Financing and Management of Higher Education: Evidence from Jordan

Abstract

This research provides a better understanding of the way for financing and management of higher education in Jordan. The study aims at describing the finance and management methods in Jordanian HE. The private universities in the world were also described in terms of their financing and management method. The Research uses archival documents, observations, and reports in order to accomplish the study objective. The findings emphasize that Jordanian HE is one of the most developed higher educational systems in the Middle East countries. There is much competition in the private HE, this motivates to research the best ways of management and financing for this sector. Worldwide, there is a trend towards private HE. While, world wide private universities depend on tution fees, they receive government subsidiaries. In Jordan, private universities are mainly financed by student tuition fees, and they do not receive any subsidies from the government. Therefore a proper budgetary system might facilitate the need for effective management of university resources and decision-making.

Is the Elephant Still in the Room: The Governance of Private Jordanian Universities (PJUs)?

“…This conception has been developed in order to enhance higher education development insofar as there is pressure to expand student numbers or to reduce costs, enhance research, and apply the result of such research more effectively. The attitude towards privatization is increasing and has changed dramatically (El-Sheikh et al, 2012).…”

“…After three years, the MoHE and Scientific Research was established to collect relevant statistics, to approve the establishment of new institutions, to establish policies and practices and to apply the mission of the government's educational strategies (MoHE, 2008). The MoHE evaluates public and private institutions in terms of their programs' effectiveness in implementing higher education's vision, tasks, and objectives (El-Sheikh et al, 2012).…”

“…According to the law PJUs are all recognized as commercial companies and the board of directors represents the owners of the university. This requires all PJUs to meet the needs of the owners and in the same time satisfy the requirements of accreditation of the private universities law (El-Sheikh et al, 2012).…”

“…More operational, every university has a dean's board that discusses all academic issues, establishing new programs, appointing professors, assessing academics' work and nominating academics for scholarships. Each PJU must have a board of trustees appointed by the MoHE for four years and holds the power and authority to prepare the strategic plans and policies for the university (El-Sheikh et al, 2012). The board approves presidential decisions for organizing university activities, and on a term by term basis the board decides the students' numbers in each faculty and department.…”

“…Previous literature assures that decision making in private universities has been affected by the MoHE (El-Sheikh et al, 2012;Mah'd, 2010). In Jordan, there is a prevalent conception that state universities generally provide better education than private universities do.…”