The fairest standard of success looks first at institutional improvement and then at performance in comparison with similar colleges or universities. Programs should avoid competition among institutions. Such competition only produces the undesirable characteristics of arrogance or envy. The best and fairest competition for institutions and individuals is competing with themselves to improve their past performance. Limited but substantial and discretionary funding .
Limited funding prevents budget instability.
Substantial funding recognizes the priority and difficulty of producing results in higher education. About three to six percent of state general fund support seems a reasonable amount. Discretionary spending makes even small sums effective, when mandated expenditures absorb almost all of campus budgets 9. Additional rather than reallocated resources as the funding source . Additional money makes performance funding or budgeting a desirable project on campus.