Selection of administrative software requires analyzing present needs and, to meet future needs, choosing software that will function with a more powerful computer system. Other important factors to include are a professional system demonstration, maintenance and training, and financial considerations that allow leasing or renting alternatives.…

The author contends that college and university administrators often become bogged down in the "techniques and tools" of planning systems, thereby losing sight of the real problems and goals. He defines the errors that inhibit good planning and suggests a planning model called the "Louis and Clarke tour" based on envisioning a goal and moving…

The practicality of existing statewide data systems is discussed. The expectations for the systems are contrasted with reality, and central policy questions and their implications are outlined. The system in use in Georgia, currently being reassessed by the state, is used as an example. (MSE)

This paper discusses the guidelines applied by the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) for executive involvement in the development and implementation of information systems. It is a case study of how the OBR successfully designed, installed, and used an information system based on six guidelines developed in "Administrative Data Processing: The Case…

Computer hardware and software alone do not improve a financial management system. They are only the tools that carry out commands. College business offices and related administrative functions must commit effort to improving the overall system. Available from Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154. (MSE)

Most efforts to achieve more effective administrative computing in higher education have focused on technical questions or on isolated applications required by middle management. Much less attention has been paid to the question of the proper role of administrative computing in the accomplishment of overall institutional objectives. The enormous…

This compilation of abstracts provides brief descriptions of the 74 new public laws relating to computers and information policy that were enacted during the 95th Congress. Each of these bills is concerned with information, although the diverse subject matter--e.g., energy and clean water, food and health, foreign investments, ethics in…

A nationwide survey of two-year colleges with collective bargaining was conducted to determine who serves as chief negotiator for the colleges, the sources of information these individuals rely upon for their data, and the extent to which electronic data processing is used in the bargaining process. Of the 248 two-year colleges surveyed, 160…

Nova Southeastern University, Florida, has implemented a variety of techniques of cost containment for campus credit card transactions. These include restricted card acceptance parameters, careful merchant rate negotiation, increased automation of transaction processing, and sophisticated processing techniques. The university has demonstrated…

Communications between college admissions/records officers and the computer center can be enhanced by examining stereotypic ideas about computer personnel and operations, and increasing computer knowledge and the ability to communicate in this language. Barriers can be overcome either by interfacing with a computer-oriented assistant or through…

THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE WAS TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF MECHANIZATION AND AUTOMATION GENERALLY REQUIRE LOWER LEVELS OF SKILLS THAN EARLIER PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. A SECONDARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO DEVELOP AN INSTRUMENT CAPABLE OF GIVING UNBIASED PROJECTIONS OF THE MANPOWER IMPACT OF SPECIFIC ADVANCES IN PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY. DEPENDENT…

This manual presents information, policies, and practices regarding the administrative organization and management of the New York State Education Department. Each unit of the department is briefly described and its policies and practices outlined. Forms with which department employees should be familiar are included along with names of staff…

The findings of a survey of selected administrative computer applications in large public school districts are presented in this report. Using a three part written questionnaire, the investigators polled 99 school districts throughout the United States and examined the responses of 55. Two major hypotheses were tested: 1) the difference in the…

Two abstracts and seventeen papers on educational information systems presented at the Association for Educational Data Systems (AEDS) 1976 convention are included in this document. An article describing the evolution of information systems provides an overview of educational data systems. Seven articles concern the implementation and use of…