The topic of budgeting and financial resources often strikes fear in the hearts of community college administrators and faculty, as they believe it is an arcane and complex art understood only by accountants and financial specialists. This chapter attempts to demystify the basic concepts involved in budgeting and addresses approaches to budgeting,…

The strategic planning process requires considerable detail, much of which is covered in traditional literature on strategic planning. Using actual and existing strategic plans as example, we discuss aspects of strategic planning in academic settings that are often not addressed. We present a list of action items that should be considered as part…

In this age of educational accountability, there is an increasing emphasis on assessment and institutional effectiveness, not only in the academic arena but also in other aspects of community college operation, such as fiscal health and stability, revenue generation, resource allocation, facilities, workforce development, and community enrichment…

As higher education institutions shift from a growth orientation to one of redistributing existing resources, budgeting can play a major innovative role. The author isolates a number of roles in the budgetary process, shows how these roles interact, and suggests how a budget can be redesigned. (Author/MLF)

Understanding organizational growth and maturity, viewing the community college in the same manner as a private enterprise, and orienting to markets and products will help bring strategic techniques into the financial management process. Funds for new ventures will come from reallocation of existing resources based on a sufficiently broad mission…

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)

A "target ratio" model for effectively coupling decentralized planning and centralized budgeting within a college of arts and sciences is illustrated. It provides departments with realistic expectations of the budgetary resources available over a multiple-year time span while allowing them maximum flexibility in planning for the use of…

A method for analyzing expenditures and revenue, and a matrix for use in decision making about program choice and more productive use of resources, is outlined. Institutional integrity (internal and external cohesion) is preferred to emphasis on competition. (MSE)

The relationship between planning and budgeting is discussed in terms of human and organizational obstacles (e.g., the insufficiency of resources to satisfy plans), the reallocation of resources (e.g., in response to a crisis situation or to institutionalized processes), and political processes (using a University of Minnesota case study). (MLW)

This report provides a 5-year projection regarding finances and influencing conditions for the Metropolitan Community College District. The first section details revenue assumptions, focusing on historical and projected enrollments, district tax revenues, state aid, student fees, federal and vocational revenue, investments,…

The University of Montana's University Planning Council is an illustration of the integration of the planning and budgeting process into the institution's decision-making process, with broad constituent participation. (MSE)

Instead of collegiate priorities determining resource allocation, the resource allocation process can often shape the priorities. Current approaches are reviewed with focus on (1) how different approaches to setting priorities accommodate lack of consensus on campus; (2) incentives incorporated into resource allocation approaches; and (3)…

When real resources decline, demands change, or programs lose vitality, then a logical move is to reallocate resources to facilitate academic planning. Reallocation schemes and experiences at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Oklahoma State University are described and compared. (Author/MLW)

The history of the resource allocation model at the University of Utrecht is examined, stressing the need for timely adjustment of such models and analyzing the circumstances influencing their lifespan. General conclusions and implications for financial planning and budgeting are drawn. (Author/MSE)

The Objective-Based Assessment, Planning, and Resource Allocation System (OAPRAS) that was developed and implemented at Middlesex County College is described. The integrated self-assessment planning and budgeting system was developed in 1981. The central purpose of OAPRAS was to link resource allocation decisions to the prioritized objectives that…