This is a recording of a live online seminar that was part of the 2006 Academic Leader Conference, a five-week web-based conference series.

Presented by Margaret J. Barr

The CD of the this online seminar will be available for sale after October 22, 2006.

Budget management is one of the most important aspects of an academic leader’s job, yet many new leaders lack a thorough understanding of the processes, procedures, and responsibilities associated with effective budgeting and financial management. Further complicating the issue of budget management is the prospect of budget reductions that are so common in higher education institutions these days. In this session, Margaret J. Barr will provide an overview of the context of budgeting and fiscal management, describe the problems and issues new budget managers face, and offer suggestions on how to avoid common budget problems.

Learning objectives:

• Identify the critical elements of their institutional fiscal environment.
• Understand the similarities and differences between public and private (independent) institutions of higher education.
• Identify the purposes of and the essential elements of budgeting.
• Identify the steps in the budget cycle at institutions of higher education.
• Identify the differences between the operating budget, the capital budget and auxiliary budgets.
• Identify the most common problems and pitfalls encountered by new budget managers.
• Identify strategies to confront such problems and pitfalls.
• Identify the unique issues involved in budget reductions on campus
• Understand some useful strategies to deal with budget reductions.

Margaret J. Barr is professor emeritus in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. Prior to her retirement she served as vice president for student affairs at Northwestern, vice chancellor for student affairs at Texas Christian University, and vice president for student affairs at Northern Illinois University. She has also been associate and assistant dean of student at the University of Texas at Austin, director of housing and director of the college union at Trenton State College, New Jersey and Director of Women’s Residences at the State University of New York-Harper College. During her academic career she has had responsibility for development and implementation of operating budgets for both general revenue and auxiliary enterprises. Additionally, she has been involved in the development of plans for, construction of and financing of new buildings such as residence halls and recreational facilities. She has also developed and implemented deferred maintenance plans and budgets for such facilities.

She is the author or editor of numerous books and monographs including: The Academic Administrators Guide to Budgets and Financial Management (2002), The Handbook for Student Affairs Administration (1993), senior editor of the second edition The Handbook for Student Affairs Administration with M. Desler (2000), co-editor of New Futures for Student Affairs with M. Lee Upcraft (1990) editor of Student Services and the Law (1988), and co-editor of Developing Effective Student Services Programs with L.A. Keating (1985). She served as editor-in chief for the Jossey-Bass monograph series New Directions for Student Services for twelve years (1986-1998). In addition, she is the author of numerous book and monograph chapters.

Her B.S. degree is from the State University of New York College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY (1961), M.S. degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (1964) and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin (1980).