Category: Academic Resource Management

Strategic Academic Resource Management in Higher Education: Evaluating Courses and Forecasting Programs

Why Evaluating Courses and Forecasting Programs Is Critical As universities navigate increasing complexity and financial pressure, academic leaders are seeking more data-informed ways to evaluate programs and forecast resource needs. In the fifth episode of Pilbara Insights, host Lea Patterson speaks with Fred Reich, Corporate Management Accountant at the University of Wollongong, to unpack this […]

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Managing University Research Portfolios: Insights from Professor Alan Pettigrew

Why Managing University Research Portfolios Matters for Institutional Success Managing a university’s research portfolio is far more than allocating funds, it’s a strategic exercise that shapes an institution’s research identity, academic reputation, and financial sustainability. Universities face increasing complexity due to constrained government funding, competitive grant environments, evolving academic roles, and emerging global research priorities. […]

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Understanding University Budget Models: Incremental, RCM, and Strategic Planning

This article is written for senior leaders in higher education, including vice-chancellors, provosts, deans, chief financial officers, and institutional planners. It assumes an advanced understanding of university operations, strategic planning, and the nuances of higher education finance. Why Budget Models Matter for University Strategy University budget models are more than accounting tools. They are strategic […]

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The Critical Role of Program Review and Optimisation in Higher Education

How Leading Universities Balance Mission and Financial Sustainability In today’s higher education environment, where institutions face funding volatility, increased regulatory scrutiny, and shifting learner expectations, program review and optimisation has evolved into core strategic functions. These processes are no longer solely about quality assurance or academic benchmarking; they now serve as vital tools for aligning […]

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Academic Resource Management: A Strategic Imperative for Modern Universities

Why Academic Resource Management Matters More Than Ever Universities across the globe are facing an inflection point. The financial pressures of declining government funding, rising operational costs, and increasingly complex learner demands are forcing institutions to rethink how they manage their academic resources. At the heart of this challenge lies academic resource management, a discipline […]

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How hard is it to run a university?

Very…but let’s elaborate. Professor Bill Massy, professor emeritus of education and business administration and former vice president and vice provost at Stanford University, states in his book “Resource Management for Colleges & Universities” that all colleges and universities are governed by an “internal economy”, which he defines as: “A university’s internal economy is the network […]

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Tough Financial Times in Higher Ed? – These two must-have reports will help!

TLDR: The last 10-15 years of low interest and low inflation were great but are now gone. You need the financial performance of every academic program and course available for review at any time. Comprehensive financial reviews of academic programs can no longer be done every 3-5 years, they need to be done at least […]

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The Evolution of Activity-Based Costing

From the Australian Navy to Universities.  Reducing implementations from multiple years to multiple weeks.  The perception that Activity-Based Costing (ABC) is overly complex, prone to failure, and largely abandoned was once widely held and, unfortunately, not without basis. However, the landscape of ABC has significantly transformed over the past two decades, marking substantial advancements in […]

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AI and Higher Ed Academic Program Management

There has been a remarkable surge in Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage, generating a significant amount of news and interest. The utilization of ChatGPT has skyrocketed, and new tools emerge regularly, aiding in the creation of images, videos, music, and short films. Microsoft has introduced their co-pilots to assist with code generation, writing Word documents, creating […]

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A CIOs Guide to Higher Ed Strategic Cost Management

While reading EDUCAUSE’s latest article on the Top 10 IT issues for 2023, I came across the top-ranked issue – A Seat at the Table, which emphasizes the importance of ensuring that IT leadership is a full partner in institutional strategic planning. Given the current economic climate, with increasing interest rates and inflation, Strategic Cost […]

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