Learning Resources

Abstract: The Oregon University System has developed a resource allocation model intended to equitably distribute state funding based on university mission and enrollments by level of instruction. The methodology is grounded on identifying and achieving the median of peer university funding. A primary feature of the model is that dollars (general fund and tuition and fees) follow the student to his or her enrolling university and are not redistributed to other system programs and universities. The model rewards campuses for meeting or exceeding system and university objectives. Accountability for achieving key indicators and stimulating resident participation is the key ingredient of budget decision making. Ultimately, the peer-based methodology has provided significant latitude to the universities in planning their enrollment and program strategies but within a framework of board, gubernatorial, and legislative anticipation and expectation.

Abstract: This article presents the outcomes of two areas of research conducted at UNITEC Institute of Technology, New Zealand, that support the development of a new and distinctive “university of technology” within a relatively traditional national higher education system. The first involved a survey of staff opinion on the organizational development aspects of this new kind of institution. The second related to curriculum development and the nature of professional education central to a university of technology. The collective findings of these research projects support an integrated understanding of the various dimensions of professional education and the incorporation of this understanding into an educational institution’s strategic vision. This has created an identity distinctive from those of the existing universities and polytechnics in New Zealand but one that is not yet formally recognized by the New Zealand government.

Abstract: The costs of distributed/distance learning (DDL) have been the subject of many studies and reports. The Technology Costing Methodology (TCM) project, sponsored by the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications and funded by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, involves the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and pilot cost studies at 20 colleges and universities to develop and validate a generally agreed upon set of principles and practices for the costing of DDL courses. This article describes the TCM project, illustrates the application of the costing methodology (including capital costs), and concludes with a demonstration of how actual TCM cost data can be interpreted and used to make decisions regarding the best uses of DDL.

Abstract: Colleges and universities need to identify the “core” which defines them as an institution. They need to find and declare their niche within state systems, and then build a budget around that core, that niche. Across the nation, public institutions are wrestling with declining state budget resources and increased demand for services. Traditional budgetary approaches could result in wholesale across-the-board reductions or program eliminations. What is needed is recognition of the situation, acceptance that these down cycles occur and re-occur, and a new approach to funding requests. If funding is not available for all programs, fund and preserve the core.

Abstract: Although some educators think that e-learning is a transient fad, we argue that, far from disappearing, it has gone mainstream, and is quickly becoming part of the everyday fabric of traditional higher education institutions. However, contrary to another widely-held view, e-learning is not just fully online education, but rather encompasses a large set of teaching options that institutions must adopt and adapt. A successful venture into e-learning, therefore, should begin not with technology decisions, but with a strategic planning process that allows an institution to choose the e-learning alternatives that best meet their vision and business goals.