The Computer Laboratory, founded in 1956, provides instructional and research computing services to the students, faculty, and staff at Michigan State University; this report reviews the activities and summarizes usage of its services during the 1976-1977 fiscal year. The organizational structure is charted, facilities and services are detailed,…

This discussion of the legal aspects of acquiring a computer system emphasizes the buyer's rights. Guidelines are provided for drafting a contract specific to the individual buyer's needs and modifying the vendor's standard form contract. (EM)

The management systems office at the University of Hawaii assists in the development and operation of an effective management information systems service. A shared computer system approach was developed to provide service in the areas of office automation and data processing. (MLW)

This article argues that systems thinking transcends disciplinary boundaries and should be part of everyone's education. Stresses future importance of systems global models and their capacity for planning and decision making on a world scale. A tentative topic outline for a systems approach course at university level is proposed. (Author/SMB)

This report provides a brief general summary of progress in a 2-year project renewing earlier work on the development of Individualized Instruction for Data Access (IIDA)--a system for teaching online searching techniques for bibliographic data bases--as well as an in-depth report on the IIDA computer system design. The Connector for Networked…

Two years of homework resulted in approved funds for a major computer upgrade in a state institution. Discusses some major questions: academic need for three-campus community colleges, technical instructional needs, how larger computers can aid in the management and operation of the college, and agencies that might be served by new facility. (MLW)

A prototype of a computer-aided manpower management and career progression system, the Officer Career Information and Planning System (OCIPS), has been developed to a point at which costs and benefits for its implementation can be estimated. Considering the goals of the Officer Personnel Management System and problems of the Army Military…

Until 1978, academic and administrative departments at College of DuPage, an Illinois community college, bought computer related equipment and software without an overall plan or coordination. The development of a coordination plan focused on finding an internal mechanism to solve two problems: individual departments buying computer-related…

Builds on a National Science Foundation (NSF) microcomputer based laboratory project to introduce system dynamics into the precollege setting. Focuses on providing students with powerful and investigatory theory building tools. Discusses developed hardware, software, and curriculum materials used to introduce model building and simulations into…