Learning Resources

Abstract: This article explains the cost of education in public research universities. “Price,” meaning “tuition,” is often incorrectly substituted for “cost,” meaning expenditures by the university that make the education possible. University cost is disaggregated to enable readers to distinguish between the costs associated with providing education to students and the costs of other non-educational activities that tend to produce their own revenue. While tuition has increased rapidly, real cost per student for providing education has been roughly constant for nearly 20 years. Increased revenue from tuition has been almost precisely offset by reduced revenue from state appropriations.

Abstract: How have presidential leadership strategy, decision approaches, and institutional culture preferences influenced fund-raising effectiveness at a historically Black college for women? These conceptual dimensions guided a qualitative study that interviewed three recent Spelman College presidents and investigated documentary evidence to develop an understanding of each president's relative successes. Although generalizability is not possible when studying a single institution, the three very individualistic approaches to fund-raising adopted by these presidents indicate the contextual nature of fund-raising effectiveness and highlight the need for knowledgeable institutional planners who understand each of these conceptual dimensions to accommodate the varying contexts of their institutions.

Abstract: A strategic planning model for colleges and universities is presented which integrates competitive benchmarking and an adaptation of Hill’s manufacturing strategy model. Hill’s model is altered to focus on student-winners and is used to design programs of study and supporting services. Benchmarking is used as a key component of the planning process. This model is based on integrating program strategy with recruiting strategy to satisfy the needs of stakeholders including students, faculty and industry recruiters. A planning context is developed and a modeling example is presented. This paper responds to the need for improvements in traditional strategic planning in higher education to develop a more holistic and integrative approach.

Abstract: This case study analyzes the impact of Indiana’s Twenty-First Century Scholars college tuition discount program on the academic self-efficacy of high-risk, low-income students. The program is designed to increase the number of high-risk individuals attending college. The self-efficacy “training” of the program helps instill and reinforce the idea that success or failure coincides with internal effort and not external factors. Surveys were completed by 55 program participants and 42 institutional representatives at different colleges in Indiana. The program increased students’ understanding of the feasibility of attaining a college degree, heightened students’ academic confidence, and improved their overall self-esteem. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this program for academic planners developing programs to help high-risk students succeed in college.

Abstract: Book review of The Advancement President and the Academy, eidted by Mary Kay Murphy. ACE/Oryx Press, 1997. 153 pages. ISBN 1-57356-028-6. Pull quotes: "The advancement president must live out a commitment to intellectual life."

Abstract: Book review: Beyond Fund Raising: New Strategies for Nonprofit Innovation and Investment, by Kay Sprinkel Grace, John Wiley & Sons, 1997. 288 pages. ISBN 0-47-16232-9.

Abstract: Subtitles: Response to the cuts; Thinking anew; The knell and the new. Pull quotes: "Prospects for a return to robust state appropriations seem dim." "What formula should states use to fund their public institutions?" "Each institution would thus have different cost bases." "The time for across-the-board tuitions caps may have passed." "Tuitions in the state should be more variegated, not uniform as they are today."

Abstract: The process of devising a financial strategy to enhance its academic distinction began at Rutgers, a large, public, research university, in 1980 with a not uncommon statement of the Rutgers Board of Governors that sounded like many other mission statements. It used the expected phrases: continue development as a national and international resource by improving quality of instruction, research, and service; increase emphasis on scholarship; expand graduate and research areas of excellence; enhance programs to serve society's needs for broadly educated, humane, competent professionals to serve New Jersey's needs in education, business and industry, public policy studies, government, and other areas. But the Rutgers board did not see the statement as a platitudinous expression to be said and forgotten, and called upon the University administration to implement the statement with all due speed. What follows is the story of its implementation and the results of that action.