colleges and universities, Responsibility Centered Management (RCM) holds that unit heads, who understand their operations best, should be given greater budgetary authority and responsibility. Experience with the system at Indiana University and several hypothetical cases suggest that RCM would place…

A review of over 400 studies of student achievement demonstrates that there is not a strong or consistent relationship between student performance and school resources, at least after variations in family input are taken into account. Simple resource policies appear to offer little hope for improving student outcomes. (SLD)

Presents six strategies by which student affairs professionals can develop management credibility and create understanding and direct support for the goals, functions, and operating approaches of their work. Emphasizes strategies for improving management within student affairs divisions to produce a better environment for working, budgeting, and…

Rather than establish a national test, we should examine what other industrialized nations require of their children. Persistence and creativity are not easily tested, and results are bound to be oversimplified. Developing basic American education standards is appropriate only if every public school is equipped with adequate resources. (MLH)

Addresses the need of devoting, during the next two years, more time to a special kind of foreign language departmental planning. This planning may determine the strength of foreign language programs at colleges and universities at the turn of the century. (GLR)

The assumption that universities derive financial benefits from intercollegiate athletics is false in most cases; sports programs can and often do drain large sums from the academic aspects of the budget. Institutional budgets can be deceptive. The case of the University of Maryland at College Park is an illustration. (MSE)

Three guiding principles provide the planner of aquatic exercise programs with a model that helps to ensure an effective program: principles of resource availability and allocation; the principle of fit, which involves matching instructor leadership style with program objectives; and the principle of attitude and perception modification. (IAH)

The status of school finance research and priority tasks to be undertaken in the next round of research are outlined. Both substantive and methodological issues are addressed. Finance-reform relations, methods addressing equity in funding distribution, and neglected areas of study are covered. (TJH)