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…

Technological advances in nonproprietary software are discussed. Developments in general support of software and in computer hardware are examined. It is suggested that nonproprietary software is a resource that can save colleges and universities system development time and costs. (Author/SF)

Several ways for a comptuer services director to effectively manage the resources available for such services are discussed. Case histories from Miami-Dade Community College and other South Florida schools are included. (SF)

Reported on is an allocation mechanism that combines the decentralized efficiency and incentive features of a market system with the responsiveness of the centralized allocation structure to the overall goals of the university. In this system, decentralized "management centers" are automatically allocated only those income and expense items they…

Describes a system at Florida State for reporting faculty effort, which fulfills and reconciles highly sensitive and mutually opposed federal and state regulations for the use of faculty resources, while meeting deadlines and maintaining accuracy. Highlights problem areas and solutions. (MLW)

Proprietary software available to the institutional researcher is discussed. It is suggested that as more institutions use proprietary software, the institutional researcher may find that varying levels of involvement in the process of evaluating and acquiring such software can result in the availability of more useful facilities. (Author/SF)

The methods and considerations in determining computer needs of both academic and administrative computer users in higher education institutions are discussed. It is suggested that computer power in the future may require local distributed interactive computing networks and/or remote job entry to a large off-campus computer. (SF)