Oregon State University has launched a department-by-department, online budget reporting system, overcoming fears of what one involved party described to Inside Higher Ed as the “‘embarrassing revelation risk.’”
Mind you, the OSU model is accessible only to those connected to computers on campus. More troublesome, it is said not to shine light on macro issues, such as how funds from a tuition hike are spent, or on individual, as opposed to aggregate, compensation.
Nonetheless, this budget site is a most-appreciated advance on the higher education accountability and transparency front. Cheers to the OSU administration for taking steps to counter the opaque reporting practices of most public universities.