This ERIC digest synthesizes research characterizing the economic climate in which rural schools operate and reports on the traditional strategies used to create greater economic support for rural school districts. The benefits of steady urban economic growth have not been shared, generally, by rural areas; this has led to inadequate financial…

The relationship between the external environment and state appropriations to public higher education is analyzed, focusing on the following: (1) the extent to which environmental factors explain yearly appropriations outcomes for public four-year colleges and universities; (2) which environmental factors are most important and which are least…

The 1986 annual report of the Western Australian Post Secondary Education Commission identifies objectives and achievements, policy initiatives, education program and related matters, resource planning activities, national and state consultation efforts, and related governmental developments. Education program and related matters include:…

A comparative budget analysis approach employed by British universities is discussed. The British funding system analyzes in detail unit costs and marginal costs and undertakes comparative assessments of expenditure patterns and priorities for a group of 95 institutions with similar objectives, in which each has autonomy in resource allocation.…

The 1983-1984 annual report of the Planning and Grants Committee of the Council for Higher Education in Israel is presented. Reports by the Chairman and Director-General note the severe budgetary cuts to higher education. The main activities of the Committee and its subcommittees are identified, along with 1983-1984 recommendations to the Council.…

The organization of English as a second language (ESL) programs varies greatly, according to the student population, individual student characteristics, and district resources. They can be broadly categorized as either stand-alone ESL or ESL-plus. In general, stand-alone programs group limited-English-proficient (LEP) students together and…

Adjustments that state policy-makers and institutions of higher education will need to make as they face cutbacks in public support and declining enrollments are described, based in part on a research project on retrenchment in higher education conducted by the Southern Regional Education Board. Given the long-term contractual obligations of…

A procedure for reallocating faculty positions is described that uses credit hour guidelines that are quantitatively established using instructional method as the unit of analysis (rather than academic unit). Formally recognized guidelines for varying instructional methodologies are also applied to actual instructional experiences of academic…

A new approach to academic management is described that combines innovative techniques of planning, resource management, and evaluation to enable administrators to respond more effectively to challenges of the present and future. Chapter 1 describes the challenges facing higher education: (1) protecting and enhancing institutional quality; (2)…

A statistical and analytical procedure for selecting states for the purpose of comparing their postsecondary systems with New Jersey's is detailed by a public commission appointed by the New Jersey Board of Higher Education. The approach used factor analysis to examine information on specific variables that describe the socioeconomic and…

The current system of financing postsecondary education in New Jersey and that proposed by the Booher Commission in its final report, "Financing in an Era of Uncertainty," are compared. The Booher Commission was a public, blue ribbon commission appointed by the New Jersey Board of Higher Education. Implementation of the recommendations…

Vermont's Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education was appointed in the summer of 1973 to consider major issues involving Vermont's postsecondary education programs. This report addresses the major problems in statewide coordination. Internally, fragmented planning and policy implementation are considered, and externally, multiple voices and…

Problems faced by blacks in higher education in North Carolina are analyzed with focus on inadequate financial support for black colleges. It is suggested that factors affecting the status of black institutions are (1) the traditional state educational priorities, and (2) the history of political maneuvering that has resulted in a misguided…

The characteristics of California's Student Aid Commission grant program applicants and recipients were examined to assess the extent to which aid programs meet state goals. Attention is directed to major problems confronting the three Cal Grant programs and a range of possible policy and program options. The three programs are: Cal Grant A State…

Errors made in the allocation of federal funds to institutions for the three campus-based aid programs specified in Title IV of the Higher Education Act are discussed. Funds are allocated directly to participating colleges, which in turn award the money to students, for the following programs: Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, College…