Describes evolution of fact books at the University of Southern Mississippi, highlighting strategies for maintaining and enhancing its utility to users. Issues discussed include four audience considerations (context, customer, distribution, readability for middle-aged readers), format (fact sheet, pamphlet, pocket book, electronic fact book,…

The environmental scanning system at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education uses a technique developed in the corporate world to systematically gather and evaluate information from the external environment for decision-making within the institution. It is designed to reduce the randomness of information flowing into the…

This paper is based on the assumption that in shaping academic strategies for long-range planning purposes, educational institutions must be able to gather adequate information on which to base administrative decisions. Information on how the institution has operated in the past as well as how it is currently operating are critical items for valid…

Priority given to enrollment management at the University of Hartford (Connecticut) has created demands for better information about prospective student markets, admissions selectivity, enrollments, student adjustment, retention, and graduation rates. The planning and institutional research office used fourth-generation software, microcomputers,…

This report outlines the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' plan to address the educational needs of homeless children and youth, as required by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. The major purpose of the plan is to guide local education agencies and supply them with resources as they attempt to meet the educational needs of homeless…

The project accounting system used by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Chemical Sciences exchanges financial data with the campus' central accounting system and allows integration of this information with user-entered data to produce an easily read, fully obligated project accounting statement for the budget and period…

In 1988, Indiana University's separate academic and administrative computing units were not responding to changing user demands. In merging and reorganizing the systems, the university tackled problems shared by many institutions and gathered information that can encourage and forewarn others in similar efforts. The project's history, process, and…

The University of California, Berkeley addressed the high demand for computer network access and the need for off-campus Internet access by developing and distributing a comprehensive software and service package for open access and by establishing a partnership with a commercial Internet service provider to gain pricing advantage and…

Two strategies used by the Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey) library to manage acquisition of periodicals are described. The first involved a study of circulation of existing titles to pare unused subscriptions, and a concurrent monitoring of faculty research productivity. The second was a shift in resources to electronic media and…

The University of Michigan's computer training program serves over 10,000 faculty, staff, and students annually in a number of formats and on varied topics. Critical components include solicitation and use of user feedback and partnerships formed with administrative offices, staff, and faculty to ensure needs are met. (MSE)

This report examines the process of planning library services for off-campus students that was undertaken by the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) in 1982, and considers the implications of the plans for the system as a whole as well as for the Community College of Vermont (CCV), a non-campus, non-traditional college without a library. Following a…

A workshop was held by the Office of Library staff at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) for international college students, to assist them in making the transition to the American educational setting. The workshop also served to heighten the awareness of the library public service staff to the needs of the international students at the…

Based largely on recommendations from a 1986 strategy study, this long range plan for the improvement of library services in Idaho addresses goals and activities for the years 1989-1991. It is intended to support the direction of library development begun in 1984 to improve services to the user and to meet Library Services and Construction Act…