This report explores the use of policy analysis as a tool for setting computer use policy in a school district by discussing the steps in the policy formation and implementation processes and outlining how policy analysis methods can contribute to the creation of effective policy. Factors related to the adoption and implementation of innovations…

Results of a national survey investigating problems with aging college computer systems are reported. On average, 68 percent of systems were identified as aging (five or more years old or not under database management systems). Strategies for upgrading obsolescent systems are discussed, and the role of planning is emphasized. Anecdotal information…

Yale University (Connecticut) uses a "constructive evolution" method of coping with maintenance and fine-tuning of aging information systems. In this process, system developers form partnerships with user department representatives to plan and coordinate system changes. Evolution of the personnel/payroll system over five years provides…

Offers 20 practical guidelines for colleges and universities embarking on large-scale administrative software initiatives or enterprise resource planning systems. Guidelines are based on the extensive experience of the authors and a series of panel discussions at 1999 professional meetings. (DB)

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…

Virtual reality is a three-dimensional, participatory, multisensory, computer-based simulated environment occurring in real time. Applied to instruction, it has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning processes. Dialogue must begin for development of a national agenda to link this technology with higher education, addressing…

Carnegie Mellon University's decision to standardize its administrative system development efforts on relational database technology and structured query language is discussed and its impact is examined in one of its larger, more widely used applications, the university information system. Advantages, new responsibilities, and challenges of the…

Computer assisted career guidance (CACG) systems and other computer applications are becoming established components of counseling and guidance services. While technical details involved in software and hardware operations are usually attended to, problems resulting from interpersonal dynamics in the implementation process often contribute more to…

Practical assistance for adult educators is offered in this four-part document, which outlines the present status of adult education, particularly with regard to courses about computers, and discusses an approach for improving the situation. Important considerations in the improvement of adult education are discussed, including the conditions of…

Looks at three areas in which college administrators should ensure that computers are available for faculty use (i.e., instruction, personal scholarship, and administrative tasks). Suggests ways of overcoming faculty resistance to computers and steps in a carefully planned and managed process of improving computer literacy. (DMM)

Through integration of administrative information systems across diverse technology platforms and opening access to institutional data, Indiana University has begun to expand the concept of academic information systems. The university's experience has resulted in conclusions and guidelines for other institutions to use in AIS planning and…

The University of Miami (Florida) information resources department developed and instituted a program of "jump level leadership" in 1989 to open communication between all hierarchical levels. Results include free flow of ideas within the department, organizational changes, and happier, more effective employees. Successes, problems, and…

In a six-month period, the University of Alberta (Canada) campus computing services department formulated a strategic plan, and downsized and reorganized to meet financial constraints and respond to changing technology, especially distributed computing. The new department is organized to react more effectively to trends in technology and user…

Reports on study of the adoption of particular innovation, a software cataloging system, in central Ohio elementary school of approximately 500 students and 22 teachers. Discussion covers rationale for developing innovation, relationship between attributes of innovation and its adoption, use of cataloging components, consequences, recommendations,…

Based on research on management improvement efforts at developing colleges and universities, a model of evolutionary change in organizational structure and management practices is outlined, and change strategies considering both formal and informal management needs are proposed. The model assumes that management needs are intertwined with…