Fluctuations in the financial welfare of institutions of higher education have long been tied to our country's economic well-being. For many institutions the most recent financial downturns have led to historic revenue and enrollment difficulties that have necessitated the use of cost containment strategies to conserve dwindling resources. Included in these tactics are resource allotment decisions that reflect administrative favor towards some academic departments, leading to the development of a prestige-based stratification system and competition driven funding. A case study of a non-research based institution is used to take a preliminary look at the impact of institutional resource conservation on intra-departmental competition for resources and disparate funding allocations across disciplines in this setting. Special attention is given to the trends in enrollment and the selection of particular academic majors that have occurred across time and in response to the institution's continued fiscal difficulties.