This paper describes the reasons for development and implementation of planning management systems in institutions of higher education, relates the history and significance of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Planning and Management System (PMS) program, and compares 2 approaches to implementation. It is suggested that a…

The primary mission of the WICHE Management Informations Systems Program is to help colleges and universities develop improved management systems and methods of resource allocation. A related aim is to develop procedures which facilitate exchange of comparable data among institutions. A necessary part of such exchanges will be a standard taxonomy…

This booklet uses the example of Micro-U--a hypothetical example intended as a training tool-- to illustrate the application of WICHE's basic Management Information Systems (MIS) concepts. Micro-U embodies a microcosm of higher education management problems related to the instructional functions MIS is designed to address. This initial version of…

The development of a new automated alumni and donor support system at UCLA is discussed. Elements of project dynamics that are critical to a large systems development project are described. (Author/MLW)

The Department of Education has begun a project to redesign the information systems used to deliver student financial aid funds to students, postsecondary institutions, lenders, and state guarantee agencies. The implications of this strategy are considered. (MLW)

The development of the Drexel Disk is described. The goal of this disk is to train novice users of a personal computer and to provide them with all the information they need to be able to use the machine and the facilities at Drexel. (MLW)

A model is presented for the development of effective, flexible student information systems that are directed by users' needs rather than other forces. The conceptual design, detail design, and policy consideration are discussed. Focus is on the development process rather than the final product. (MSE)

The activities of Project TRANSACTION, a 10-year research and development project of the College Scholarship Service division of the College Board, are described. The project is intended to unify the student financial aid delivery system through application of electronic information technologies. (Author/MLW)

A major factor in the amazing success of the microcomputer is its inherent ability to free the user from dependence on a large central computing facility with its attendant frustrations. Almost from the beginning, however, there has been pressure to integrate the micro with a more powerful host facility. There are both technical and political…

The two-phase effort at Clemson University to design a comprehensive library automation program is reported. Phase one was based on a version of IBM's business system planning methodology, and the second was based on a linear model designed to compare existing program systems to the phase one design. (MLW)

University portals provide a new computerized interface between colleges and constituent groups. This article discusses: campus portals and possible features they may contain, nine strategies for portal projects, collaborative mechanisms to develop and implement portal projects, criteria for determination of campus portal readiness, potential…

This report discusses the alternative program structure developed independently at the University of Georgia, by dealing with a particular phase of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) work, i.e., their Program Classification Structure (PCS). Three primary programs presented by NCHEMS are considered as primary…

A seven-year long-range information systems plan at the University of Miami outlined 44 applications, most of which were to be installed in a database environment via prototyping with fourth-generation tools. The challenges that confront information systems managers are described. (Author/MLW)

This document describes a university-related program to teach social problem solving skills to sixth graders at a predominantely black middle school, which evolved to become a systems linkage intervention. The development of the Social Problem Solving program (SPS) is discussed. The following stages are included: entry into the school system,…

This paper is one in a publication series containing general knowledge which can help colleges and universities in the various phases of developing comprehensive cooperative education programs (see note). It focuses on design of a suitable cooperative management information system. The paper begins by establishing a perspective about management…