Over the past two decades, public higher education has become widely recognized for its contribution to socio-economic adjustment. This paper probes its evolution in two large and affluent democracies, the United States and Germany, whose higher education systems represent distinct ideal types. The analysis argues that public authorities in both…

Respite is one of the critical support systems for families and carers who support and care for a person with a life-long disability. This study examined the profile of respite services in the Australian state of New South Wales and explored respite providers' views of the factors influencing respite use, and their expectations of respite…

Recent British emphasis on performance indicators in the evaluation of universities and the allocation of resources are examined. Potential problems in their use are discussed. (MSE)

The history of the present allocation model of a Dutch university is evaluated. This model was widely accepted at the start. As budget decreases continued, the model was increasingly criticized. At present it is no longer accepted as an instrument for policy decisions. The details of the model itself have become issues of political interest and…

The proposed methodology was designed to implement the Board of Governor's January 9, 1973, motion regarding the translation of the university's 1973-74 operating budgeting into a program budget showing the resources required by the various university programs and outputs. The methodology defines the main functions of the university in terms of…

West German use of performance indicators in higher education administration was studied in terms of differences between politically expressed intentions and actual application of the measures in institutional planning. Resource allocations was examined as one area of divergent developments. (MSE)

The proceedings of the IMHE Special Topic Workshop in Institutional Performance Assessment, held in Paris, December 10-12, 1980, are summarized. The themes of the workshop (self-evaluation, government role, finance) are discussed and participants comments are outlined. (Author/MLW)

The role of institutional budgeting strategies in promoting institutional change is examined, looking specifically at two budget components (general-purpose lump sums and earmarked funds). Experiences of the University of Utrecht (Netherlands) with internal competition for reduced funds as a means for stimulating change are discussed. (MSE)

The relationships between the size of units within institutes, departments, and schools and their teaching, research, and service outputs or the structure of their resources was investigated at two national institutes of technology funded by the government of Switzerland. Resources and outputs were measured in terms of total expenditures, hours of…

Strategic planning in British universities since 1960, during periods of both expansion and retrenchment, is reviewed. Planning approaches undertaken by the government and institutions in different economic environments are explored, along with the contribution of institutuional researchers to the planning process. Background information about the…

The Dutch government has adopted a policy of increasing the number of freshmen while reducing governmental spending. In addition, institutional autonomy is being promoted as an objective. Methods of balancing these policies and objectives are discussed, emphasizing the methods planned or in use in the Netherlands, including: (1) a complex…

Literature dealing with the economics of postsecondary education (but generally excluding university research), which was published in Canada or dealt with Canada, and which appeared in English language publications from 1971 to 1981, is reviewed. The following topics are addressed: resource allocation, and particularly returns to investment in…

Equity, quality, and cost in higher education is examined as it exists in Australia. The first chapter provides a broad overview, both current and historical, of the complex structure of higher education in Australia and identifies issues and concerns. Chapter 2 examines enrollment trends in different fields of study. The third chapter looks at…

The relationship between the costs of central administration and academic teaching and research production was studied, based on a large sample of British universities and a separate analysis of the Free University of Brussels, Belgium. To determine variables important to central administration costs, a cross-sectional and intertemporal regression…

Sources of University of Kuopio (Finland) funding in the context of institutional budgeting are analyzed. The decline in basic public funding is seen to require generation of new income, but new income sources may have unwanted effects on university orientation. The contract procedure between the Ministry of Education and the university is forcing…