This chapter demonstrates the complexity of pedagogical and curricular change as it unfolds through several overlapping phases of increasingly coordinated reflection and action around STEM initiatives at Pomona College. It argues for a networked model of research and practice, drawing on theory and lessons from improvement science and highlighting…

Problems of the college or university that center around the people who use the institution's computers are examined. It is suggested that effective use of computers in higher education depends on how well the users and providers understand the constraints and problems of each information system. (Author/SF)

External and internal forces are driving institutions not only to create departments and positions that specialize in planning, quality improvement, and institutional research but also to link them within a systems context.

Administrative computing in higher education and its implications for the management of colleges and universities are explored. The evolution of administrative computing is traced from the use of minicomputers to the implementation of a management information system. (Author/SF)

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)

The planning, management, and evaluation system is discussed as an effective aid for academic decision makers during a period of retrenchment for higher education institutions. (Author/SF)

Integrated planning promotes collaborative thinking and furnishes mechanisms for linking strategic plans with operational plans. (Contains 1 figure.)

The impact of technical advances in computer hardware is examined. Size, cost, ease of use, expandability, and availability are discussed to help assess the impact of these advances on information systems. It is suggested that technology is making administrative computing economical and feasible. (Author/SF)

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)

Advancements and trends in administrative computing are discussed and their implications for management are examined. Trends in software and hardware development as well as cost and capability are also investigated. Sources of information on computer development, including publications and organizations, are listed. (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)