Many administrators are signing contracts for software products that leave their institutions completely unprotected in the event of a default by the vendor. It is proper for a customer to include contractual provisions whereby they may gain legal access to the program source code. (MLW)

Carnegie Mellon University has leveraged its technological expertise with database management systems (DBMS) into joint technological and developmental partnerships with DBMS and application software vendors. Carnegie's relational database strategy, the strategy of partnerships and how they were formed, and how the partnerships are doing are…

The decision process followed by Allegheny College that led to the choice of WATSTAR as the software/hardware combination for the first step in a campuswide networking project is discussed. (Author/MLW)

Artificial intelligence programing for computers is advancing rapidly. The translation of databases into an institutional research knowledge base is explored, including the heuristic knowledge of institutional research experience. (Author/MLW)

An overview of responses from a number of higher education associations (ACE, EDUCOM and NASULGC, and Cornell University) to the controversial issues that have arisen from the 1988 Internet "worm" are presented. Preliminary results from a CAUSE survey of higher education institutions are discussed. (Author/MLW)

The concept of distributed computing is discussed and reasons for coordinating decentralized computing at an institutional level are presented. Ten coordinative actions that an institution might decide upon are offered. (MLW)

ConnectPac, a software package developed at Iona College to allow a computer user to access all services from a single personal computer, is described. ConnectPac uses mainframe computing to support a campus computing network, integrating personal and centralized computing into a menu-driven user environment. (Author/MLW)

Guidelines, jointly developed and endorsed by CAUSE and EDUCOM--two key organizations in the field of higher education information technology--are presented. They were created to provide institutions and regional accrediting associations with evaluation guidelines for information technology resources to use as a reference when developing their own…

Relates how the story of how San Francisco State University evaluated IBM PC look-alikes, considered some of the risks involved, and decided to purchase over 100 of them. Questions of compatibility, vendor longevity, support, and other risk management issues are discussed. (Author/MLW)

University administrative data processing is moving toward a more distributed environment. An architecture must be established that incorporates central sites, campus centers, and end users in a networked pool of computer systems, with applications located at appropriate nodes in the network. (Author/MLW)

A site visit to the College of DuPage, a comprehensive community college, is summarized. Computer services, a master plan, computer hardware and software, and special activities (monthly newsletter and computer awareness training) of the Computer Services Department are described. (MLW)

The evolution of executive reporting and decision support systems at the University of Hartford is described, including a definition of concepts, discussion of the decision support roles of the planning and institutional research office and computer service, a description of several systems already developed, and the strategies underlying…

The experiences of Seattle Pacific University as it changed from closed-shop to end-user computing are described. Once departments got over the initial shock of servicing the many nitty-gritty job requests formerly handled within computer services, they began to like the new system. (MLW)

The Cornell University Distributed Accounting (CUDA) system is an attempt to provide departments a software tool for better managing their finances, creating microcomputer standards, creating a vehicle for better administrative microcomputer support, and insuring local systems are consistent with central computer systems. (Author/MLW)

Microcomputing can be an important component of the provision of administrative computing services. The planning decisions that were made, results that were obtained, lessons learned, and disasters observed at Hamilton College are described. (Author/MLW)