Academic departments’ efficiency via DEA

This paper presents a case study where academic departments at Ben-Gurion University were evaluated via the Data Envelopment Analysis using the CCR model. Extensive post analyses were performed in several directions. First various sets of data were used to identify efficiency and inefficient departments. New efficiency measures are suggested in relation to the reference set included in the analyses of academic departments. The authors measured the efficiency of departments to other departments within the same school. They applied cluster analyses to divide the departments into several sets; and the discriminant analysis to test the match of the efficiency/inefficiency division of the CCR ratio. The authors further tested organizational changes where an inefficient department was closed and joins other departments. Finally they compared the CCR model to the pure economic approach-the cost per student ratio.