Date of Degree
2026
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Hutchings, Quortne
Committee Members
Wesner Michael, Kelly; Nyunt, Gudrun
Keywords
Community college finance, Chief financial officer (CFO) in higher education, Resource scarcity, Community college budgeting, Illinois community colleges, Higher education leadership, Institutional budgeting, Interpretative phenomenological analysis, Higher education funding
Abstract
Community colleges in the United States depend on state appropriations, local property taxes, tuition, and federal funding to support their mission of accessible and affordable education, yet declining revenue sources have increased financial pressures on institutions, particularly in Illinois. Chief financial officers (CFOs) have an important role in managing these financial challenges by forecasting budgets, allocating resources, and advising executive leadership on financial outlooks. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experiences of CFOs at Illinois community colleges as they navigated financial decision making during the annual budgeting process. Guided by scarcity theory, the study explored how limited resources influenced decision making. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with CFOs or equivalent leaders currently employed at Illinois community colleges. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that CFOs experienced decision making as a relationship process shaped by each colleges institutional mission. Participants described balancing immediate operational needs with long-term sustainability amid uncertain revenue streams. This study provided insight into how resource scarcity shapes financial decision making, leadership abilities, and budgeting practices in Illinois community colleges.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Rockafellow, Colleen M., "Balancing the Mission with the Math: A Phenomenological Study of Financial Decision Making by Chief Financial Officers in Illinois Community Colleges" (2026). Dissertations of Practice. 118.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/118
