| Colleges and universities have always struggled to manage their financial operations. The conflict between resources and institutional desires is especially acute in the current economy, as revenue sources are stagnant or actually decreasing and costs are escalating relentlessly. This dissertation discusses how financial and marketplace conditions have affected private college operations with a particular emphasis on the increasingly crucial role business operations play in the effort to modernize the management of these institutions.; Using national financial, enrollment, and staffing databases, this study details the dramatic growth in small private college enrollment, revenues, and expenditures during the 1990s. The 576 sample colleges were able to increase revenues and subsequently were able to bolster expenditures, particularly in student and administrative services. This study documents the growth in professional staffing during the 1990s, and shows that professional employee numbers are now equivalent to faculty at sample institutions. This study also implements a financial comparison model that categorizes institutions based on financial health characteristics, providing insight into large differences between similarly-sized institutions. Struggling institutions were found to employ larger proportions of part-time faculty, which supports the belief that financially challenged institutions tend to employ more efficient operational models.; This study also profiles and reviews four representative institutions in California in order to show how these institutions changed during the 1990s, and how the market and economic conditions of the early 2000s have affected them. All four institutions show an increasing prevalence of managerial strategies, including integrated financial planning, intercollegiate partnerships, outsourcing, and benchmarking. In addition, the selected institutions indicate how economic conditions are differentially impacting colleges, with highly endowed institutions suffering the greatest impact.; In sum, colleges are facing increasingly competitive conditions in which efficiency and effectiveness must become guiding principles. Subsequently, business operations are increasingly important to the overall direction of the college. These services are uniquely positioned to adopt efficient and effective practices and able to promote initiatives and better practices throughout the institution. |
