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)

This report gives suggestions for starting a personal money plan, provides a worksheet for developing the plan, and offers ideas for putting the plan into action. Guidelines are presented for the following steps in developing a money plan: setting short- and long-term spending and saving goals; making a timetable for reaching those goals;…

This volume presents 12 papers offering guidelines to higher education institutions on planning for the deregulation of the electric power industry. Following an introduction (by Dorsey D. Jacobs), the papers are organized into three parts which address: the changing market, identifying opportunities and challenges, and taking advantage of…

Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Illinois has, in one document, a comprehensive "one-and-five" year plan that is designed to develop instructional and program needs and relate them to anticipated revenue as a foundation for the coming year's budget. (Author/MLF)

Five strategies for realistic deficit management in the college or university during fiscal stress are examined: (1) comprehensive strategic and operational budget planning; (2) examination of tenure-stream faculty positions; (3) program review and evaluation; (4) self-supporting auxiliary and service units; and (5) increased flexibility in use of…

Effective college planning in a period of reduced resources requires that a comprehensive long-range plan, based on consensus, be in place before budgeting begins, so essential resources will not be damaged. The starting point for planning is a well-stated conception of the institution and of its subsystems and their interactions. (MSE)

The multiyear forecasting model is a device to focus on the input side of the educational process--staff, materials, facilities, and services. An annual budget can be developed from the multiyear work plan, with specific policy statements being made to achieve the outcomes initially determined to be the goals and objectives of the district. (MLF)

This paper integrates principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) with those of investment for institutions of higher education. TQM with investment budgeting as one of its critical tools is seen to be essential for effective management in a time of decreasing financial resources. A process for investment budgeting is outlined and explained…

The ways in which ratio analysis can help in long-range planning, budgeting, and asset management to strengthen financial performance and help avoid financial difficulties are explained. Types of ratios considered include balance sheet ratios, net operating ratios, and contribution and demand ratios. (MSE)

A framework is presented for district long-range instructional planning which takes into account the financial uncertainty caused by the funding cuts of California's Proposition 13--the Jarvis-Gann initiative of 1978. (SJL)

This workbook explains how to define what various constituents connected with a public library want it to do and what doing these things well means in qualitative terms. The book aims to define effectiveness for the public library and to provide guidelines for assessing the library's effectiveness and communicating this to stakeholders. The eight…

The responsibilities and functioning of college trustee committees on finance are described. It is noted that the role of the finance committee is to recommend policy for board approval, interpret it to the administration, and to monitor the results. The following responsibilities of the finance committee are discussed: overseeing current…

To determine what lies ahead for a school system and to be ready for it, school board members need to plan, this paper maintains. The author makes suggestions for several components of planning, including goal setting and developing priorities for facility use, staffing, programs, and services. The importance of the school district budget and…

This second of two monographs dealing with comprehensive institutional planning is directed at institutional representatives involved in the planning process at two-year colleges. It contains (1) information on a step-by-step approach to developing and implementing a comprehensive planning process (chapters 1-3) and (2) a case study of planning…

It is essential that any institutional reorganization plan be based on a solid educational foundation developed in advance so that policy issues guiding program and faculty elimination selection can withstand legal challenge. Reduction methodologies must be decided from a policy rather than legal or emotional perspective. A planning structure is…