Discussion of the reorganization of the national higher education system by the Australian government focuses on a questionnaire distributed to university librarians that examined quality assurance processes and management. Topics include quality indicators and libraries; methodologies, including Total Quality Management; allocation of quality…

Most discussions about narrowing the achievement gap focus on ways to provide disadvantaged children with schooling comparable to that received by middle-class kids. Addressing deficiencies in children's social environment, health, housing, and family income would be more effective and would probably reduce special-education spending. (MLH)

Discusses the impact of the 1999 North Carolina General Assembly House Bill 168, which mandated the implementation of performance-based funding for the state's 58 community colleges. States that a college's performance on six of the 12 measures determines its eligibility for supplemental allocation. Questions whether the new standards will affect…

This chapter argues that a relatively high tuition, high financial aid policy is the most equitable and efficient way to fund community college operating budgets and promote access.

A number of small countries face similar problems while organising external assessment of higher education institutions: how to select proper experts, how to prepare them and maintain? How to avoid bias or interest conflict between experts who evaluate the institution and the institution being evaluated? How to reduce the financial costs of…

In this article, the author shares his experiences in working as a tribal liaison consultant to an AIDS education and training center at a Pacific Northwest university's health education research center. The author's experience shows the concerted efforts by the university lawyers to bury issues of discriminatory racism and sexism in hiring…

In Kenya, performance in science subjects has often been dismal. This poor performance is partly blamed on the increasing school enrolment, without a corresponding increase in teaching resources. The introduction of cost sharing in secondary schools has limited the government's role to paying teachers' salaries only. Capital development and…

Malcolm Baldrige Awards has established a framework of operations in order to encourage accountability, transparent decision making, and optimal use of available resources. In 2001, the University of Wisconsin at Stout was the first higher educational institute to receive this award. Their operation has been prioritized into the factors of:…

This year marks the fifth annual EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey to identify what campus information technology leaders see as their most critical IT challenges. Thirty-five percent (571) of the 1,638 EDUCAUSE primary member representatives who were asked to participate responded to an e-mail invitation to complete the Web-based survey in December…

Even with all the external elements of school reform in place, educators can end up spinning their wheels. To make progress, schools must identify the nonnegotiable key elements of their reform plans and use the habits of highly effective schools to turn them into school practice. These habits are: (1) demonstrate high expectations and a vision…

As economic conditions worsen and enrollments surge, community colleges make two basic moves. They increase class size, add more sections, hire more part-time instructors, boost tuition, and create more parking spaces to accommodate more students. Then they slash spending by cutting things before people--travel, staff development funds, equipment…

The challenges of meeting the needs of diverse students have long been recognized in higher education. As many institutions wrestle with austere budgets, however, diversity programs are struggling to maintain their effectiveness amidst financial rescissions. This climate of austerity coincides with demographic predictions for an increasingly…

When budgets are tight, administrators have to find ways to provide and maintain facilities without draining their budgets. Fortunately, advancements in technology, new ideas in construction and design, and savvy management strategies are available that enable schools and universities to spend their money more wisely and efficiently. Here are 10…

As energy costs rise and resources dwindle, schools and universities can benefit greatly by taking an environmentally sensitive approach to construction, renovation and maintenance of facilities. Administrators free up needed budget resources by operating facilities more efficiently. Using sustainable-design strategies can set a good example for…

Implementing an incentives-based budget system at a large public research university significantly redirected internal funds while producing notable organizational and financial surprises. For example, units did not increase their "hoarding" of students, contrary to some expectations. The findings point to several issues for further…