Teacher pensions are fast becoming a significant issue in education policy. Mounting unfunded pension financial liability, likely larger numbers of retiring teachers, increasing mobility among existing teachers, and unfavorable comparisons with less generous private sector pension plans all contribute to putting pedagogues pensions in the public…

Florida has been one of the states hit hardest by the recent financial crisis. Since 2007, Florida State University (FSU) administration says, the university's budget has been cut by over $38 million. The state budget approved by the legislature on May 8, 2009, requires FSU to make another cut of more than $43 million from the institution's…

This year was bleak for state higher-education budgets. But college leaders are even more worried about what comes next. The billions of dollars in federal stimulus aid to plug shortfalls in state education budgets have helped limit the damage this year, but the money hasn't prevented all of the cuts to college budgets. Most states are spending…

While colleges across the nation are coping with the recession, public universities in Florida, a state with finances that resemble a Ponzi scheme, have spent years doing without. The recession hit Florida early, and in a big way. Without an income tax, state government has long depended on property and sales taxes. As real estate and tourism have…

This article reports that the recession tearing into the U.S. economy is not only straining the public coffers that support K-12 schooling, it's also taking a toll on education philanthropy. From family foundations to corporate philanthropies, charitable giving to K-12 education appears to be facing a downturn. Although no national figures are…

In some ways, higher education has been a victim of the recession--but not a defenseless victim. Smart moves clearly helped some colleges and universities avoid the worst of the downturn. Mistakes have left many others in the lurch. The downward spiral has brought layoffs, budget cuts, and anxiety to many campuses. With the cuts have come protests…

The end of the fiscal year usually isn't a momentous occasion for colleges. But this June 30 could be a day of reckoning many never expected. Colleges borrowed billions of dollars over the past decade to improve facilities and fulfill their ambitions. Now the consequences may be about to blow up in their finances. The author reports on how…

By just about every objective measure, the $88-million in debt that Wartburg College has carried since late 2005 poses a risk. The college's debt load--twice the amount that it takes in annually from tuition and other revenue--has raised red flags with its accreditor, alarmed some faculty members, and left Wartburg with a credit rating just one…

Purpose: To validate a survey research measure of subjective income, as measured by perceived income adequacy, in an international context. Design and Methods: The study population comprised persons aged 50 years and older in 12 countries from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (n = 28,939). Perceived difficulty in making ends…

Libraries are an interesting instance of the radical transformations that higher education is experiencing. The neoliberal turn that has led to the commodification of what scholars do--teach and create knowledge--has had a profound effect on the academic library. But the political economy of the transformed library is invisible to many if not most…

State and local governments today are, with few exceptions, in deep financial distress. While some governors can offer the recession, the housing crisis, or the loss of an important industry as an excuse for poor finances, many states are simply structurally insolvent. In this article, the authors discuss the primary cause of the states' long-term…

Recent developments in the global business environment have led to important changes in accounting/auditing regulations, and have implications for the business school curriculum. While many of these issues are covered in advanced accounting courses, generally taken only by majors, the issues are sufficiently important that nonaccounting majors, at…

One of the most important factors that determine the state of science potential and, in the long run, the successful results of scientific and technical activity, is its financing. All developed countries conduct an incentive policy to encourage their national science, including systematic support from state budgets for scientific research and…

The article briefly summarizes seven challenges that faces the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) tertiary institutions in the Caribbean. There is no exhaustive discussion of the challenges but each is clearly articulated. There is no attempt to address solution but the discussion of each challenge, however, provides opportunity for several inferences…

Understanding the institutional context of financial issues and related communication enhances the effectiveness of student affairs administrators within their areas of responsibility and as leaders of change on campus. This chapter focuses on key aspects of developing a comprehensive communication strategy.