Studies of "cost and value" in anatomical sciences education examine not only what works, but at what cost, thus evaluating the inputs and outputs of education. This research provides insights into how to use available resources (e.g., academic time, budgets, infrastructure) as a mechanism to obtaining the maximum outcomes available. The…

The retreat of state funding at public institutions paired with the growing concerns surrounding vulture capitalism that has weaponized philanthropic gift-giving (i.e., distinguished chairs, scholarships and fellowships, academic research centers, faculty lines, campus maintenance) means educators must find ways to teach students about the…

Richard Badenhausen has offered a generous range of ways to think about "the economy of honors" and has concluded with a call for honors leaders to be aggressive in seeking appropriate funding from the upper administration. He passes over, however, the need to be equally aggressive in raising money from private donations, seeming to…

A new study of endowments by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the Commonfund Institute has brought good news to college and universities: While endowment returns dropped precipitously in fiscal year 2009 as a result of the financial crisis and accompanying slide in equity markets, they climbed to an…

It is time to educate corporate America on the need to finance higher education by using a need-based giving standard. Corporations need to realize that two-year colleges significantly affect their work force and economy. Only 25 percent of the jobs in the United States require a degree from a four-year college, yet up to 75 percent of the jobs…

The law of diminishing returns, a simple but powerful concept that is widely known by everyone with a rudimentary understanding of economics, is often flagrantly disregarded by many -- including the richest among us. The law states that there comes a time when additional infusion of a factor of production no longer leads to an increase in…

Sustainability strategies are closely tied to the logic of the donor in every institution. Philanthropies that are set up with a limited time-span tend to scale up their impact differently. The educational programs of the Open Society Institute, for example, prioritize institutionalization over any other sustainability strategy. This is how it…

The demand for higher education and academic research--and the costs of providing them--has risen in recent years, and the search is on for easy answers to limit the financial burdens on families and the government. The most recent suggestion has been to require colleges and universities, especially large and prestigious ones, to spend more of…

"Absorptive capacity" is a frequently used term amongst development practitioners in education. It is adopted by some as a reason for caution over scaling up aid. Others are of the view that absorptive capacity is an excuse by some donors for not delivering on their Education for All financing commitments. Drawing on interviews with…

Financial inequality is growing in U.S. higher education. In this report, the author observes increasing differences between the endowments of rich and poor institutions, between the salaries of college and university presidents and their faculties, between the salaries of athletic coaches and professors, and between well and poorly compensated…

The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of increasing fund development at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Increasing the endowments at HBCUs means placing more emphasis on cultivating alumni and educating them about the importance of philanthropy. Advancement professionals at these specialized institutions…

In John Steinbeck's classic novel "The Pearl," a poor Mexican fisherman finds a valuable pearl in an oyster. But instead of leading to riches, the "treasure" brings him only envy among his neighbors and violence against his family. He can't even convert the pearl to cash. Comparable drama is familiar fare for today's fund-raising professionals and…

Every planned giving administrator's ultimate responsibility is to serve the institution of higher education and not the donor. Planned giving administrators should instruct donors to consult a financial adviser because they cannot fill that role. (MLW)

Quality of Education was the theme for the 1990 conference of Ministers of Education of the Commonwealth. To provide briefings, the Commonwealth Secretariat commissioned a series of papers on this theme, and a selection of these papers were published as a series of three volumes. This third volume consists of two papers by Kenneth King and Jasbir…

The future of American higher education now depends on its ability to attract more and larger gifts for endowment. Comprehensive strategies that include all the ways to increase endowments are presented. (MLW)