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)

Advice on how to find the best software for institutional needs is presented. Purchasing prewritten software, acquiring custom-written software, and improving ready-made software are discussed. Questions to ask before buying software are provided. (MLW)

Administrators at Bowdoin College (Maine) have translated lessons learned from the process of administrative software conversion into ten commandments for other small colleges undertaking such changes. Three approaches to management information systems are outlined, with advantages and limitations highlighted, as well as the ten recommendations,…

Compares the features, advantages, and disadvantages of two major software options available for designing web courses: (1) component, off-the shelf software that allows for creation of audio slide lectures, course materials, discussion forums, animations, synchronous chat groups, quiz creators, and electronic mail, and (2) integrated packages…

Use of the World Wide Web, a set of connections that organizes the Internet for users, is suggested as one way to enhance college or university information systems. Possible practical applications include student recruitment, alumni relations, media relations, advertisement of institutional specialties, and interactive communications with specific…

Designed for institutional researchers, this handbook provides practical guidelines for the operation of an effective research office. Chapter I defines institutional research and describes tasks a research office may undertake, including strategic planning support, budget development, facilities planning, personnel and staffing analyses,…

Steps that should be followed in choosing and implementing an administrative computer system are discussed. Three stages are involved: institutional assessment, system selection, and implementation. The first step is to define the current status of the data processing systems and the management information systems at the institutions. Future…

Advice is offered on making the college or university fact book readable and appealing. Issues discussed include: choice of hardware and software for desktop publishing, balance, layout, use of graphics, typefaces and styles, text alignment, and format. Lists of resources, associations, seminars, and publications that may be useful are appended.…

Questions administrators need to answer when selecting or evaluating a computerized personnel and/or payroll information system cover the type of system, resources for purchasing and/or developing it, activities needed and used for, its use, and issues of responsibility. (MSE)

This booklet provides an overview of key concepts of Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM), a comprehensive process designed to help institutions of higher education achieve and maintain the optimum student recruitment, retention, and graduation rates. "Optimum" here is defined within the academic context of the particular institution. Primary…

An analytic system for colleges that involves student flow calculation, an historical curriculum matrix, and departmental workload forecasts is examined. The conceptual base, uses of the data, technical issues, and implementation are covered. The student flow calculation uses enrollment trends to develop the probability of a student with a given…

A discussion of new technologies and strategies for monitoring college student progress identifies four stages of developing information systems: (1) problem definition and systems specification; (2) data extraction and synthesis; (3) data analysis; and (4) dissemination. Some trends in use of data sources, analysis types, tracking capabilities,…

Sixty-five cost reduction efforts on college and university campuses are described, as part of the Cost Reduction Incentive Awards Program sponsored by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the United States Steel Foundation. The incentive program is designed to stimulate cost-effective ideas and awareness of the…