A new vision for institutional research is urgently needed if colleges and universities are to achieve their institutional missions, goals, and purposes. The authors advocate for a move away from the traditional service model of institutional research to an institutional research function via a federated network model or matrix network model. When…

In an age in which information and data are more readily available than ever, it is critical for higher education institutions to develop tools that can communicate essential information to those who make decisions in an easy-to-understand format. One of the tools available for this purpose is a dashboard, a one- to two-page document that presents…

Data-driven decision making, popularized in the 1980s and 1990s, is evolving into a vastly more sophisticated concept known as big data that relies on software approaches generally referred to as analytics. Big data and analytics for instructional applications are in their infancy and will take a few years to mature, although their presence is…

The authors describe the University of Central Florida's top-down/bottom-up action analytics approach to using data to inform decision-making at the University of Central Florida. The top-down approach utilizes information about programs, modalities, and college implementation of Web initiatives. The bottom-up approach continuously monitors…

A microcomputer-based system to analyze both historical funding and current resource allocation patterns helped to prepare for an anticipated budget crisis at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The system also included a module which permitted decision makers to test resource allocation alternatives. (Author/MLW)

College and university information is poorly developed for the purpose of making strategic choices and management guidance. A strategic triangle, with critical success factors at each vertex, can help model appropriate information. (Author/MLW)

The University of Southern California has implemented a decentralized management philosophy. Implementation of this approach to management is facilitated by making accurate management information available to decision-makers in their offices in real time. (MLW)

The administrative user services instituted at Loyola University of Chicago, which provides administrators with immediate access to computing at low cost, is described. After preliminary training and file initialization, users are responsible for their own data processing. (Author/MLW)

A method for scheduling teaching assignments is described that can asssist in projecting future course offering needs, assess the impact of consolidating or rescheduling sections, determine the necessary interests and qualifications of faculty additions, and predict the impact of a faculty member's absence. (MSE)

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 University Information Center has transformed data retrieval and reporting from a slow process performed by high-priced technical personnel to an instantaneous service performed by those who need and can define the service required. The result at Indiana University has been improved quality of computing. (Author/MLW)

A description of how the decision support systems at Pepperdine University are helping its office of institutional research and planning provide the support necessary to keep the university's administration well-informed in their decision-making role is presented. (MLW)

A powerful but straightforward computer-based approach to university resource allocation has been successfully integrated with group process techniques to assist top-level administrators in making difficult choices. (Author)

Contrasts are made between application development strategies employed for online transaction processing and for decision support at the University of Hartford. Applications designed and implemented are described and current developments in the plan are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Social Judgment Analysis, a formal decision model, is used to develop a decision support system that provides documentation on faculty accomplishments to assist faculties in making personnel decisions that are systematic, explicit, consistent, and retraceable. (Author/MSE)