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Currently, the California Community College system consists of 109 colleges
within 72 districts, accounting for over $5 billion in total annual revenues received
from a variety of sources (Fiscal Data Abstract, 2010). While various sources
contribute to the CCC funding level, the bulk of the funds originate from the State of
California General fund, which has a general fund budget of about $90 billion in 2010
(Legislative Analysts Office, 2010). Despite the large expenditure of public finds on
education, no community college has the ability to completely meet the needs of its
many constituents (Barr, 2002). This is particularly true for California Community
Colleges. Despite the massive size of the State of California budget, it is facing an
escalating shortfall of nearly $25 billion; $6 billion for fiscal year 2010-2011 and an
additional $19 billion for 2011-2012 (Legislative Analysts Office, 2010). The budget
shortfall and the consequent reduction in state funding to the CCC system has led to
newly revived interest in the fiscal management of the many community colleges in
the state. However, due to its sheer size and complexity, the budget mechanisms, for
both funding and expenditures is understood by few, rendering the evaluation of costs
at the district level nearly impossible. This is complicated by the absence of a standard
measure of costs for the Community Colleges and Community College Districts. The
common misconception held by the public states that colleges are inefficient and
spend all funds received freely. But a clear understanding of the CCC budgeting
system, the allocation of funds, and the method of fiscal management is needed before
laying an accountability judgment. Thereafter, a valid analysis of instructional costs
Object Description
| Title | Finance in the California community college: Comparative analysis and benchmarking of instructional expenditures |
| Author | Karamian, Martin |
| Author email | martinsfsu@netzero.com; karamim@piercecollege.edu |
| Degree | Doctor of Education |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Education (Leadership) |
| School | Rossier School of Education |
| Date defended/completed | 2011-03-17 |
| Date submitted | 2011 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2011-04-26 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Picus, Lawrence O. |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Melguizo, Tatiana Vega, William |
| Abstract | The goals of this empirical study of community colleges are to 1) create a benchmark for per student instructional expenditures; and 2) account for variations in instructional expenditures among a peer group of community colleges in Southern California. The peer group sample included 22 single campus community college districts in the Los Angeles area. Using data for three fiscal years a refined mean benchmark value for instructional expenditures of $2,676.71 per full-time equivalent student (FTES) was estimated with a standard deviation of $326.54. Using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, 11 variables were correlated with instructional costs per FTES. The largest and only statistically significant determinant included the number of part-time instructors (-0.424). While other variables were correlated, none were statistically significant at the 95% confidence interval. The results from the sample suggest that larger colleges have lower instructional costs per FTES despite higher faculty pay. Expanding credit student enrollment within the funding growth limits set by the State, along with additional part-time instruction within the limits set by the State will likely result in lower instructional costs per FTES and an economy of scale effect. The effect of increased institutional size on quality of education was not assessed. |
| Keyword | finance; California; community college; comparative analysis; benchmarking; instructional expenditures; economics; higher education; spending; instruction; education; economy of scale |
| Geographic subject (state) | California |
| Geographic subject (country) | USA |
| Coverage date | 1990/2010 |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m3775 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Karamian, Martin |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Karamian-4454 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume23/etd-Karamian-4454.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 10 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 2 Currently, the California Community College system consists of 109 colleges within 72 districts, accounting for over $5 billion in total annual revenues received from a variety of sources (Fiscal Data Abstract, 2010). While various sources contribute to the CCC funding level, the bulk of the funds originate from the State of California General fund, which has a general fund budget of about $90 billion in 2010 (Legislative Analysts Office, 2010). Despite the large expenditure of public finds on education, no community college has the ability to completely meet the needs of its many constituents (Barr, 2002). This is particularly true for California Community Colleges. Despite the massive size of the State of California budget, it is facing an escalating shortfall of nearly $25 billion; $6 billion for fiscal year 2010-2011 and an additional $19 billion for 2011-2012 (Legislative Analysts Office, 2010). The budget shortfall and the consequent reduction in state funding to the CCC system has led to newly revived interest in the fiscal management of the many community colleges in the state. However, due to its sheer size and complexity, the budget mechanisms, for both funding and expenditures is understood by few, rendering the evaluation of costs at the district level nearly impossible. This is complicated by the absence of a standard measure of costs for the Community Colleges and Community College Districts. The common misconception held by the public states that colleges are inefficient and spend all funds received freely. But a clear understanding of the CCC budgeting system, the allocation of funds, and the method of fiscal management is needed before laying an accountability judgment. Thereafter, a valid analysis of instructional costs |
