Models for financial support of educational development
Background and purpose
At KTH, various models have been used to distribute resources and share costs for education. Theserelate to the overall funding mechanisms for Swedish (and other) Universities. In this study, we look at anumber of models used, and discuss how these can support, or prevent, educational development.
Finished work/ongoing work
The current model is based on a full-cost scenario where the cost of a resource directly, and in full, iscarried by the part of the organization most directly related to the cost itself. The salary of a teacher, orthe cost of renting a class room, is carried by the manager of the unit where the teacher is employed.The unit manager therefore has the responsibility of allocating resources to the intended activities.With this system, it is easy to mix apples and pears. A unit manager needs to fulfil many obligations,many activities. With recruitment challenges, it might be difficult to create an optimal setup where eachneed is allocated a resource.In previous models, a control mechanism has been in place where a unit manager, who is responsiblefor a course, has been allocated more (or less) funds for that particular course, if the governing body hashad an intention of something. A program director, for example, could allocate more funds to coursesthat the program director thought needed more resources.With the current KTH system, a redistribution of funds is made on many levels: University level, schoollevel, department level, unit level, all with various control intentions.
Results/observations/lessons learned
We can clearly see that it is very difficult for a University to control educational development bydistributing funds. We can see that it is equally very difficult on any level to redistribute funds, so thatresources can be allocated to major changes.
Take-home message
Even though we are one University, we often fight about the same resources. Some fights are good,some takes us in the wrong direction. I believe in transparency, in communicating more clearly how weuse our common resources, how we share what we have, and that we need to trust the people who areappointed to allocate these resources.
