Sophisticated managers know that reams of data cannot take the place of important information. Planning is necessary to ensure that what is being reported in an organization is necessary and useful and that data are not assembled just because the computer makes it possible. (MLF)

Describes relatively new computer software that can be used to maintain, analyze, and report large sets of educational data. The application of two of these packages to problems faced when manipulating educational data is demonstrated, and administrators are provided with information on the evaluation and selection of software products. (MER)

Use of the Application Transfer Study (ATS), a method of assessing information systems, to evaluate a dental school's information system is described, and its results are reported. It is concluded that the ATS was a worthwhile undertaking for both direct and indirect benefits derived from the analysis and the implementation of resulting…

A framework is provided for planning for and using the Management Information System (MIS) most appropriate to an individual institution. Information needs are considered as part of the overall planning, managerial, evaluation, and inquiry system. Factors affecting MIS development and successful use are addressed. (MSE)

Independent schools should consider installing computerized records management and word processing in development offices for efficiency, cost containment, better service, targeted solicitations, and information availability for decision making. However, an understanding of what can and cannot be accomplished is essential in deciding on computer…

A study of the libraries cooperating in the Fox Valley (Wisconsin) Interlibrary Loan Network compared alternative equipment and communications scenarios which would satisfy the functions desired by the libraries. The dominant communications need identified through a survey of network participants was the sending of interlibrary loan requests among…

Four developments have made strategic planning and information-based management necessary in higher education: changing external conditions; demands for accountability; deteriorating financial strength; and need for changes in leadership roles. Although institutional situations and needs vary, what is most important is to learn to manage with…

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,…

Discusses management information needed for decision-making tasks in film libraries serving public schools. Responses to questionnaire sent to 204 film library managers are described and information elements that could be incorporated into a computerized management information system (MIS) are rated. (LRW)

A nationwide survey of two-year colleges with collective bargaining was conducted to determine who serves as chief negotiator for the colleges, the sources of information these individuals rely upon for their data, and the extent to which electronic data processing is used in the bargaining process. Of the 248 two-year colleges surveyed, 160…

This paper explores ways in which technology (especially microcomputers) can improve the access to and utility of educational data for school improvement efforts. The paper focuses on the product and project options available to the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Database and School Profiling program, which offers technical and…

In college administration, a climate for adaptive change should be created using the philosophy, processes, and tools of Total Quality Management in combination with other management innovations. An enterprise-wide infrastructure for distributing information on demand for decision makers to monitor institutional performance should be built.…

Although different in nature from academic activities, college fund raising also requires planning and management. To develop more responsive executive information systems, development officers must take the lead, ask the right questions, and work closely with campus institutional researchers, registrars, enrollment managers, and computer…

Computerized school administration has become one of the most crucial innovations in vocational education in Taiwan in the Republic of China. As these educators begin to design or purchase computerized information systems for their own schools, they must first define their specific information needs. Next, they should pay attention to…

Proceeding from the premise that effective educational management requires effective information management, this paper identifies requirements to consider in designing student information systems, and describes how the Toronto Public Schools' system meets these requirements. In addition to examining the common characteristics of information…