Roles and Responsibilities of the Chief Financial Officer

Book excerpt: With demands for improved quality, increasing competition for state and federal funds, and the challenges of integrating technology into the curriculum, higher education faces greater economic uncertainties than ever before. The chief financial officer (CFO) of any higher education institution stands squarely in the middle of this maelstrom. This issue of New Directions for Higher Education offers CFOs proven strategies for balancing the operating and capital budgets, maximizing net enrollment revenues, containing costs, planning for the resource needs of technology, identifying and managing risks, and investing the endowment wisely. The contributors discuss how CFOs can build positive relationships with key players in the campus?s financial planning and budget, including admissions and financial aid staff, state legislatures, and the board investment committee. This is the 107th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Higher Education.