Section 4: Resource Allocation Decision Processes

The 12 questions in this section deal with the decision process used at an institution for resource allocation -- whether the resources are staff positions, dollars, space, or other valuable items. NCHEMS suggests that resource allocation in colleges and universities often elicits interest and concern. People want more resources for the projects they believe in. Individuals' views depend upon such factors as how closely they are able to observe the inner workings of the resource allocation process or how well allocation decisions match their personal priorities.

What is our survey data telling us?

The College's resource allocation decision process is very unclear to a significantly large proportion of faculty and staff; nearly one-third of respondents answered "Don't Know" to many of the questions in this section. Those who felt confident enough to respond to the questions point to the perception that the institutional resource allocation decision process is bureaucratically centralized, although no one individual makes all the resource allocation decisions. No particular pattern characterizes the resource allocation decision processes at Columbia. Many seem to perceive resource allocation decisions as political, based on the relative power of those involved. Contrary to this view, a handful of the respondents agree that some resource allocation decisions represent what objectively seems best for the College as a whole. NCHEMS suggests that individuals' views depend upon factors such as how well allocation decisions match their personal priorities.

The following comments from survey respondents illustrate the range of perspectives on the institutional issues discussed in this section:

The school's mission is what I think most faculty believe in and support-however, the practice of supporting an institution requires another set of principles, for some administrators that gap leaves many faculty in the dark as their authority is measured by administrations' goals and finances. Communication and secrecy are at odds in this process-and faculty and students feel an implicit disrespect and disregard at best and at worst disdain and invisibility. Faculty is seldom involved in making financial allocations or decisions for the institution as a whole-coalition building is not a strategy at Columbia.

I don't believe the administration is allocating funds in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of all departments. The budgeting process seems to be in an immovable rut. Too much funding is going to making paper flyers, posters, postcards-unevenly. Too much funding is going to manifest. The institution at times confuses quantity with quality. Sometimes there is too much change too fast. I feel overwhelmed with product, the ovation and performance and miss depth and wisdom and stability overall in the institution...

Data for this section 

For further information, please contact: hwexler@colum.edu