Decision-making guidelines are presented as an aid to community college boards faced with the problem of acquiring and implementing a data processing system for administrative and/or instructional use. After introductory material noting the increased demand for data processing education and the desirability of using computer technology in the collection of data for reporting purposes, the guidebook outlines factors to be considered in a seven-step, decision-making sequence. This sequence involves: (1) assessing computer technology currently in use at the institution and determining future needs; (2) preparing a short- and long-range computing services master plan; (3) establishing objectives and priorities for the tasks to be completed by the academic and administrative segments of the data processing system; (4) determining personnel needs; (5) establishing a governance structure for the system; (6) choosing needed hardware; and (7) determining the system's cost effectiveness. The guidebook concludes with a discussion of the use of consulting firms specializing in educational computing services. (JP)