Higher Ed Finance Expert Recommends Funding Policy Review

Madison, Wis.—May 1, 2008 — Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about the cost of a college education, but few offer solutions for managing costs. But in this seminar, Dr. Lucie Lapovsky, an economist who consults, writes and speaks widely on higher education finance, led participants through a list of fundamental cost-cutting and revenue-increasing strategies.

One strategy she suggested is finding the institution’s “expensive” policies and determining whether those policies actually contribute to the institution’s mission. Depending on the institution, an “expensive-but-worth it” policy might be a low student-to-faculty ratio, on-campus psychological services, or developmental education courses.

“I’m not at all suggesting that they ought to be things … to eliminate, but I am suggesting that they ought to be things that you’re intentional about having.” For example, having a low student-faculty ratio might be important for your mission.

Among the other strategies she discussed are
• using outsourcing and consulting effectively
• creating articulation agreements with other institutions
• creating schedules that fill classes and reduce time to graduation.

If you missed the live event, you can order the program in CD or print transcript format, both of which include the presenter's handouts.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.