October 2023 Seminar Recording: Understanding the Higher Ed Business Model

What is a discount rate? Where does most of a college’s revenue come from? What is its greatest expense? For many faculty members, the financial realities of their campus – and the sustainability of its operations – are not often on their radar. Arguably, they should be. And for chairs, understanding the mounting financial pressures facing campuses, whether falling enrollment, decreased public funding, and constraints on tuition increases, is increasingly important. As colleges explore different strategies to achieve a sustainable future, it’s essential for chairs to have the essential financial knowledge of how their institutions operate. In this 75 minute session, you will learn: The financial fundamentals of different kinds of institutions How external pressures are reshaping colleges’ finances The most common financial strategies colleges pursue and how they affect academic departments Panelist: Robert Kelchen, Professor and Department Head, Department of Educational Leadership