Reactions to zero-based budgeting in the State of Georgia as it pertains to institutions of higher education are discussed. Major advantages and disadvantages of zero-based budgeting as reported by budget analysts and selected department heads in state agencies were examined by George Minmier and Roger Hermanson (1976). Zero-based budgeting was…

Beginning with the premise that postsecondary institutions in most states will suffer some sort of fiscal crisis in the 1980's, this paper discusses the strategies a state can use in contending with financial problems and turns to California's experiences after Proposition 13 for specific examples. After describing the two probable types of…

An approach to obtain disciplinary specific salary information for the institution of higher education budget process by mid-winter is considered. The approach involves using current year institutional mean salaries and prior year relative average salaries by academic discipline to provide "current" salary comparisons by academic…

Differences among statewide coordinating boards/agencies and consolidated governing boards/agencies in level of authority for budgeting, program review/approval, and planning for public senior institutions were studied. The potential for effective linkage or integration of these activities was also explored. Forty-five state agencies completed…

Two case studies of states that illustrate innovations in higher education budgeting are presented, based on a project of the Education Commission of the States. The two states, Colorado and Minnesota, took different approaches. In Colorado, the impetus for change came from key legislative members interested in providing greater autonomy to the…

This paper examines expenditure patterns at higher education institutions in recent years, in light of the spiraling cost of higher education. It utilizes data from the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), begun in 1986, and the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), which goes back…

This case study concerns the 1992 Maryland legislation which granted St. Mary's College, a Public Honors College, a lump sum budget and exemption from most normal state controls. In return, there was an institutional agreement to cap state tax support at an agreed upon level and to use money from tuition increases to fund low income students. This…

This study examined the effects of budget reductions in the 1990s on public higher education systems in six major states. Finance officers at the campus, system, and state level in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin were surveyed regarding budget reductions, approaches to reduction allocation, the impact of budget…

The value of a statewide analytical perspective to the institutional program review process is discussed. This perspective can also assist in answering the questions of how declining resources can be distributed within and among institutions. The analytical approach was developed in order to provide background information that can be used both by…

Results of a national survey of colleges of optometry concerning the form, scope, and methods of their short-term, long-term, and strategic planning activities are presented and discussed. (MSE)

Long-range planning techniques used by U.S. business corporations and the potential adaptation of these processes by public colleges and universities are examined. The state-of-the-art is developed by reviewing corporate strategic planning methods from the 1950s through the 1970s. Strategic planning, as defined by Drucker, is a continuous process…

New directions that state legislatures have taken in regard to accountability in higher education are reviewed, along with the way that the relationship between the legislature and higher education is changing as a result of new developments. In response to public criticism that the legislature is too responsive to pressure groups, does not do its…

Based on an examination of the socioeconomic factors likely to affect community college financing in California from 1980 to 1985, this report presents recommendations for community college fiscal legislation during the state's 1981-82 legislative session. The report first outlines 17 assumptions concerning future trends in community college…

This study examined changes in use of funding formulas for higher education among the states, the use of information about peer institutions in funding decisions, and the use of outcome or quality measures. The study used data from surveys of all states in 1984, 1988, and 1992. The most recent survey showed that 33 states were using formulas in…

This study examined the impact of state budget cuts on public colleges and universities in six states, focusing on the effects of such cuts on institutional priorities and plans, tuition and fees, and educational quality. Five state higher education finance officers, 12 state college or university system finance officers, and 98 college or…