Information concerning a theory about allocation of resources among units at colleges is presented. This information, which is primarily in tabular and graphical form, is based on a report of the special conference topic panel entitled "Clues for Leaders of Universities from Environmental Studies: Applying Theory and Research to…

With tighter budget allocations, funding for different university budgets items must be managed more judiciously. Subjective criteria are often used to allocate funds to colleges within a university, with the result that allocation decisions can be based on spending differences that are not statistically significant. A statistically based method…

A general model is derived for the purpose of efficiently allocating integral numbers of units in multi-level designs given prespecified power levels. The derivation of the model is based on a constrained optimization problem that maximizes a general form of a ratio of expected mean squares subject to a budget constraint. This model provides more…

Financial planning and resource allocation for chemistry--which has costs not shared by most other disciplines--in Victoria (Australia) colleges are discussed in light of enrollment trends and these colleges' contribution to the pool of chemistry graduates. Materials and equipment costs and class size are considered. (MSE)

The Education Reform Act 1988 obliges the Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to delegate budgets to the colleges within their control by means of a formula, but does not say what should happen within colleges once the delegated budget has been received. This paper reports some of the outcomes of an action learning and training program, carried out…

In response to the nationwide trend toward increased financial pressures and growing demands by state legislatures for accountability, several large universities (including Indiana University) have adopted various forms of "responsibility center budgeting" (RCB), which has fiscal implications for programs in speech communication and…

A practical, research-based theory about how colleges and universities allocate resources among budgetary units is proposed. The theory was developed from interview responses at six institutions as well as questionnaire results. In phase one, interviews were conducted with 26 key administrators centrally involved in budgetary decisions at the six…

The experiences of the University of Montreal in using a rational-analytic framework to allocate resources at a time of budget costs are discussed. The following characteristics for rational decision-making are identified and applied to the University of Montreal: whether goals were known, whether alternative methods of resource allocation were…

As one considers the almost incredible array of guidelines, regulations, requirements, and contract provisions affecting the allocation of the local school's resources, one must wonder how it is possible to conduct the business of the school at all. Time is not traditionally considered a resource, and local school administrators are rarely trained…

A general model along with four illustrations is presented for the consideration of budgetary constraints in the setting of passing scores in instructional programs involving remedial action for poor test performers. Budgetary constraints normally put an upper limit on any choice of passing score. Given relevant information, this limit may be…

Examines some of the basic principles that should be observed and techniques that can be used to handle inadequate library budgets. Topics discussed include the need to know what is being done, categorizing activities and relating them one to another, and evaluating the impact of change. (EJS)

Basic concepts concerning state-level resource allocation to higher education are discussed. Attention is directed to principles of budgeting regardless of context, the pluralistic nature of higher education, characteristics of higher education production functions, and the typical form of the budget. In addition to the distribution of resources,…

This paper discusses resource allocation at the school level, concentrating particularly on school-based budgeting. School-based budgeting is a process calling for preparation and administration of a budget for the allocation of the individual school's resources by the school principal, usually in consultation with staff and parents. The paper…

This paper describes the activity-based costing approach used to report and capture the time spent by faculty for specified activities at one Midwestern university. For each department, four major areas (instruction, research, public service, and administration) and 14 activities were identified. During the annual goal-setting period, each faculty…

The relative incidence of across-the-board cuts in higher education for all institutions that experienced decreasing revenues between 1976-1977 and 1980-1981 was studied. Factors that affect the extent to which administrators employed across-the-board cuts versus selective cuts were also assessed. Attention was focused on the effects of the…