In this paper, we use economic concepts to examine the choice that states make between giving appropriations to public colleges or need-based financial aid to students. We begin by reviewing the economic justification for state support for higher education. Next, we introduce a simple economic model for comparing and contrasting appropriations and…

There have been numerous lawsuits within higher education brought by females over pay inequity and many articles have been written on the topic. Although not as prevalent, there have been some recent instances where male faculty have claimed--with some degree of success--that the process used by their institutions to make salary adjustments for…

In this study, we use data from the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:99) to measure the unexplained wage gap between men and women in academe. We pay particular attention to how these unexplained wage gaps have changed over time by comparing the results from the 1999 survey to published results from previous national surveys and…

Institutions of higher education are looked to by society as the training grounds and gatekeepers for college-trained workers. However, despite a long history of being viewed by many as unresponsive to labor force needs, the academy has not found ways of effectively meeting these demands, nor articulating why it is that they have difficulty doing…

Explored how readily available data from the Institute of Scientific Inquiry may be used to estimate the number of scholarly articles written by an institution's faculty. Shows how institutions are ranked according to total publications and the ratio of publications to full-time faculty, how these measures vary by type of institutions, and how…

A study used 1994-95 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data to estimate cost functions for postsecondary education institutions, focusing on how factors such as enrollment levels, location, research intensity, and faculty characteristics influence institutional costs. Many of these relationships have direct implications for reducing…

Simple comparisons of average salaries for junior and senior faculty can not indicate whether the differential is declining, because there is no standard for comparison. A simple five-step regression analysis procedure is proposed to investigate salary compression. Analysis of 1990-91 faculty salary data for the University of Minnesota indicates…

Issues involved in selecting an administrative strategy for achieving salary equity for men and women in institutions of higher education are discussed. Possible strategies are reviewed and compared based on equity of salary adjustments, political constraints, cost to the institution, and effectiveness in removing inequities. (Author/MSE)