KH CONSULTING GROUP

Support Services

2010-08-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Often times, when colleges and universities are seeking means for reducing costs, they do not analyze the cost of support services. Below are some ideas that might trigger some cost-savings ideas across the institution. An institution should explore these and other support service areas for potential cost-savings.

Allow libraries to retain their fines to replace books

Establish fixed-free contracts with outside legal counsel and closely monitor costs

Improve the effectiveness of litigation support functions through automation

Contract out duplicating wherever possible if less costly

Do all printing in one color and double-sided only

Increase charges for transcripts, with overnight delivery options

Evaluate cost-effectiveness of internal campus police

Renegotiate service contracts, shift work to in-house staff where cost-effective

Review consulting contracts for their necessity, reasonableness, and ability to recoup the costs

The surest way to be late is to have plenty of time. - Leo Kennedy

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Continuing and Contract Education

2010-08-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Some colleges and universities have found continuing education and contract education to be revenue generating opportunities for them. Some have developed impressive continuing education programs that exceed offerings found at many colleges and universities. Others have partnered with local businesses to offer academic programs and courses in the work place through contact education for a fee. Yet others have used distance learning as a tool to offer coursework cost-effectively and deliver programs globally.

Offer more physical education courses through continuing education on a higher fee basis

Charge market prices or full costs for continuing education and contract educational courses

Offer photography courses as continuing education for fees, and use the profits to invest in new photo technology

Develop public speaking and presentation courses for businesses and offer through contract education

Offer small business courses as continuing education

Start large continuing education classes on film history, aerobics, etc.

Offer non-credit courses on modular basis with staggered months

Make continuing education and non-credit programs financially self-sufficient

Change to census days for non-credit classes

Reduce hours of continuing education or non-credit courses if they don’t cover their own costs

Increase or sustain hours of continuing education or non-credit courses if they generate revenues that exceed or cover their own costs

Have continuing education and non-credit course students bring their own supplies and buy their own books

Establish continuing education courses for test preparation, tutor training, Computer Automated Design, and other new areas

Offer contract education courses in workplace literacy through ESL programs

Charge tuition for non-credit classes in summer school

Few people think more than two or three times a year. I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a year. - George Bernard Shaw

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

English-as-a-Second Language (ESL)

2010-08-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) is an important component to many colleges and universities, particularly community colleges in urban settings. ESL courses enable students to bridge many of the barriers they may face in day-to-day living, in the work place, or when pursuing higher levels of academic learning.

Maximize use of learning labs by using as listening labs for ESL students

Offer ESL telecourses, supplemented with reduced classroom and lab time

Offer more “bridge” or transitional classes which funnel ESL students into credit courses

Streamline non-credit ESL programs (move students through faster)

Make “Accent Reduction” course fee-supported for ESL students

Track success rates of ESL students into regular credit courses

Track success rates of ESL students in Basic Skills classes into regular credit courses

Place students in ESL courses according to their level of performance and educational goals

Offer contract education courses in workplace literacy through ESL programs

To have ideas is to gather flowers; to think is to weave them into garlands.
- Madame Swetchine

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Possible Class and Program Revenue

2010-08-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

These ideas are difficult because they may place a financial burden on students. But, if the choice is closing the program or sustaining it, such fees may be justifiable so students can continue to learn and benefit from them. In addition, if a public university or community college, the tuition levels are still a bargain in higher education.

Charge fees for repetition of continuing education courses which have already been satisfactorily completed

Charge fees to audit a class

Charge non-residents to take ESL classes

Charge more to people who live outside the tax-base

Increase charges for GED testing

Increase enrollment and registration fees

Offer photography courses for credit by day and for fees at night and on weekends

Offer tuition installment plans so classes will be more affordable; charge interest

Initiate or increase application fee; credit the fee toward tuition costs after enrollment, if appropriate; and offer no refunds

Charge fees for non-students to use computer labs and photographic dark rooms, especially on weekends and evenings, on an hourly basis

Sell membership cards to non-students to use photographic dark room on a pre-paid basis

Sell membership cards to non-students to use computer labs on a pre-paid basis

Charge a fee for late registration

Charge students who drop or withdraw after two weeks

Charge a syllabus fee for each program

Charge transfer fees

Charge students for tutorial services

If you’re yearning for the good old days, just turn off the air conditioning.
- Griff Niblack, in Indianapolis News

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Faculty Load

2010-08-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

Increasing student fees is controversial. Increasing faculty load is also controversial but feasible. Some colleges have worked with their faculty to develop means for sustaining quality education with greater efficiency in the use of faculty time. In addition, during hard economic times when corporations and government agencies are curtailing hiring, reducing pay, or shortening work hours, college faculty members may need to consider some modifications to their load to help their colleges weather these hard economic times.

Create better incentives for teaching larger classes

Evaluate load disparity taking into consideration of out-of-class responsibilities or lack thereof

Increase teaching workload of all faculty

Institute “load banking” (where faculty teach overload for future paid leave) on a “one-for-one” basis

Have only part-time faculty or consultants teach continuing education courses

When classes are cancelled, have faculty “owe” that class in the future

Limit funds available for substitutes

Do not allow substitute instructors for the first day of absence

Eliminate substitutes and have faculty cover for each other

Limit release time

Introduce a self-funded faculty sabbatical program

Substantially curtail sabbatical replacements

Defer sabbaticals for one semester or more

“Reeling and writhing of course, to begin with,” the Mock Turtle replied, “and the different branches of arithmetic—ambition, distraction, uglification, and derision.” - Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

It is a lesson which all history teaches wise men, to put trust in ideas, and not in circumstances. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Staff Functions

2010-08-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Our last two KH Know-How newsletters addressed two controversial topics: increasing student fees and increasing faculty load. Similarly, colleges and universities find changing management and classified staffing configurations and workload hard to do. But austere times require new ways of working – and some of these staffing changes organizations should do because they are good business practices.

Broaden supervisory and management spans of control to at least 8 to 12 incumbents

Review secretarial workload in light of new technology and adjust staffing accordingly

Establish clerical pools to equalize workloads and provide better service

Replace some clerical positions with students on work-study

Establish tutorial volunteer programs to replace paid employees wherever feasible

Allow departments to share support staff

Have paid student workers perform custodial tasks at college

Promote better cross-use of personnel

Increase or decrease work week of classified staff and adjust pay accordingly

Investigate abuse of lunch or rest breaks

Establish stronger supervisory controls over classified staff and clarify reporting relationships

Reduce number of classified supervisory positions

Limit new or temporary classified employees assigned to instruction and hire (rehire) based on need for college semesters or terms

Restructure classified positions to better balance workloads and reduce overlaps

Yellow cat, black cat, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat.
- Deng Xiaoping

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Budgeting and Finance

2010-08-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

Almost all complex organizations – whether a college, university, government agency, or corporation – find budgeting processes to be complicated or even mystical. Below are some ideas for increasing accountability, transparency, and expertise in budgeting and finance.

Make the budgeting process easier for all employees and the community at large to understand

Replace contingencies in each budget, with one real contingency

Institute program-based accounting or “block budgeting”

Institute zero-based budgeting

Improve the year-to-year continuity of the budgeting process

Train deans and all budget managers in fiscal and budget management

Improve budgeting and tracking to provide control over temporary and part-time employees

Create funding incentives for departments to generate revenues and lower costs

Improve or implement cost accounting

Require cost justification for all major expenditures

Review the use and allocation of the supplies budget

Track grants and special funding sources comprehensively

Simplify the bill-paying system to ensure bills are paid on time to avoid late charges or cessation of services

Use state program-based funding formulas as benchmarks to fund departments

The shortest recorded period of time lies between the minute you put some money away for a rainy day and the unexpected arrival of rain.
-Jane Bryant Quinn

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Hiring Practices

2010-08-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

Many colleges and universities do not think long-term when hiring an employee. They lack a strategic plan or educational master plan that identifies what programs will grow or may have peaked in popularity and demand.

A tenure track faculty position is typically a 20-year commitment that can cost an institution between $1 million and $3 million. Therefore, the decision to make a position tenured should be tied to a 20-year vision of the need for such expertise. Moreover, because of the tendency to avoid terminating employees, other staff members become permanent fixtures – whether they are assets or obstructionists.

Finally, once a decision is made to fill a position, significant improvements can also occur in streamlining the hiring processes.

Do not automatically refill vacant or vacated positions

Delay, for a limited time, replacement of full-time faculty who retire or leave

Hire more staff who are technically qualified and who are able to handle more functions

Administratively control all full-time faculty hiring

Buy back early retirees on a part-time basis to teach large classes

Develop online candidate or applicant tracking system

Develop cost-effective methods to process personnel requests

Furnish substitute teachers for illness or death only

Hire managers with greater experience in their area of responsibility

Reduce overtime by hiring part-time or short-term help to cover vacant full-time, classified positions

Improve the manager training process for the hiring of classified employees

Standardize the training process for search and selection committees

Restrict employees from returning as “consultants” at higher pay

Survey and audit all job descriptions; develop generic job classifications

Use more part-time teachers

Use more volunteer teachers

Use students as graders and clerks

Establish more work-study programs for students in lieu of permanent employees, wherever part-time work is a viable option

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.
- Publilius Syrus

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Compensation Issues

2010-08-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Compensation represents the bulk of almost any higher education budget. And the brain trust of the faculty and the skills of the administrators and staff are what make any institution great. Therefore, pay is an important reward but, with finite resources, must be used effectively for compensating people fairly and acknowledging people for a job well done.

Give time off instead of pay raises

Evaluate chronic use of overtime or overload, and cut where possible

Eliminate overload pay during college vacations

Have finance administrators review, critique, and sign off on collective bargaining agreements

Implement rewards for cost saving ideas and deliver rewards as additional pay

Review pay practices, especially in administration, for fairness

Employ college aides instead of paying overtime

Reduce abuse of compensatory time system

Develop Pay-for-Performance or merit pay concepts

Reduce pay of tenure review committee or make tenure review work part of regular assignments rather than extra pay assignments

Solicit volunteers among full-time faculty to work reduced workloads for reduced pay

Equalize Pay for Work performed by faculty (e.g., class sizes, labs, etc.)

Stop automatic pay increases based on Cost of Living Allowances and the Consumer Price Index

Ensure that individuals receiving augmented pay for bilingual skills are assigned to areas where such skills are needed

Do not pay instructional rates for non-instructional staff work

Pay part-time instructors on a course basis, rather than an hourly one

Freeze all step increases at the mid-point of the range for a limited time

Have employees voluntarily take from one to 20 days off per year without pay while retaining benefits

Pay stipends for ESL student tutors in lieu of hiring ESL instructors

Prevent abuses when giving credit for “life experience” when determining job or pay grade

Redefine the college’s compensation philosophy to one that pays slightly below market

Offer a voluntary leave program without pay and without replacements

Institute voluntary or involuntary furloughs or unpaid leaves of absence

When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target.
- George Fisher

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Payroll Processing

2010-08-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

The one administrative process that everyone has a vested interest in is payroll. Everyone wants to be paid. People immediately notify payroll if their pay is not on time or accurate. Institutions are always pursuing ways to streamline payroll procedures and reduce their processing costs.

Implement electronic transfer of salaries to employees’ bank accounts

Combine the payroll process for both classified employees and certified faculty

Computerize the entire payroll system

Process payroll once a month

Enforce payroll/time reporting policies

Establish time and attendance reporting, linked more tightly to payroll

Mechanize or automate the time keeping systems

Outsource the majority of the payroll function and related systems to an outside vendor

Apothecary: My poverty, but not my will, consents.
Romeo: I pay thy poverty, and not thy will.

-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Much madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
’Tis the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur, — You’re straightway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.

-Emily Dickinson, Much Madness is Divinest Sense

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Meetings and Committees

2010-08-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

The number of committees and related meetings are significant at colleges and universities because of the governance structures and commitment to participatory governance. In some instances, the committees and meetings are added to the existing structure and not re-conceptualized.

Analyze the governance structure and consolidate the committee structure as appropriate

Delegate decision-making to the appropriate level, thereby reducing unnecessary multiple reviews.

Ensure the charter for each committee is clearly defined, including its membership, goals, operating agreements, and decision-making roles and responsibilities

Limit amount of time spent in meetings

Establish moratorium on all meetings for a limited time

Clarify roles of committees

Define committees’ advisory and decision-making authorities

Eliminate committees which overlap department authorities and budgetary processes

Prevent staff from sitting on opposing committees (conflict of interest)

Set up agendas and identify clearly who should be in attendance, given the topics to be discussed

Eliminate the “culture of distrust” and the need for everyone to “look over each other’s shoulders” to make sure they are making prudent decisions

All government—indeed, every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act—is founded on compromise and barter. - Edmund Burke

Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke. - Will Rogers

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Student Services

2010-08-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Student services are important for ensuring students benefit from a full college life experience. Learning within the academic classroom is important but students also learn from the total college experience. Student services play an important role in these experiences – student clubs, student senates, student events, dorm life, dining, etc. Such services, however, cost money and should be periodically reviewed in terms of their cost versus value to student life.

Determine actual costs for student services and adjust fees accordingly

Improve or eliminate student services that are costly but not essential

Recruit tutors for students from the private sector

Have psychiatric counselors on call and not permanently employed at the health center

Eliminate the less-used student services and consolidate others

Eliminate “optional” services that are not self-funded

Make food service self-service without changing prices

Privatize many of the non-instructional services for students

Cut non-critical campus activities (e.g., guest speakers) for a limited time period

Have Associated Students Government fees fund their administrator

Have theater box office revenues cover supplies, maintenance, and other contractual costs

A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting on the wall, claims it is a forgery. - Morris Bender

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Services

2010-08-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Below is a pot pourri of ideas that might generate more revenues (or reduce costs) for services. Some involve new services, new fees, or extension of existing services to new clientele for a fee.

Advertise and charge for student services that students use and for which they will pay

Begin building alumni data base for student mentoring programs

Build on-campus housing for faculty

Build on-campus housing for senior citizens

Charge for career counseling services

Charge student services fee to all students

Charge for all requests (after the first request) for evaluation of graduation eligibility

Open the student health center to the public and accept Medicaid

Provide and charge for medical tests at student health services

Open child care center for the college community and the public and charge fees to cover costs

Open selected student services to the public for a fee that covers costs

Open up staff development conferences to outsiders for a fee

Use college’s educational television channel as teleconferencing vehicle and charge for services

“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” - Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.

Environmental Savings

2010-08-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

Environmental savings are important cost savings and good for the earth. Taking advantage of “green” initiatives also demonstrates that a college or university is a good “corporate” citizen and socially responsible. Environmental initiatives are also a great way to engage the student body in promoting and identifying ways to reduce energy uses.

Reduce hard copies of memos and notices by one-half

Limit photocopying to black-and-white and double-sided

Use electronic mail and encourage discretion in printing out mail

Reduce paper waste

Recycle paper

Eliminate cover sheets wherever possible

Install computerized thermostats and light control panels

Limit publication of academic senate and staff development notices to once a month

Evaluate all printing requirements and eliminate overprinting

Use both sides of paper

Use only white paper because colored paper costs more and cannot be recycled as easily

Provide locations for aluminum, paper, and glass recycling, and resell collected items

Reuse paper in laser printers where possible

Install aerators on faucets

Install low water usage toilets

Install solar panels over parking lots

Use solar energy, and promote demonstration and prototype facilities which may be eligible for outside funding

Consolidate classes in buildings to conserve on heating costs

Have weekend classes limited to a few buildings to reduce operating costs

Hire energy consultant to achieve energy savings that exceed consultant costs in first year

Install energy-efficient light bulbs

Shut down facilities during breaks

Turn off lights, heater, and air conditioners when nobody is in the room

Turn off hear and air conditioning from Friday noon through Monday morning

Have residential halls form environmental committees to promote energy savings ideas (e.g., turn the water tap off when brushing teeth, turn off lights when leaving a room, shorten shower times, avoid plastic water bottles that are only used once, activate computers’ “snooze control,” or use cold water for washing clothes)

Close curtains or window treatments to block out the sun’s heat on hot days – typically the south side of a building

Open curtains or window treatments to allow the sun’s heat to warm the interior during cold days – typically the south side of a building

Open windows at night if the outdoor temperature is cool – allow for cross-ventilation of rooms – and then close the windows in the morning to seal in the cool air for the day

Commit to a cooling schedule, frequently available at utility companies that offer money back for allowing them to turn your air condition on/off during peak-use periods (typically the heat of the day)

Turn up the thermostat for comfort and energy savings – air conditioning at 78 degrees; educate users to resist the urge to drop the temperature for a quick cool, which taxes the unit

Schedule heating-producing periods for using dishwashers, ovens, and dryers in the early mornings or evenings rather than afternoons

Use grills and microwaves on excessively hot days

Clear areas of waste around central air-conditioners or heat pumps

Pay bills on line (which saves trees and staff time and reduces postage)

Wash linens and towels in cold water

Turn down the thermostat when the weather gets chilly; minimize individual carbon footprint by wearing sweat shirts or sweaters instead of cranking up the heat

Activate all computers’ “snooze controls” on campus

These ideas were brought to you by iNPOINT Advisors who recently co-authored the book, Cut it Out! Save for Today, Build for Tomorrow, published by the IFMA Foundation

I was born upon thy bank, river,
My blood flows in they stream,
And though meanderest forever
At the bottom of my dream.
-Henry David Thoreau, I Was Born upon They Bank, River

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Higher Education: Beyond the Ivory Tower

2009-08-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

KH Consulting Group (KH) has launched this Know-How newsletter to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term. We will routinely share ideas via this newsletter format and post the ideas on a blog. You can subscribe to the newsletter by signing up for our mailing list.

The ideas are based on more than 20 years of work with more than 80 colleges and universities. In the 1990s, KH published more than 500 ideas in a booklet called, Beyond the Ivory Tower. This booklet was sold nationwide as a handy reference guide. It was based on an earlier poster of 50 cost-savings ideas that the KH President had worked on while with the Academy for Educational Development (AED) in Washington, D.C.

The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical - quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing. The ideas can be grouped typically as strategies and tactics to:

Manage costs
Enhance revenues
Allocate resources more effectively

KH will routinely post a new idea to stimulate thinking about new approaches to addressing the fiscal challenges facing colleges and universities today. We encourage others to share their experiences, reactions, and insights and, thus, form a network of stronger educational institutions that can weather the years ahead.
We hope you find this useful.

Gayla Kraetsch-Hartsough, Ph.D.
President
KH Consulting Group

Maintenance

2009-08-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Change maintenance schedules so they do not overlap with class times
Promote preventive maintenance
Install all equipment prior to warranty expiration so that replacement requirements can be evaluated
Improve efficiency of custodial functions
Contract out custodial services if less costly
Contract out maintenance services if less costly
Minimize reconfiguring offices, which disrupts maintenance work
Promote the idea of users taking better care of college property
Provide better maintenance for all equipment to improve salvage value
Review repair contracts for office machines, and do some repairs in-house
Develop a “clean-up day,” once a semester, when staff and student volunteers can clean, paint, etc.
Re-examine custodial work schedules and crew appointments

If you will tell me why the fen
appears impassible, I then
Will tell you why I think that I
Can get across it if I try.
- Marianne Moore, I May, I Might, I Must

Buildings and Facilities

2009-08-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Reduce level of construction expenditures for new facilities
Use available facilities regardless of program ownership
Negotiate lower rents for existing site rentals
Close those buildings that are most expensive to operate and maintain
Evaluate need for all faculty to have separate office spaces and promote sharing whenever feasible (the “virtual” office concept)
Negotiate new electric, gas, and water rates with utilities
Install solar panels over parking areas and on roofs to reduce energy costs and potentially sell energy back to the grid
Aggressively solicit rental of theaters, auditoriums, sports arenas, halls, and gymnasiums by outside groups
Lease college buildings’ roofs for cellular/microwave dishes
Lease out under-used facilities
Lease or sell unused buildings and properties
Rent out space during off-hours
Sell real estate which is currently used but expendable
Compare costs of renting or buying area office buildings versus undertaking new construction efforts
Refer to "Environmental Savings" for more ideas related to buildings and facilities

The shortest distance between two points is under construction.
- Noelie Alito

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand:
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
“If this were only cleared away,”
They said, “it would be grand!”
- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Communications

2009-08-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Send electronically or post final scores on a board instead of mailing them
Have students provide pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelopes for mailing test scores
Establish accountabilities for FAX and long-distance phone usage
Establish regional reduced rate call system through phone company
Examine phone service and Centrex for less costly alternatives
Institute billing IDs for placement of long-distance telephone calls
Ensure local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs) are efficient to reduce communications costs
Develop accessible computer options for communications
Use e-mail instead of memos
Reduce redundant and unnecessary internal communications
Reduce mailing privileges
Use bulk mail instead of first class mail
Use postcards instead of letters
Reduce the number of catalogues and schedules routinely sent out
Compare costs for publishing class schedules in local newspaper versus stand-alone documents
Review the process for the design and introduction of the schedule of classes

Thanks to the [information] Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.
- Charles Kuralt

“The horror of that moment,” the King went on, “I shall never, never forget!”
“You will, though,” the Queen said, “if you don’t make a memorandum of it.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Equipment

2009-08-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Limit photocopying
Assign User ID apparatuses to all photocopiers
Balance photocopier loads and eliminate under-used machines
Install more photocopiers that print double-sided
Establish control over retirement of equipment and streamline the paperwork involved
Pursue and compare lease or purchase options instead of rentals when procuring office equipment
Standardize workspace requirements and equipment according to job responsibilities
Install less-expensive telephones at locations that do not require all functions
Provide personal computers and printers for use by students with pre-paid computer cards
Charge for computer lab time
Charge for computer paper
Charge for computer printouts on laser printers
Charge more for computer printouts on laser color printers
Charge more for computer printouts on color paper
Consolidate computer lab repair budgets on color printers
Perform life-cycle cost analysis on equipment
Consolidate computer lab repair budgets and use the most cost-effective repair technicians

Faith is a fine invention
For gentlemen who see;
But microscopes are prudent
In an emergency!
-Emily Dickenson, Faith is a Fine Invention

Purchasing and Contracts

2009-08-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Streamline the ordering process
Buy directly from discount wholesalers (e.g., Office Depot, Staples, Sam’s Club, Price/Costco)
Consolidate ordering of lab supplies
Control purchases of supplies so there is never more than a one-year stock
Develop cost-effective methods to process supply requests
Formally standardize software used for personal computers throughout the college
Implement vendor sourcing internally
Purchase more furniture from auctions, used office furniture stores, state surplus warehouses, etc.
Research vendors more thoroughly for cheaper supplies
Track discounts obtained by purchasing to monitor the effectiveness of the function
Explore the development of an on-line purchasing system
Limit access to central supply and establish controls to stop theft
Eliminate or reduce warehousing functions and rely on “just-in-time” deliveries
Limit access to central supply and establish controls to stop theft
Eliminate purchase order requirements for all items under $100 because processing a purchase order is costly
Use purchase prices and contracts already negotiated by the U.S. General Accounting Office or by a college’s state of local government’s purchasing department

We are continually buying something that we never get from a man that never had it.
- Will Rogers

Environmental Savings

2009-08-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Reduce hard copies of memos and notices by one-half
Limit photocopying to black-and-white and double-sided
Use electronic mail and encourage discretion in printing out mail
Reduce paper waste
Recycle paper
Eliminate cover sheets wherever possible
Install computerized thermostats and light control panels
Limit publication of academic senate and staff development notices to once a month
Evaluate all printing requirements and eliminate overprinting
Use both sides of paper
Use only white paper because colored paper costs more and cannot be recycled as easily
Provide locations for aluminum, paper, and glass recycling, and resell collected items
Reuse paper in laser printers where possible
Install aerators on faucets
Install low water usage toilets
Install solar panels over parking lots
Use solar energy, and promote demonstration and prototype facilities which may be eligible for outside funding
Consolidate classes in buildings to conserve on heating costs
Have weekend classes limited to a few buildings to reduce operating costs
Hire energy consultant to achieve energy savings that exceed consultant costs in first year
Install energy-efficient light bulbs
Shut down facilities during breaks
Turn off lights, heater, and air conditioners when nobody is in the room
Turn off heat and air conditioning from Friday noon through Monday morning
Have residential halls form environmental committees to promote energy savings ideas (e.g., turn the water tap off when brushing teeth, turn off lights when leaving a room, shorten shower times, avoid plastic water bottles that are only used once, activate computers’ “snooze control,” or use cold water for washing clothes)
Close curtains or window treatments to block out the sun’s heat on hot days – typically the south side of a building
Open curtains or window treatments to allow the sun’s heat to warm the interior during cold days – typically the south side of a building
Open windows at night if the outdoor temperature is cool – allow for cross-ventilation of rooms – and then close the windows in the morning to seal in the cool air for the day
Commit to a cooling schedule, frequently available at utility companies that offer money back for allowing them to turn your air condition on/off during peak-use periods (typically the heat of the day)
Turn up the thermostat for comfort and energy savings – air conditioning at 78 degrees; educate users to resist the urge to drop the temperature for a quick cool, which taxes the unit
Schedule heating-producing periods for using dishwashers, ovens, and dryers in the early mornings or evenings rather than afternoons
Use grills and microwaves on excessively hot days
Clear areas of waste around central air-conditioners or heat pumps
Pay bills on line (which saves trees and staff time and reduces postage)
Wash linens and towels in cold water
Turn down the thermostat when the weather gets chilly; minimize individual carbon footprint by wearing sweat shirts or sweaters instead of cranking up the heat
Activate all computers’ “snooze controls” on campus

I was born upon thy bank, river,
My blood flows in thy stream,
And thou meanderest forever
At the bottom of my dream.
-Henry David Thoreau, I Was Born upon Thy Bank, River

Counseling

2009-08-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

Centralize testing and orientation locations for counseling
Conduct orientation for students in large group settings
Consolidate counseling services
Define core counseling services for full-time versus part-time students
Do not pay counselors instructional pay
Eliminate faculty status for counselors
Ensure counselors spend at least 85% of their time in direct services to students
Establish an electronic appointment system for counseling
Establish workload standards and track counseling activities
Hire students to perform some of the placement testing processes instead of counselors
Develop a volunteer, student-led, peer counseling program
Involve faculty more actively in advertising programs
Replace counselors who are doing ESL placement with lower-paid clerks
Require counselors to work at least one night per week as part of the normal schedule without any change in compensation
Stagger work hours of counselors to have better coverage with fewer staff members
Use interns in counseling to help with the workload

People need responsibility. They resist assuming it, but they cannot get along without it.
-John Steinbeck in Saturday Review

Services

2009-08-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Advertise and charge for student services that students use and for which they will pay
Begin building alumni data base for student mentoring programs
Build on-campus housing for faculty
Build on-campus housing for senior citizens
Charge for career counseling services
Charge student services fee to all students
Charge for all requests (after the first request) for evaluation of graduation eligibility
Open the student health center to the public and accept Medicaid
Provide and charge for medical tests at student health services
Open child care center for the college community and the public and charge fees to cover costs
Open selected student services to the public for a fee that covers costs
Open up staff development conferences to outsiders for a fee
Use college’s educational television channel as teleconferencing vehicle and charge for services

“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Information Technology (IT)

2009-08-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Explore the benefits of automation of maintenance and repair systems, particularly the tracking of preventive maintenance and breakdown repairs
Explore the development of an on-line purchasing system
Bring all computer systems under one control
Expand automation to improve efficiency in at least one business process each year
Improve controls over coordination of systems projects
Outsource IT functions and related operations
Eliminate mainframe computing and downsize IT operations to less expensive platforms
Streamline computer costs; compare costs of in-house versus outsourced computer maintenance and select lower-cost alternative

Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all.
- John F. Kennedy

Support Services

2009-08-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Allow libraries to retain their fines to replace books
Establish fixed-free contracts with outside legal counsel and closely monitor costs
Improve the effectiveness of litigation support functions through automation
Contract out duplicating wherever possible if less costly
Do all printing in one color and double-sided only
Limit access to central supply and establish controls to stop theft
Increase charges for transcripts, with overnight delivery options
Evaluate cost-effectiveness of internal campus police
Renegotiate service contracts, shift work to in-house staff where cost-effective
Review consulting contracts for their necessity, reasonableness, and ability to recoup the costs

The surest way to be late is to have plenty of time.
- Leo Kennedy

Benefits Management

2009-08-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Establish stronger controls over accounting for fringe benefits
Let full-time classified staff work 10 months without loss of health benefits during the remaining two months
Use managed care programs and techniques to reduce expenditures for benefits
Limit administrative perks
Eliminate lifetime health benefits for board members
Hire a specific person to monitor fringe benefits
Establish controls over handling of Workers’ Compensation claims
Have employees voluntarily take from one to 20 days off per year without pay while retaining benefits

A notable hedge of ancient yew
Conceals the house from public view;
Within the house a private room
Conceals a public man of whom
The public image, distant, cold
Conceals, they say, a heart of gold;
But what the heart of gold conceals
No one, no one at all, reveals.
-E.V. Milner, Open to Visitors

Compensation Issues

2009-08-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

Give time off instead of pay raises
Evaluate chronic use of overtime or overload, and cut where possible
Eliminate overload pay during college vacations
Have finance administrators review, critique, and sign off on collective bargaining agreements
Implement rewards for cost saving ideas and deliver rewards as additional pay
Review pay practices, especially in administration, for fairness
Employ college aides instead of paying overtime
Reduce abuse of compensatory time system
Develop Pay-for-Performance or merit pay concepts
Reduce pay of tenure review committee or make tenure review work part of regular assignments rather than extra pay assignments
Solicit volunteers among full-time faculty to work reduced workloads for reduced pay
Equalize Pay for Work performed by faculty (e.g., class sizes, labs, etc.)
Stop automatic pay increases based on Cost of Living Allowances and the Consumer Price Index
Ensure that individuals receiving augmented pay for bilingual skills are assigned to areas where such skills are needed
Do not pay instructional rates for non-instructional staff work
Pay part-time instructors on a course basis, rather than an hourly one
Freeze all step increases at the mid-point of the range for a limited time
Have employees voluntarily take from one to 20 days off per year without pay while retaining benefits
Pay stipends for ESL student tutors in lieu of hiring ESL instructors
Prevent abuses when giving credit for “life experience” when determining job or pay grade
Redefine the college’s compensation philosophy to one that pays slightly below market
Offer a voluntary leave program without pay and without replacements
Institute voluntary or involuntary furloughs or unpaid leaves of absence

When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target.
- George Fisher

Hiring Practices

2009-08-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Do not automatically refill vacant or vacated positions
Delay, for a limited time, replacement of full-time faculty who retire or leave
Hire more staff who are technically qualified and who are able to handle more functions
Administratively control all full-time faculty hiring
Buy back early retirees on a part-time basis to teach large classes
Develop online candidate or applicant tracking system
Develop cost-effective methods to process personnel requests
Furnish substitute teachers for illness or death only
Hire managers with greater experience in their area of responsibility
Reduce overtime by hiring part-time or short-term help to cover vacant full-time, classified positions
Improve the manager training process for the hiring of classified employees
Standardize the training process for search and selection committees
Restrict employees from returning as “consultants” at higher pay
Survey and audit all job descriptions; develop generic job classifications
Use more part-time teachers
Use more volunteer teachers
Use students as graders and clerks
Establish more work-study programs for students in lieu of permanent employees, wherever part-time work is a viable option

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.
- Publilius Syrus

Budgeting and Finance

2009-08-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Make the budgeting process easier for all employees and the community at large to understand
Replace contingencies in each budget, with one real contingency
Institute program-based accounting or “block budgeting”
Institute zero-based budgeting
Improve the year-to-year continuity of the budgeting process
Train deans and all budget managers in fiscal and budget management
Improve budgeting and tracking to provide control over temporary and part-time employees
Create funding incentives for departments to generate revenues and lower costs
Improve or implement cost accounting
Require cost justification for all major expenditures
Review the use and allocation of the supplies budget
Track grants and special funding sources comprehensively
Simplify the bill-paying system to ensure bills are paid on time to avoid late charges or cessation of services
Use state program-based funding formulas as benchmarks to fund departments

The shortest recorded period of time lies between the minute you put some money away for a rainy day and the unexpected arrival of rain.
-Jane Bryant Quinn

Staff Functions

2009-08-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

Broaden supervisory and management spans of control to at least 8 to 12 incumbents
Review secretarial workload in light of new technology and adjust staffing accordingly
Establish clerical pools to equalize workloads and provide better service
Replace some clerical positions with students on work-study
Establish tutorial volunteer programs to replace paid employees wherever feasible
Allow departments to share support staff
Have paid student workers perform custodial tasks at college
Promote better cross-use of personnel
Increase or decrease work week of classified staff and adjust pay accordingly
Investigate abuse of lunch or rest breaks
Establish stronger supervisory controls over classified staff and clarify reporting relationships
Reduce number of classified supervisory positions
Limit new or temporary classified employees assigned to instruction and hire (rehire) based on need for college semesters or terms
Restructure classified positions to better balance workloads and reduce overlaps

Yellow cat, black cat, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat.
- Deng Xiaoping

Administrative Functions

2009-08-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Convince state and federal governments to cut back on required paperwork
Establish more efficient and standardized administrative functions and procedures
Redesign purchasing to expedite orders and improve timeliness of information for accounting
Set up an online and an automated phone system for requests for records, catalogs, and other mailed items
Develop or purchase, and implement, telephone registration system
Improve control over central supplies
Merge redundant functions and positions
Develop a time-keeping system so funding requirements can be recorded and tracked
End classified administrators’ exemption for the standard evaluation and layoff process
Eliminate unnecessary second-tier positions within administrative functions
Consolidate centers and support functions to improve efficiency and reduce costs
Privatize selected support functions (e.g., food services, maintenance, parking, security, etc.)
Develop a better record-keeping system for classes
Eliminate or reduce administrative bureaucracy
Check on faculty who request leave as full-time and verify they are not part-time
Consolidate duplicative functions such as computing, testing disabled students, etc.
Establish a charge-back system for use of printing, mail, photocopying, data processing, etc.
Find simplified ways to process department charge-backs
Reduce the amount of time and people involved in administrators’ performance evaluations
Train managers in productivity improvement techniques
Reevaluate shift assignments to improve effectiveness of support functions
Stop employee theft
Track use of vendors to improve bidding position
Use universal ID numbers as student, employee, and vendor ID numbers
Adopt a total quality management (TQM) orientation to the workplace
Establish controls and support processes or systems to pursue cost recoveries on grants
Streamline work processes, paper flow, and infrastructure
Train managers in finance, interest-based bargaining, grant-writing, etc.
Re-examine matriculation costs
Offer four-day work weeks for some administrative or support positions and reduce salaries accordingly
Shift classified staff to nine-month work schedule, excluding only those needed for summer school
Investigate financial aid recipients to identify those not pursing studies
Collaborate with other area institutions to perform selective administrative functions (e.g., data processing, purchasing, etc.)
Establish controls and support processes or systems to pursue cost recoveries on grants
Streamline work processes, paper flow, and infrastructure
Train managers in finance, interest-based bargaining, grant-writing, etc.
Re-examine matriculation costs
Offer four-day work weeks for some administrative or support positions and reduce salaries accordingly
Shift classified staff to nine-month work schedule, excluding only those needed for summer school
Investigate financial aid recipients to identify those not pursing studies
Collaborate with other area institutions to perform selective administrative functions (e.g., data processing, purchasing, etc.)
Renegotiate phone rates
Keep old equipment if it still functions
Compare insurance coverage with different carriers
Do a cost-benefit analysis of the risk associated with self-insured

The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.
- Jonas Salk, M.D.

Training

2009-08-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

Offer staff development activities during non-paid time
Offer staff development classes on weekends and evenings so instruction is not affected
Reduce off-site training to reduce travel expense, and concentrate staff development on-site
Train deans in employee relations and human resources techniques to reduce grievances and improve morale and productivity
Reduce or eliminate general fund revenues spent on staff development
Reduce use of paid outside seminars on staff development days and at other times

Standing at my writing desk
I see through the window in the garden the elder bush
And in it vaguely discern some red and black
And suddenly I remember the elder bush
Of my childhood in Augsburg.
And for several minutes I
Seriously consider whether I should
Go to the table to get my glasses, to see
The black berries again on their red wings.
-Bertolt Brecht, Difficult Times, translated from the German by Martin Esslin

Faculty Load

2009-08-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Create better incentives for teaching larger classes
Evaluate load disparity taking into consideration out-of-class responsibilities or lack thereof
Increase teaching workload of all faculty
Institute “load banking” (where faculty teach overload for future paid leave) on a “one-for-one” basis
Have only part-time faculty or consultants teach continuing education courses
When classes are cancelled, have faculty “owe” that class in the future
Limit funds available for substitutes
Do not allow substitute instructors for the first day of absence
Eliminate substitutes and have faculty cover for each other
Limit release time
Introduce a self-funded faculty sabbatical program
Substantially curtail sabbatical replacements
Defer sabbaticals for one semester or more

“Reeling and writhing of course, to begin with,” the Mock Turtle replied, “and the different branches of arithmetic—ambition, distraction, uglification, and derision.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

It is a lesson which all history teaches wise men, to put trust in ideas, and not in circumstances.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Possible Class and Program Revenue

2009-08-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Charge fees for repetition of continuing education courses which have already been satisfactorily completed
Charge fees to audit a class
Charge non-residents to take ESL classes
Charge more to people who live outside the tax-base
Increase charges for GED testing
Increase enrollment and registration fees
Offer photography courses for credit by day and for fees at night and on weekends
Offer tuition installment plans so classes will be more affordable; charge interest
Initiate or increase application fee; credit the fee toward tuition costs after enrollment, if appropriate; and offer no refunds
Charge fees for non-students to use computer labs and photographic dark rooms, especially on weekends and evenings, on an hourly basis
Sell membership cards to non-students to use photographic dark room on a pre-paid basis
Sell membership cards to non-students to use computer labs on a pre-paid basis
Charge fee for late registration
Charge students who drop or withdraw after two weeks
Charge syllabus fee for each program
Charge transfer fees
Charge students for tutorial service

If you’re yearning for the good old days, just turn off the air conditioning.
- Griff Niblack, in Indianapolis News

Enrollment Management

2009-08-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Establish enrollment management policy
Establish target enrollments by semester
Increase average class size
Increase class minimums each year until they reach or exceed state or peer institution averages
Test students for subsequent placement at end of a semester, rather than at the beginning of the subsequent one, to stem dwindling enrollment
Develop controls to ensure reported headcount of students is accurate
Improve coordination of calendar with other colleges and universities in the area to maximize enrollment efficiency
Recruit at area high schools
Involve faculty in student recruitment activities and outreach
Involve faculty more actively in promoting programs and recruiting students
Review related ideas under: “Instruction, Classes and Programs,” “Continuing and Contract Education," and "English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL)”

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?” asked Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you walk,” said the Cat.
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.
- E.L. in The AA Grapevine

Continuing and Contract Education

2009-08-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Offer more physical education courses through continuing education on a higher fee basis
Charge market prices or full costs for continuing education and contract educational courses
Offer photography courses as continuing education for fees, and use the profits to invest in new photo technology
Develop public speaking and presentation courses for businesses and offer through contract education
Offer small business courses as continuing education
Start large continuing education classes on film history, aerobics, etc.
Offer non-credit courses on modular basis with staggered months
Make continuing education and non-credit programs financially self-sufficient
Change to census days for non-credit classes
Reduce hours of continuing education or non-credit courses
Have continuing education and non-credit course students bring their own supplies and buy their own books
Establish continuing education courses for test preparation, tutor training, Computer Automated Design, and other new areas
Offer contract education courses in workplace literacy through ESL programs
Charge tuition for non-credit classes in summer school
Charge fees for repetition of continuing education courses which have already been satisfactorily completed
Increase charges for contract education
Offer more business contract education courses with higher fees

Few people think more than two or three times a year. I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.
-George Bernard Shaw

English-as-a-Second-Language

2009-08-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Maximize use of learning labs by using as listening labs for ESL students
Offer ESL telecourses, supplemented with reduced classroom and lab time
Offer more “bridge” or transitional classes which funnel ESL students into credit courses
Streamline non-credit ESL programs (move students through faster)
Make “Accent Reduction” course fee-supported for ESL students
Track success rates of ESL students into regular credit courses
Track success rates of ESL students in basic skills into regular credit courses
Place students in ESL courses according to their level of performance and educational goals
Offer contract education courses in workplace literacy through ESL programs
Charge non-residents to take ESL classes
Charge materials fee to ESL students

To have ideas is to gather flowers; to think is to weave them into garlands.
- Madame Swetchine

Instructions, Classes, and Programs

2009-08-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Initiate incentives for departments to spend under budget
Ask every department to cut costs minimally
Close departmental computer labs that are under-used; consolidate with other labs
Increase use of television for teaching courses to large numbers of students
Restrict the number of students who can enroll in high-cost programs
Encourage students to take larger number of units at one time to reduce administrative costs
Screen and place students in appropriate course sequences
Institute special fee for repetition of classes
Offer more physical education courses through continuing education on a higher fee basis
Consolidate courses which drop below minimum enrollment, even at mid-semester
Do not re-offer courses which have sharp drop-off in enrollment after fourth week
Review previous semester’s ending enrollments, by class, to determine viability to re-offer course
Do not offer courses on Friday if course attendance is typically low
Establish zero-based budgets tied to enrollment for programs wherever possible
Consolidate similar programs
Consolidate some department chair positions
Develop or augment program in business personal computing and office technology (e.g., word processing, Excel, or PowerPoint)
Expand program of computer classes at all levels
Use cafeteria to teach classes in culinary skills
Consolidate occupational and vocational programs and departments around relevant technical training themes
Eliminate occupational and vocational programs in fields with low prospects for employment of graduates
Share vocational education with (or transfer them to) local vocational colleges and area community colleges
Track success rates of Basic Skills and Development Education students into regular credit courses
Limit facilities used for summer school
Offer no weekend classes for summer school
Terminate summer school offerings if they do not at least break even

Good education is the essential foundation of a strong democracy.
- Barbara Bush

Curriculum Management

2009-08-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Define the core curriculum and ensure adequate funding for it as a program priority
Exercise tighter administrative control of course offerings
Eliminate course duplication within departments and across departments
Have area educational institutions convene and plan on how to collaborate rather than duplicate efforts and offerings
Change class enrollment minimums to department minimum
Improve scheduling procedures so that departments with waiting lists can use under-used classrooms
Rethink the optimal department size and curriculum components
Establish break-even class size and cut classes below that size, unless the department has other classes with large enrollments to offset losses in small class settings
Assign class size monitoring to a specific individual
Eliminate courses with chronic low enrollments
Ensure all courses are part of the curriculum continuum
Offer more sequential classes
Do cost-benefit analysis for special programs to determine whether enough students are being served
Eliminate “gamesmanship” in course cancellations
Enforce deadlines for dropping and adding courses
Modify the computer system so that faculty can enter adds and drops directly into the system
Train department chairs in enrollment management strategies and principles
Have 25% of the administration teach at least one course per year
Establish an education master planning committee to focus on long-range, strategic curriculum issues
Improve quality of programs to attract more students
Set up more distance education programs, telecourses, and video classes
Upgrade the computer curriculum to reflect leading-edge technologies
Develop financial model to determine optimal mix of course offerings
Expand and aggressively market contract education opportunities for businesses
Integrate contract education and continuing education courses into the regular curriculum
Offer contract education and continuing education courses in international education
Establish a formal marketing strategy for pursuing foreign students
Offer or expand contract education and continuing education offerings, which generate a profit
Promote use of new technology in contract education to strengthen programs
Market business service programs to chambers of commerce and businesses
Convert computer and other classes to continuing education courses with a fee
Offer continuing education courses on American work environments and expectations to meet needs of recent immigrants
Increase number of continuing education courses and charge more often
Design integrated educational experiences to attract foreign students willing to pay higher tuitions for that learning feature

The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.
- Chinese Proverb

Meetings and Committees

2009-08-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Limit amount of time spent in meetings
Establish moratorium on all meetings for a limited time
Clarify roles of committees
Define committees’ advisory and decision-making authorities
Eliminate committees which overlap department authorities and budgetary processes
Prevent staff from sitting on opposing committees (conflict of interest)

All government—indeed, every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act—is founded on compromise and barter.
- Edmund Burke

Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.
- Will Rogers

Payroll Processing

2009-08-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Implement electronic transfer of salaries to employees’ bank accounts
Combine the payroll process for both classified employees and certified faculty
Computerize the entire payroll system
Process payroll once a month
Enforce payroll/time reporting policies
Establish time and attendance reporting, linked more tightly to payroll
Mechanize or automate the time keeping systems
Outsource the majority of the payroll function and related systems to an outside vendor

Apothecary: My poverty, but not my will, consents.
Romeo: I pay thy poverty, and not thy will.
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Much madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
’Tis the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur, — You’re straightway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.
- Emily Dickinson, Much Madness is Divinest Sense

Student Services

2009-08-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Determine actual costs for student services and adjust fees accordingly
Improve or eliminate student services that are costly but not essential
Recruit tutors for students from the private sector
Have psychiatric counselors on call and not permanently employed at the health center
Eliminate the less-used student services and consolidate others
Eliminate “optional” services that are not self-funded
Make food service self-service without changing prices
Privatize many of the non-instructional services for students
Cut non-critical campus activities (e.g., guest speakers) for a limited time period
Have Associated Students Government fees fund their administrato
Have theater box office revenues cover supplies, maintenance, and other contractual costs

A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting on the wall, claims it is a forgery.
- Morris Bender

Potential Revenue

2009-08-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Establish additional “exclusive” contracts with outside vendors and share in revenues
Establish food franchises (e.g., Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, etc.)
Become a franchise training ground for franchise managers and employees
Contract with industry to provide faculty as consultants
Offer community library card for a fee
Offer student meal program with monthly pass
Produce touring children’s theater for fees for grades K-6
Receive royalties from internally developed telecourses used by other stations and colleges
Set up video game centers at the student union and other campus locations
Sponsor bank credit cards for students, employees, and alumni in return for receiving a percentage of charges
Build a gas station on campus for student and public use
Establish a line of college merchandise and appropriate distribution channels or store
Form a “for profit” corporation as a corporate umbrella for bookstore and cafeteria services
Install more vending machines
Open auto-repair garage where people pay for students’ repair services and use for vocational training
Provide fee-based exhibitions for student art
Put more shops on campus, including clothing shops and other currently popular chains
Sell lottery tickets on campus
Set up coffee and tea kiosks around campus

If you want to understand something, try to change it.
- Kurt Lewin

Additional Revenue from Existing Functions

2009-08-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Issue pre-paid “copy cards” for use of copiers on campus
Increase play attendance through better press relations rather than costly advertising
Raise price of admission to plays/public events
Provide refreshments through concessionaires
Raise prices of refreshments at plays/public events
Have refreshments be donated and then sold at plays/public events
Have a “coffee bar” selling coffees, teas, and juices at the library
Charge everyone—students, faculty, administrators, and staff alike—fees for parking stickers
Negotiate with local government for greater percentage of revenue from campus-related parking tickets
Control parking access via magnetic cards (with time restrictions)
Increase the cost of parking and parking tickets
Replace parking meters with automated parking (i.e., parking kiosks that accept credit cards or cash) for street parking
Install parking meters or automated parking kiosks
Extend parking metered hours
Charge fees to community-based organizations to pay for services provided to them
Have outside vendors pay for space and support services they use
Solicit advertisers for class schedules to offset printing and distributing costs
Charge extra for schedules and catalogs
Increase fees for issuing transcripts
Charge fees for requested documents not normally furnished by college
Charge fee for student ID cards or for replacing lost student ID cards
Charge fees at career fairs
Charge fees for special lectures
Charge for administering career interest, vocational, learning disability, or other tests
Charge students a materials fee when appropriate
Charge for personal use of phones and photocopying machines
Charge for posting on campus
Charge the public for use of gyms and other recreational facilities
Establish fitness center with a snack bar
Charge students for college activities and student services
Establish or increase fees for lockers
Increase cafeteria prices and vending machine prices

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws!
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Partnerships

2009-08-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Develop partnerships with local businesses in a variety of arenas as seeds for future projects
Develop relationships with foreign sister cities to attract foreign students
Establish cooperative ventures for functions (grant-writing, etc.) with other institutions
Improve coordination and communication with community-based institutions
Join with other area educational institutions to form coalitions to support revenue enhancement initiatives

The sky is low, the clouds are mean,
A traveling flake of snow
Across or through a rut
Debates if it will go.

A narrow wind complains all day
How some one treated him;
Nature, like us, is sometimes caught
Without her diadem.
- Emily Dickinson, The Sky is Low, The Clouds are Mean

Donations, Fund-Raising, and Development

2009-08-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Establish Life Honorary Status for major donors and encourage more major donors
Solicit donations for classroom and facilities upgrades; put donors’ names on doors
Increase fund-raising efforts for arts productions
Seek corporate sponsorship
Involve wealthy business leaders on advisory councils to attract funds
Ask corporations to create scholarships
Encourage companies to support the college by providing supplies or money
Get future employers to pay costs of student education in career-oriented or vocational programs
Obtain corporate donations of maintenance supplies and equipment
Obtain computer lab donations; have corporations donate used personal computers for student use
Solicit donations or grants for staff development
Solicit corporate donations to make buildings handicap-accessible; place placards on buildings to acknowledge donors
Put public service announcements for donations on local or education television and radio channels
Solicit pro bono services from community businesses; offer courses to their employees
Ask local people to donate time to teach classes and volunteer their services
Obtain more local news coverage
Produce more publicity for college to attract more students and more donations
Increase use of students in Public Relations
Use trustees and other appropriate persons to improve community relations by participating in more community events
Establish quarterly goals for fund-raising
Pay internal fundraisers incentives based on achieving established targets (e.g., performance and funds raised)
Build alumni data base for fund-raising
Hire professional fund-raisers and pay them based on performance and funds raised
Ensure development positions are more than self-supporting or replace incumbents
Encourage departments to raise their own funds for projects outside the current budget
Have Foundation pay its own costs
Engage campus deans in fund-raising
Establish alumni fund-raising committees linked to schools or programs
Establish annual fund for college endowment
Develop program to increase Foundation income
Use alumni to solicit funds and other support from their communities
Initiate bequest giving
Use Trustees for fund-raising externally
Have local merchants become college boosters and provide discounts to those with college IDs
Establish a more effective grants office within the college
Hire a professional grant writer
Build relationships with foundations, grant administrators, etc.
Invest as appropriate (e.g., “seed money”) to develop sources for new contracts, foundation grants, etc.
Sell lists of student names and addresses (at registration, offer students the opportunity to take their names off the lists)
Participate in grocery store scrip and receipt programs for schools
Enhance current revenue with vocational education grant money
Pursue talk-show opportunities on local radio and television stations
Organize fund-raisers such as parties, balls, auctions, raffles, garage sales, book sales, concerts, bake sales, bingo games, etc.
Hold flea market on weekends
Involve popular faculty more in fund-raising and development
Sponsor a telethon

Curtsy while you’re thinking what to say. It saves time.
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

When patterns are broken, new worlds can emerge.
-Tali Kupferberg

Federal, State, and Local Funds

2009-08-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Organize a coordinated approach across functions to obtain state and federal funding
Use a staff development day for grant-writing or for training in grant-writing
Employ a lobbyist for state or local government
Seek state and federal funding for mandated health and safety requirements
Pursue Title III grants from federal government if eligible
Increase number of building projects submitted to state to receive state funding
Strengthen process for handicapped access funding for construction from state
Review courses to determine if some are “basic skills” which qualify for state funding
If revenues are linked to attendance, ensure that attendance is not under-reported
Ensure categorical funds do not overlap and increase general fund costs
Establish Theater Arts pre-professional program to qualify for vocational funding
Obtain more categorical funding for English-as-a-Second-Language instruction
Reward those individuals who secure funds

“All right,” said the [Cheshire] Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Useless laws weaken necessary laws.
- Montesquieu

Policy Making

2009-08-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Establish explicit Board and President priorities
Reflect established priorities in all schedules, plans, and budgets
Clarify college’s mission and concentrate on offerings and services consistent with that
mission
Reduce level of expenditures on “non-mission” areas, at least to a break-even point
Encourage better student attendance if funding is linked to enrollment
Investigate lower-cost course delivery options
Establish decision-making process that delineates authorities and accountabilities
Institute comprehensive and ongoing review process to assess program priorities
effectiveness, and operations
Define decision-making chain of command to be followed during financial crisis
Develop and implement incentives for departments to share resources
Establish a minimum size for instructional departments; consolidate those below the minimum size
Cut level of travel
Promote better cross-utilization of personnel
Eliminate or consolidate duplicative functions
Develop optimal mix of full-time and part-time faculty
Offer no new tenure track appointments for a limited time period (e.g., six months or one year)
Review workloads to ensure that full-time employees are assigned full work loads
Undertake a zero-based approach to determining staffing requirements
Review all lawsuits and legal costs to contain legal/case/settlement costs
Discontinue or decrease paying for administrators and faculty to go to conferences
Restrict employee parties

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning and failure. - General Colin L. Powell, The Black Collegian

Thinking strategically about priorities based on mission

2009-07-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

In recent years, many community colleges have had to come to terms with a structural mismatch between their sources and uses of funding. Instructional expenditures have increased because of the investments in technology, salaries, and benefits. Simultaneously, administrative requirements to track programmatic expenditures, direct and maintain facilities, administer human resource programs, manage categorical programs, and comply with governmental reporting, have become more resource-intensive.

Community colleges struggle with their resource allocation models with an aim to ensure that it is equitable, fair, and objective. Without a strategy, budget difficulties become ongoing debates during budget, planning, and Board meetings. “One-time fixes” frequently do not address the underlying problem. Therefore, many institutions only postpone the inevitable, operating in a classic “downward spiral.” In the process, they drain contingency reserves and human resources to the point where more comprehensive corrective action is simply outside their reach.

Rather than simply reacting to crises or waiting for the State to rectify its funding problems, community colleges should engage the faculty community in understanding the financial implications of such mechanisms as Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTESs) and Weekly Student Contact Hours (WSCHs). Other colleges have found that increases in WSCHs will not only generate more net revenues, but also will help them to be in compliance with the 50% Law.
The preferred strategy is to enhance revenues and capabilities to meet demands, rather than to curtail important educational offerings or restrict enrollments.

Adopting a strategic approach to cost management requires that the colleges revisit and refocus their missions. Within the framework of their missions, the colleges can evaluate individual activities and programs against the goals of that mission. A strategic approach also requires that the institution look outside the boundaries of its four walls, and assess the strategic importance of its programs, facilities, and community service offerings in the broader context of the community. Only through this inside/outside perspective will the unique attributes and qualities of the colleges become apparent. In addition, this perspective is important in helping the colleges to:

Assess their position in the community
Understand ways in which external linkages and alliances – partnerships – may be used to reinforce these strategic linkages

Revisiting a college’s mission is no simple task because different programs and areas of the college offer different perspectives and interpretations of the mission. And, at most colleges, this task must be completed using participatory governance principles.

The ideas that KH Consulting Group (KH) will be sharing in the future assume that colleges are capable of self-renewal, have the capacity to increase revenues, and can involve stakeholders in providing input to how they can help the organization and operations overall. This strategic approach presents an alternative to reactionary management and should enable colleges to improve their operations, refocus their programs, and better serve their community needs overall.

Future postings will share ideas about how to do this.

Know-How for Higher Education: Sharing Revenue and Cost Savings Ideas

2009-07-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in the near and longer term.

The ideas are based on more than 20 years of work with more than 80 colleges and universities. In the 1990s, KH published more than 500 ideas in a booklet called, Beyond the Ivory Tower. This booklet was sold nationwide as a handy reference guide. It was based on an earlier poster of 50 cost-savings ideas that the KH President had worked on while with the Academy for Educational Development (AED) in Washington, D.C.

The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing. The ideas can be grouped typically as strategies and tactics to:

Manage costs
Enhance revenues
Allocate resources more effectively

KH Consulting Group,1901 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1900, Los Angeles CA 90067

tel 310.203.5417, fax 310.203.5419, www.KHConsultingGroup.com

Since 1986, KH Consulting Group (KH) has served more than 200 clients in 25 states and 6 foreign countries. We offer management consultant services in strategic planning, organizational structures, business process reengineering, human resources, management audits (including ethics and social responsibility), and accountability and performance measurements.