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Benchmarking Project:
Questions and Answers about
Performance Measures and Benchmarking Reports
Background
The AACN Benchmarking Project was initiated in 1997, in
response to member need for standardized information
about financial performance measures in schools of nursing.
The first annual benchmarking survey encompassed measures
of revenues and expenditures for fiscal year 1996.
The benchmarking database was established in July 1997 and
customized benchmarking reports are now available to AACN
members.
What Will Benchmarking
Do For Me?
Benchmarking is not a competitive process, but an ongoing
systematic search within an institution to identify best
financial practices and to set goals by comparing your
institution's practices with those of others. Benchmarking
will assist an individual school to assess its standing among
peer or aspirant institutions on specific measures of financial
performance.
What Measures Can
Be Included in a Benchmarking Report?
Possible measures include:
Revenues
Unrestricted Revenue
Appropriations
Tuition
Student Fees
Indirect Cost Recovery
Practice Revenue
Endowment Income
Continuing Education
Other Unrestricted
Income
Restricted Revenue
Federal Research
Grants and Contracts
Other (Non-Research)
Federal Grants and Contracts
State and Local Grants and Contracts
Private Grants and
Contracts
Endowment Income
Other Restricted
Income
Expenditures (Unrestricted
and Restricted)
Faculty Salaries
Non-Faculty Salaries
and Wages
Fringe Benefits
Building/Space Costs
Capitalized Equipment
and Furnishings
General Operations
Scholarships and
Financial Aid
Travel
Institutional "Taxes"
or Overhead
Other Expenditures
Financial Status:
Market Value of School
of Nursing's Total Endowment
Operating Fund Balance
at end of FY99
Student Data
Enrollment and Graduations
Generic Baccalaureate
Enrollment (Headcount)
Full- and Part-time
Generic Baccalaureate Students
FTE Generic Baccalaureate
Students
Generic Baccalaureate
Graduations
NCLEX Pass Rate
RN Baccalaureate
Enrollment (Headcount)
Full- and Part-time
RN Baccalaureate Students
FTE RN Baccalaureate
Students
RN Baccalaureate
Graduations
Master's Enrollment
(Headcount)
Full- and Part-time
Master's Students
Master's Graduations
Doctoral Enrollment
(Headcount)
Full- and Part-time
Doctoral Students
FTE Doctoral Students
Doctoral Graduations
ND Enrollment (Headcount)
Full- and Part-time
ND Students
FTE ND Students
ND Graduations
Faculty Data:
Full-time Faculty
With a Doctoral
Degree
With Tenure
Part-time Faculty
Individuals without
faculty appointments (Hourly or Contractual)
Faculty Productivity Measures:
Research Grants
Papers Publishes
Books Authored, Co-Authored, or Edited
Presentations at National/International Meetings
Editorial Board of Professional Journals
Officer of Board of National/International Organization
Ratios: Revenues:
Tuition to Total
Revenue
Appropriations to
Total Revenue
Federal Grants and
Contracts to Total Revenue
State and Local Grants
and Contracts to Total Revenue
Private Grants and
Contracts to Total Revenue
Total Grants and
Contracts to Total Revenue
Endowment Income
to Total Revenue
Gifts and Donations
to Total Revenue
Ratios: Expenditures:
Other Ratios:
Undergraduate Student to Faculty
Graduate Student to Faculty
What Will a Benchmarking
Report Look Like?
A typical report will encompass various tables and graphs
summarizing where your school stands on various financial
data elements in relation to other institutions of your choice.
Data will be presented in tables/graphs on a school-by-school
basis, showing your school's percentile rank on each data
element.
What is AACN's
Policy About Release of Data?
In March 1993, the Board of Directors, in response to
questions raised by the membership about release of data provided
by individual schools, approved a policy for the release of
AACN data. To address these issues, the Board approved the
following policy:
- The release of
data collected by AACN will be safeguarded by recognizing
two classifications for data: restricted and
unrestricted.
- Restricted data:
Information will not be released that (1) divulges any monetary
figures related to individual salaries; or (2) identifies
individuals within a school. Restricted data do not
include the financial matters of individual schools, as
the Board felt that an institution's overall financial picture
should be as clear as possible, and that the membership
would profit by having more information about funding and
budgets.
- Unrestricted data:
All information not classified as restricted.
What is the Intended
Use of a Benchmarking Report?
Reports are intended for internal institutional decision-making
only. Schools ordering a benchmarking report will be
asked to sign an assurance statement indicating that the identity
of comparison institutions will not be divulged publicly.
What is the Cost?
The charge for a basic benchmarking report is on a sliding
scale, based on the total number of students (headcount)
reported by your institution in the Fall 1999 AACN Annual
Enrollment Survey. A basic report includes tabular data
from your school and up to 10 comparison schools. For more
than 10 comparison schools, add $50.00 per school to the basic
charge. E-mail Dr. Di Fang, Director of Research and
Data Services (dfang@aacn.nche.edu)
if you would like to know the number of students in the AACN
database. The sliding fee scale is as follows:
|
112 or fewer students |
=
$250.00 |
|
113
to 222 students |
=
$500.00 |
|
223
to 398 students |
=
$750.00 |
|
399
or more students |
=
$1000.00 |
Charts and graphs are available at $50.00 per chart/graph
after review of the tabular data and discussion with Dr. Di Fang, Director of Research and Data Services (dfang@aacn.nche.edu).
How Can I Order a Report?
You can print out an order
form here. For questions and consultation,
contact Dr. Di Fang, Director of Research and Data Services
or Stefanie Wilsey Wisniewski, Research and Data Manager,
at (202) 463-6930, or via e-mail to swisniew@aacn.nche.edu.
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