A benchmark profile of economics departments in 15 private universities

During the spring of 1999, the authors completed a benchmarking survey of 1 5 economics departments in private universities as part of a strategic plan ning exercise. All are selective medium-sized institutions that experience roughly the same types of market pressures and compete for the same types o f students. The authors report the information gleaned from the survey conc erning such items as departmental resources, teaching loads, class sizes, d epartmental research expectations, and weights given to research, teaching, and service in salary determination and promotion. The authors believe tha t their results and methods might be useful to other economics departments engaging in benchmarking exercises.