The concept of today's cloud computing may date back to 1961, when John McCarthy, retired Stanford professor and Turing Award winner, delivered a speech at MIT's Centennial. In that speech, he predicted that in the future, computing would become a "public utility." Yet for colleges and universities, the recent growth of pervasive, very high speed…

In these days of radical contraction of funding and expansion in student numbers, universities are under pressure to prioritise their resources, as well as to achieve effective costing and pricing to support judgement and decision making for funding and any external work undertaken. This study reviews costing, pricing and income measurement in…

This paper looks at what the value of a doctorate is, both to employers in particular and to society and the economy at large. Given the emphasis many universities and funding agencies/governments are putting upon the development of PhD programmes, this is an issue deserving attention. The paper tries to show how two separate but interrelated…

Nonprofit child care centers are frequently observed to produce child care which is, on average, of higher quality than care provided in commercial child care centers. In part, this nonprofit advantage is due to different input choices made by nonprofit centers--lower child--staff ratios, better-educated staff and directors, higher rates of…

Even in the best of times, budget development in a school community poses an enormous challenge. However, these times are hardly normal. Global markets are shaken badly. The nation's economy is in recession. State legislatures are seeking sharp reductions in the current fiscal year. Months of financial turmoil likely will make 2009 the ugliest…

Students' lack of preparedness for the mathematical demands of higher education is affecting a wide range of programmes in universities worldwide. In the UK this has been recognized at the highest levels and provoked several inquiries. The ability to use mathematics in courses as varied as nursing, biosciences, and business is an essential skill…

The meaning of cost-benefit (c-b) studies, advocated with increasing frequency as a remedy for the ills that beset education, is explained, the difficulties that exist in transfering the c-b techniques of business and defense to education are outlined, and specific pioneering c-b studies, particularly those aimed at evaluating new instructional…

Describes cost consequences analysis as a means to estimate whether the value of results obtained is worth the investment. Discusses how CCA differs from other evaluation tools, return on investment, and theoretical underpinnings of cost benefit analysis (CBA), and contends that there is no substantive difference between CCA and CBA. (Author/LRW)

Examines the Crenosphere Dome sports facility and how such large structures can be afforable to build. The benefits of using domes for large sports facilities and their construction benefits are explored. Approximate construction costs for various stadium domes are highlighted. (GR)

The problem addressed in this qualitative case study focused on the limited amount of scholarly research addressing the use of information and communication technology in U.S. motor carrier operations. The trucking industry is part of the service sector which contributes approximately 67.8 percent to the gross domestic product of the United…

Children's exposure to violence (CEV)--including direct child maltreatment, witnessing domestic violence, and witnessing community and school violence--can have serious consequences, including a variety of psychiatric disorders and behavioral problems, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Fortunately, research has shown…

"Trends in College Spending, 1998-2008: Where does the money come from? Where does it go? What does it buy?" is the third in a series of reports on college and university spending from the Delta Cost Project. The findings presented in this report concentrate on the 1998 to 2008 time period--the last academic year for which spending data are…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) alternative educational options. The WCPSS options are similar to those in other North Carolina districts. WCPSS student outcomes based on state assessments and federal standards are also equivalent or higher than other districts, although the capacity for WCPSS…

The Thai higher education sector has expanded quickly during the past decade, making a transition from an elitist to a mass institution. A driving force behind the expansion was believed to be the Student Loan Fund (SLF), introduced in 1996. During the first 10 years of its operation, the SLF has lent to more than 2.6 million students, with the…

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a minimal intervention focusing on hypnotic discontinuation and cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for insomnia. Fifty-three adult chronic users of hypnotics were randomly assigned to an 8-week hypnotic taper program, used alone or combined with a self-help CBT. Weekly hypnotic use decreased in both…