This project assesses the feasibility of creating a voluntary, nationwide data dictionary that can be used to standardize the reporting of postsecondary accountability reporting requirements for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (otherwise known as Perkins IV). Variables, field codes, and programming instructions,…

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…

Explains search commands for SERIDU, an online bibliographic search system developed at Brussels Free University. These commands and output formats are compared with Euronet commands (from which they were derived), with existing INFODOC storage system commands, and with the planned BIDULE system commands. An evaluation of SERIDU is included. (SW)

Arizona State University has created longitudinal student files capable of tracking each student's curricular and financial aid history from entry until graduation. The structure of the files, their creation and maintenance, and their evolution over the years are described. Uses of the files to conduct different kinds of studies to inform…

The conceptual basis for structured data architecture, and its integration with open systems technology at Indiana University, are described. Key strategic goals guiding these efforts are discussed: commitment to improved data access; migration to relational database technology, and deployment of a high-speed, multiprotocol network; and…

A University of Miami (Florida) project to centralize imaging/document management is described. The system will enable document storage, retrieval, and work-flow management, lower costs, and improve on traditional business practices. Benefits of imaging/document management, the rationale for centralizing, and the three-phase implementation plan…

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…

Proper planning and the use of current computer technology can provide a mechanism not only for coordinating and directing a broad-based recruitment program, but also for compiling a detailed database on applicant and prospective student markets. At West Shore Community College, these objectives were addressed through the development of an on-line…

The process of designing a microcomputer program to cumulate and record student grades at Brigham Young University is outlined. The development was undertaken by the registrar's office with the input of faculty, including those who had previously designed their own grading software. (MSE)

Pennsylvania State University's award-winning electronic approval system allows administrative documents to be electronically generated, approved, and updated in the university's central database. Campus business can thus be conducted faster, less expensively, more accurately, and with greater security than with traditional paper approval…

The approach taken by Baylor University (Texas) to developing a campuswide information system focuses on better use of existing resources to expand information access to nonproduction users. Guiding principles include carefully selecting target workstations, using "information-harvesting" tools, testing prototypes, creating derivative…

Which factors promote student transfer from California Community Colleges (CCC) to baccalaureate-granting institutions? How do community college practices support this transition? Which student behaviors and characteristics particularly facilitate their movement to four-year colleges and universities? The Research and Planning Group for California…

An experimental program at the University of Woollongong (Australia) identified a quality management framework, developed indicators of institutional performance, created a database for user-defined information needs, and provided access to information at all institutional levels. The project explored use of performance indicators and demonstrated…

The evolution, design, and implementation of the University of Cincinnati (Ohio) Foundation's plan in the event of a disaster that would destroy its building and computer system are described. The plan focuses on rapid assessment of damage, getting the system back into working order, and recovery of any losses. (MSE)

The University of Rochester's experience with online analytical processing (OLAP), part of its executive information system, is reported. The server, a multiuser, local area network (LAN)-based database loaded from legacy systems or a data warehouse, can rapidly manipulate and display data, and allows quick creation and changing of analytical…