Financial stewardship by college governing boards too often stops at balancing the budget. That was the message two finance experts presented last week during the annual meeting of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Furthermore, the yearly budget exercise can give trustees a misperception of their institutions'…

Strategic planning enables colleges to direct discretionary dollars into high-impact areas that can enhance critical core activities, improving output. When the institution can disinvest financial resources in weak or noncritical core areas and redirect them through careful budgeting, it improves its chances for success. (MSE)

The Technical University of Denmark has tried to free resources in a stagnant or declining budget for development of new subject areas by planned contraction of ordinary activities, with only moderate success due to low mobility and strong specialization of the scientific staff. A more realistic planning system has been introduced, using…

The process of comprehensive school planning is divided into seven stages: setting goals, analyzing strengths and weaknesses, brainstorming, focusing on limited goals, narrowing issues, choosing a plan of action, and evaluating progress. (JW)

Discussion of asset allocation for college/university endowment funds focuses on three levels of risk: (1) the absolute risk of the portfolio (usually leading to asset diversification); (2) the benchmark risk (usually comparison with peer institutions; and (3) personal career risk (which may incline managers toward maximizing short-term returns,…

This guide is designed to help school districts develop a consolidated plan for programs and resources. It outlines the importance of generating a consolidated plan to reduce duplication, identify children's needs, and coordinate funds from various programs. Consisting of 10 modules, the guide addresses all components of the planning process and…

This paper argues for increased universitywide research planning, with emphasis on collective identification of priorities, open communication at all levels, careful allocation of resources, and long-range strategic planning. (DB)

Recommendations for investing college/university endowment funds focus on identifying structural and skill-based competitive advantages. These include the long institutional time horizon and the ability to endure short-term volatility. Implications for endowment management are applied to selecting an endowment manager and asset allocation. (DB)

The college financial aid system imposes an implicit asset tax that is prevalent and substantial. Facing this tax, rational families should reduce their total assets and shelter assets in protected categories. I find that the tax induces a 7-12% reduction in total assets, a result in line with the literature. Furthermore, I find evidence that…

Illustrates the uses of operations research (OR) in higher education administration by reviewing the higher education system's most significant operational problems: resource allocation, financial planning, budgeting, formation of student project groups, scheduling and classroom allocation, student registration, tuition and fee structure…

Modern scientific management techniques provide college administrators with valuable planning and resource allocation insights and enhances the decision process. The planning model should incorporate assessment, strategic planning, dynamic and long-term budgeting, operational planning, and feedback and control for actual operations. (MSE)

Discusses the functions of business planning systems and analyzes the underlying assumptions of the information systems that support strategic planning efforts within organizations. Development of a system framework, obstacles to the successful creation of strategic planning information systems, and resource allocation in organizations are…

Declining enrollment and the impact of Proposition 13 are discussed in regard to retrenchment and retention rates. It is suggested that higher education establish meaningful communication and affirmative programming to lessen the effects of retrenchment and cut-backs. (Author/LC)

Argues that, as institutions of higher education make the transition from the initial planning of technological infrastructures to the stage of forming linkages between information technology and academic goals, the chief information officer becomes responsible for forming strategic relationships that integrate the goals of the institutions's…

The strategic management process tries to create and maintain a dynamic balance between an organization's vision, mission, goals, strategies, and resources and its external environment. One Ohio school district's strategic management process succeeded resulting from a highly committed school board, a strong board-superintendent partnership, active…