In 1994, Michigan voters approved a ballot initiative that transferred the power in Michigan's education system from local communities to the state. Proposal A succeeded in slowing the growth of local property taxes and narrowing the gap between the richest and poorest districts in Michigan. However, due to a decade of sluggish economic growth,…

The vast majority of public employees--including teachers--are enrolled in defined-benefit pension plans. These plans are usually the product of state legislation that determines eligibility, benefit formulas, employer and employee contributions, and how payments will be calculated when an employee retires or leaves the system. Once an employee…

Economic downturns are sudden and sharp reminders that public universities must shift their reliance on state appropriations to other sources of revenue. The recent economic crisis is another reminder that many sources of revenue must be sought for the continued vitality of public higher education in the United States. The ways and means for…

The rich and the famous are much in the news these days--colleges and universities that is, the ones with endowments in the hundreds of millions or more and whose run-up in assets has raised questions about their non-profit status from both state and federal lawmakers. The U.S. Senate Finance committee wants to know, for example, why institutions…

Sustainable livelihoods and environmentally sound technology should not be developed separately. They require that essential ecological services be protected by restricting use of resources and that those who exploit environmental resources be confronted with the future costs of their actions. (SK)

If faculty and other groups are to play a significant role in the budget process, the administration should format the budget to invite discussion. A properly prepared budget can serve as an excellent means of consensus building on campus. A new technique known as "framework" budgeting is described. (MLW)

The large growth in disability transfer program beneficiaries and expenditures from 1965-1978 has led to public concern over the incentive effects of and the budgetary expenditures for these programs. This paper examines the two strategies of removing individuals from the rolls via administrative review and reducing the generosity of benefits.…

The assumption that universities derive financial benefits from intercollegiate athletics is false in most cases; sports programs can and often do drain large sums from the academic aspects of the budget. Institutional budgets can be deceptive. The case of the University of Maryland at College Park is an illustration. (MSE)

This report presents a proposed budget for the California State University (CSU) system (1991-92) which concentrates on three critical needs: financing enrollment increases; staffing new facilities; and restitution of funds removed from the basic budget for 1990-91. The budget proposal represents $1.94 billion, 13.7 percent over 1990-91, on…

Examines how school financial policies affect economic incentives and working conditions for teachers and how these policies might serve to make the teaching profession more attractive to new and experienced teachers. Particular consideration is given to the California public school system. (DR)

This background paper examines the current state of higher education finance--the scope of the higher education enterprise, challenges to its funding base, and undesirable consequences of current financing practices--and describes what is meant by a "restructuring" of higher education finance. It demonstrates that the structures and practices…

Financially, the 1990s will probably not be as good for higher education as the 1980s were. All those who set policies affecting higher education--federal government, states, and institutions--must change their policies and attitudes about spending in response to the slowdown in revenue growth. (MSE)

Specific roles faculty members can play in their institution's budget processes are discussed, and the general ends served by budgets are identified. Each of the dimensions of institutional character (e.g., size, mission) determines the ways in which participants in budgeting will interact. For example, broader faculty participation in budgeting…

Economic trends in health care delivery and medical education in the United States are examined. It is noted that the market for physician services is being more extensively socialized due to insurance practices and it is suggested that there is a trend toward desocializing medical education and transferring a greater share of the cost to the…

To determine adequate, fair, and efficient methods of public school finance for the state of Illinois, this study collected and synthesized data on state revenues collected in 1980-81 and distributed to school districts in 1981-82. Researchers examined current alternative methods of distributing state and federal funds to Illinois public schools…