Discusses negotiating with vendors when purchasing campus information technology. Describes the mechanics of a negotiation (deep discounts, maintenance and support costs, future discounts, warranties and remedies, training and consulting), vendor approaches to negotiating, composition of the negotiating team, and what to do after negotiations end.…

Discussion of methodologies for libraries to use when selecting an integrated library system focuses on the benefits of using a Request for Proposal (RFP), based on experiences at the University of Rochester. A copy of the system vision statement which describes the purpose of the RFP is appended. (LRW)

Identifies the main issues confronting academic institutions in developing a structured plan for acquisition and replacement of information technology hardware assets, and recommends steps for developing such a plan. (EV)

This paper describes the results of reengineering the IS (information systems) MBA (Master's of Business Administration) core course in a private university (Dowling College, New York). The focus of the course is the use of information technology from the perspective of management. In an effort to keep the course material as current as possible,…

Discussion of technology integration in higher education focuses on an information technology project in a seminary setting that created a campus computer network, trained faculty and library staff in computer technology use and provided appropriate hardware and software, and created an endowment to support technology maintenance and updating.…

This report proposes a strategy of putting networked computing devices into the hands of all students at institutions of higher education. It outlines the rationale for such a strategy, the options for financing, the required institutional support structure needed, and various implementation approaches. The report concludes that the resultant…

This how-to manual is intended to ease the transition to the information technology age even for those teachers who have no previous knowledge or experience with computers. Written in a concise, numbered paragraph format, the text uses simple nontechnical language. The first chapter titled, "Getting Started with Computers," covers choosing and…

College and university administrators everywhere are struggling with the challenges of trying to "do more with less" in terms of balancing mandates and resources. The Internet has enabled new approaches for teaching and learning, vast interinstitutional collaborations in humanities and scientific research, and a renewed focus on the…

This paper focuses on programs for the broad-scale, cyclical replacement of faculty desktop computers and attendant training to help faculty best utilize the new technology. Four diverse institutions, Mount Holyoke College, University of Mississippi, University of North Carolina, and Virginia Tech, present and discuss their solutions. Issues…

Discussion of Internet software and its use in libraries focuses on a software evaluation program at the undergraduate library at Southern Illinois University. Highlights include staff training for information technology, availability and selection of shareware and freeware, and an evaluation form for Internet software. (LRW)

Guidelines are given for automating a library. Issues arising in automation are illustrated through the experience of the Doherty Library of the University of St. Thomas, Houston (Texas). The first step is to decide what type of system is right for the needs of the library and its patrons. In considering vendors of systems, it is important to…

This document is a report of a two-year effort by Duke University Press to make National Collegiate Software (NCS), a clearinghouse for faculty-authored liberal arts software for classroom use, a viable, scholastically respectable, self-supporting operation. NCS initially had been operated by North Carolina State University. When Duke University…

Advances in World Wide Web design software, photo compact disk images, print-screening processes, and four- and six-color printing can make the work of campus publications easier, cheaper, and more attractive, but also have potential pitfalls. A preview of the latest innovations, with advantages and disadvantages noted, is offered here. (MSE)

At the University of New Mexico, stakeholders from the Computer and Information Resources and Technology (CIRT) department, Financial Systems, the Health Sciences Center, and the General Libraries, were involved in deciding on the goals of a project to replace Telnet with a suite of network middleware and productivity software on campus computer…

The strategic planning process developed at Hartwick College (New York) begun in 1992 is described, and the college's resulting commitment to information technology is discussed. Issues arising during the process included choice of operating system(s), winning over skeptics, software selection, development of technical support, establishment of a…