Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance (Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education) [Hardcover]

Robert C. Dickeson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0787948160 | ISBN-13: 978-0787948160 | Edition: 1

Published in Association with the USA Group Foundation

"This book is a 'must-read' for higher education leaders or those who aspire to become higher education leaders. Only Bob Dickeson, with his many years of higher education experience, could have incorporated so much information in such a concise and informative manner."
--James E. Walker, president, Middle Tennessee State University"Will reassure those who are in the process of institutional review."
--Continuing Higher Education Review

Written in clear, straightforward language, Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services outlines a step-by-step method for effectively reallocating resources. Robert C. Dickeson, a former university president, guides academic leaders through the process of ranking programs according to such critical factors as enrollment size and relevance to institutional mission. The book also includes successful strategies for suspAnding programs that hover on the margins of productivity and affordability.

This flexible, essential resource will help administrators on any college or university campus determine which programs and services are the most efficient, effective, and central to institutional mission. Robert Dickeson draws from thirty-five years of experience as higher education administrator and consultant to offer useful techniques for overcoming barriers to prioritization, implementing program decisions, and achieving strategic balance and fiscal responsibility. This book's concise format is ideal for group use, including members of governing boards and public officials concerned about reform in higher education.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dickeson has no illusions about the difficulty of achieving 'strategic balance,' but his single-minded focus on identifying and eliminating those programs that require resources that could be used by higher priority programs can provide clarity to those about to undertake an institutional review, and his insistence that an institution can make informed and defensible judgments about programs will reassure those who are in the process of institutional review." (Continuing Higher Education Review)

"This book is a 'must read' for higher education leaders or those who aspire to become higher education leaders. Only Bob Dickeson, with his many years of higher education experience, could have incorporated so much information in such a concise and informative manner." (James E. Walker, president, Middle Tennessee State University)

"This is a succinct and understandable guide to the very complex issues surrounding restructuring and prioritization. Every board member, president, and provost will find it essential to their own work." (Jessica S. Kozloff, president, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania)

"Dickeson reverses the death of common sense. He challenges the prevailing assumption that all academic programs are of equal value and then demonstrates how to base resource allocation decisions on the merits of each." (Gary H. Quehl, president, Quehl Associates)

From the Back Cover

Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services

Revised and Updated

Increasing economic concerns make the new edition of this best-selling classic an invaluable resource for those who want and need to implement a proven step-by-step approach to reallocating resources in tough times. Thoroughly revised and updated, Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services includes new recommendations from the field, communication strategies for more successful campus implementation, a new section on the sources of hidden costs, and a Prioritization Process and Implementation workbook designed to help administrators avoid costly mistakes. This book includes access to additional content online, including models for prioritization from a variety of campuses. Based on the author's extensive consulting experience, this necessary and timely resource offers the best advice for addressing the current economic concerns affecting most colleges and universities.

Praise for Prioritizing Academic Programs and ServicesFor more than a decade, higher education leaders have turned to Dickeson's practical guide to academic program assessment. These newly expanded approaches are just in time for today's competitive environment."
—Suzanne Shipley, president, Shepherd University

Dickeson provides a compelling rationale for program prioritization as well as a practical planning structure that promotes alignment between programs, resources, and university mission. Presidents and provosts can use his approach to frame campus discussions around the future of the institution and away from legacy programs whose time has passed."
—Kyle R. Carter, provost and senior vice chancellor, Western Carolina University

Dickeson's approach ensures that critical decisions regarding academic programs and resource allocation are aligned with strategic goals and institutional mission. As one of the early adopters of the process that he proposes, I am convinced that it is a powerful and practical tool for any college or university committed to remaining focused, resilient, vital, and relevant in a dynamic and increasingly challenging environment."
—David Maxwell, president, Drake University

Robert C. Dickeson is a higher education consultant, president emeritus of the University of Northern Colorado, and former senior vice president of Lumina Foundation for Education. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (April 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787948160
• ISBN-13: 978-0787948160
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximizing Resources with Program Prioritization, July 11, 2001

By 

Edith Bryan (Athens, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance (Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education) (Hardcover)

Dickeson's book is a comprehensive manual for academic administrators at all levels who need to maximize resources because of cutbacks. Since the most likely source for needed resources is reallocation of existing resources, he suggests a means to prioritize programs so administrators can make well-informed decisions. Dickeson's ideas have a firm basis in practical applicaitons. He has served as a university president and is currently president of a consulting firm that has guided hundreds of colleges and universities through program prioritization. This book contains checklists at all stages of the planning process plus samples of actual priortizing plans and is a very useful resource not only at the institutional level but for any program undergoing review.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely, May 9, 2010

By 

Frederick S. Lane "Fred" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance, Revised and Updated (Josse Bass Higher and Adult Education) (Hardcover)

In a time when budgets are being cut across American higher education, this new edition makes many useful suggestions about priority setting. Well worth a read.