Higher education and state

Public higher education increasingly relies on performance-based funding (PBF) policies to enhance accountability. These policies attempt to steer institutions towards successful outcomes via performance indicators, such as graduation rates. Nationally, PBF policies continue to grow in popularity despite limited evidence that they are effective (Hillman, Tandberg, and Gross, 2014).
Motivated by the apparent conflict between the widespread adoption of PBF policies and the lack of evidence that they actually improve outcomes in higher education, this dissertation investigates the perceived impacts of PBF policies. Florida’s public university system serves as the setting for the study due to its uniquely punitive PBF policy design and the model’s non-standardized performance indicators.

Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are facing many challenges
including state funding, competition, and maintaining the best possible
graduation rate. This study: (1) examined the strategic plans and strategic
planning processes to explore how, and to what extent, these tool are being used
to address these challenges; and (2) explored the extent to which continuous
process improvement is included in strategic planning efforts.
A qualitative research design employing a grounded theory approach was
used in this study. The researcher reviewed the perceptions of the participants
at each of four selected public institutions regarding strategic planning
processes, including their beliefs with regard to process improvement as a
component of the strategic planning process. Perceived facilitators and detractors of strategic planning and its implementation were also examined.
Finally, the researcher sought to design an improved model for strategic planning
in higher education that takes continuous process improvement into
consideration as a basic component of the approach to planning.
The dominant theme that emerged from the data analysis concerned state
funding, as performance-based funding offers an opportunity to acquire
additional funds. Graduation rate was identified as a core component of student
success. Competition from emerging sectors was not a specific topic of
discussion during the strategic planning processes.
Forty-one percent of participants indicated that some form of process
improvement structure exists at their institution, often related to accreditation
reviews and was outside of the strategic planning process. 53% of the
responses to the question, “What do you believe would be the impact of having
process improvement as an integral component in the strategic planning
process?” replied that it would be good or beneficial if it were carried out in a
meaningful manner. Twenty-nine percent of the 53% stated that process
improvement efforts are often performed for it’s own sake, and that including
process improvement in the strategic planning process should be done in a
manner that adds value to the strategic planning process and the institution.
Through the analysis of the approaches to strategic planning examined in
this study, the researcher offers a new strategic planning model for HEIs
grounded in the findings.

The purpose of this case study was to determine which, if any, alternative in delivering baccalaureate programs in the state of Florida was the most cost-effective one. This exploratory study focused on gaining an understanding of the cost effectiveness of two baccalaureate programs offered at a Florida community college to two like programs at a Florida university using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The researcher interviewed five community college and three State Department of Education administrators during the Fall of 2007 and analyzed expenditure and effectiveness data from 2003-04 through 2006-07 to determine the cost effectiveness for the programs at each institution. The study revealed that the university and community college programs were equally effective as measured by student graduation and test scores. The community college baccalaureate programs were more cost effective, however, using a formula of per-student state funding combined with student cost. Th e lower per-student funding and student tuition charged resulted in the community college baccalaureate being a less expensive alternative of offering baccalaureate degrees to the state and the students. Using Henry Levin's ingredients model of measuring cost effectiveness, the quantitative analysis of the study revealed that that the university programs were more cost effective in the early years, but the differences diminished over time. Using Levin's model for comparison, the researcher concluded that increased growth in the enrollment of the programs combined with the implementation of effectiveness measures comparable to those of the university would render baccalaureate programs at the community colleges more cost effective.