Financial Resource Mobilisation and Academic Program Viability in Private Universities: Evidence from Fort Portal City

Abstract

This study examined how resource mobilisation practices influence the viability of academic programs in private universities located in resource-constrained regional contexts, using evidence from Fort Portal City, Uganda. While private universities play a critical role in expanding access to higher education, empirical evidence on how governance- and relationship-based resource strategies sustain academic programs at the sub-national level remains limited. Grounded in Resource Dependence Theory, Resource Governance Theory, and the Institutional Capacity Model, the study assessed the influence of stakeholder engagement, partnership effectiveness, and financial resource mobilization on academic program viability, defined in terms of sustainability, relevance, quality assurance, staffing continuity, and curriculum resilience. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, involving qualitative interviews with senior university leaders and managers, followed by a survey of academic and administrative staff across the two private universities operating in Fort Portal City. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings indicate that partnership effectiveness is the strongest predictor of academic program viability (β = 0.437, p < 0.001), followed by stakeholder engagement (β = 0.259, p = 0.006) and financial resource mobilisation (β = 0.230, p = 0.002). Together, these factors explain 25.2% of the variance in academic program viability. Qualitative evidence reinforces these results, revealing heavy dependence on tuition fees, governance rigidities, and the central role of external partnerships in sustaining specialised and practice-oriented academic programs. The study concludes that academic program viability in regional private universities is shaped less by the volume of financial resources and more by governance quality, partnership functionality, and institutional capacity to deploy resources strategically. Practically, the findings underscore the need for formalised partnerships, decentralised resource governance, and capacity-building strategies tailored to the realities of private universities operating outside major metropolitan centres.