Cost Containment for Higher Education: Strategies for Public Policy and Institutional Administration

Simpson identifies strategies for cost containment or cost reduction in higher education and discusses these strategies in light of their effect on the quality of the learning experience, the future of the academic profession, and the implications for society. This differs from most of the current literature on cost, which tends only to describe it, explain factors underlying its increase, and with how it may be financed. Particular concern is given to options that could be followed over the long term without impairing the quality of educational opportunities, the academic profession, or society in general. The emphasis is thus on the objectives to be served, rather than the resolution of financial difficulties on the revenue side or on crisis management. Some of the strategies discussed are applicable at particular levels of government; some relate to interinstitutional arrangements; and some are options for individual institutions.