Table of Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview
Phase I: Foundations
Chapter 2: Getting to Know a Higher Education Budget
Chapter 3: Revenue and Costs/Expenditure Structures in Higher Education
Chapter 4: Basics of Financial Ratio Analysis
Chapter 5: Forecasting, Accuracy, and Judgment
Phase II: Developing and Overseeing the Total Program
Chapter 6: The Operating Budget Process and Cycle in Higher Education
Chapter 7: Oversight and Budget Variance Analysis
Phase III: Foundations of Capital Budgeting and using Debt
Chapter 8: Capital Budgets without Debt
Chapter 9: Capital Budgeting and Debt
Phase IV: Linkage, Philosophy, and Conclusion
Chapter 10: Budgeting and Strategic Planning
Chapter 11: Conclusion
References and Further Reading
About the Authors
Index

About the Author

Dr. Gabriel R. Serna is an assistant professor in the School of Education at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His research interests include higher education economics, finance and policy.

Dr. Spencer C. Weiler is an associate professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Northern Colorado. In addition to numerous publications (books, book chapters, and journal articles) in the area of school finance and budgeting, Dr. Weiler is honored to have worked 15 years in public education.

Reviews

Gabriel Serna and Spencer Weiler’s Higher Education, Fiscal Administration, and Budgeting is exceptionally well crafted, providing critical insights into how institutional budgeting actually happens and how it should happen. The authors go beyond the normal high-level considerations (though those are included) to provide specific guidance regarding the skills college and university budget managers will need to do their jobs right. Students of higher education, future administrators, and those currently working within higher education will benefit from Serna and Weiler’s work.
*David Tandberg, associate professor of Higher Education, College of Education, Florida State University*

The authors offer a new spin to traditional higher education budgeting texts by focusing on forecasting, strategy, and data-driven decision making. The book provides an accessible introduction to the fiscal administration of colleges and universities while connecting leadership with finance.
*Nicholas Hillman, assistant professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison*

Higher Education, Fiscal Administration, and Budgeting is a rare treasure in the field of finance and budgeting. By focusing on the fiscal management of colleges and universities, Serna and Weiler expertly and clearly teach us the foundational budgetary concepts, skills and strategies that all current and future administrators—whether in academic or student affairs—need to effectively and efficiently manage both operating and capital budgets. Replete with numerous illustrations, examples, and practical budget experiences using real data, this book offers a lively and engaging treatment of budgeting and fiscal administration.
*Michael B. Paulsen, professor, Higher Education and Student Affairs, The University of Iowa*

Serna and Weiler do a masterful job of explaining complicated financial concepts in a way that will be accessible to students and faculty alike. This book will surely be a must-read for graduate courses in higher education finance and budgeting.
*Robert K. Toutkoushian, professor, Institute of Higher Education, University of Georgia, and editor, Research in Higher Education*