Public universities are not for-profit businesses with an easy-to-understand bottom line: their financial reports are not designed to convey information to the public fully or to reflect all the costs of teaching and research. Financial reports do track every dollar in accordance with the accounting rules required by auditors, but they do not…

This "Trends in College Spending" update presents national-level estimates for the "Delta Cost Project" data metrics during the period 2001-11. To accelerate the release of more current trend data, however, this update includes only a brief summary of the financial patterns and trends observed during the decade 2001-11, with…

The State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report is produced annually by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) to broaden understanding of the context and consequences of multiple decisions made every year in each of these areas. No single report can provide definitive answers to such broad and fundamental questions of public…

The State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report is produced annually by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) to broaden understanding of the context and consequences of multiple decisions made every year in each of these areas. No single report can provide definitive answers to such broad and fundamental questions of public…

At the University of Akron (Ohio), research productivity was enhanced through improved information exchange, implementation of a systematic approach to securing funds, grant-writing seminars, reallocation of indirect-cost returns, establishment of a fund to cover unplanned expenditures, and other support activities. Creation and maintenance of a…

Financing higher education requires political leaders, policymakers, and educators to address broad public policy questions, including ascertaining: the levels of state funding to colleges and universities that are necessary to maintain the economic and social well-being of the American people; the tuition levels that are appropriate given the…

One of the working papers in the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' (ABOR) Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and Competitiveness presents an overview of the State of Arizona ABOR, and university state operating budget request processes. This overview includes a 25-year state funding, productivity, and performance output history of…

Reduction planning is a rational process that requires a comprehensive program and a firm grasp on current operating practices and costs. It is planning for reducing personnel positions, lowering levels of service, and deferring maintenance. This paper explores three important issues in reduction planning: the basic concepts of reduction planning,…

This book presents a collection of essays from prominent administrators and influential thinkers in higher education who offer their prescriptions for responding to the challenges imposed by higher costs and reduced revenue expectations. Innovative improvements in the operating efficiency in such areas as administration and support services,…