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…

Most universities use Information Systems (IS) to perform their daily administrative activities (student enrollment, data files, accountancy, etc.), and an integrated Learning Management System (LMS) to support teaching and learning. However, although a lot of effort has been put into deploying these computerized systems, the data that they…

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…

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…

A key issue in redesigning college and university business processes is whether new processes should be enabled by information systems that focus on them or share highly integrated data and common methods with older processes. An approach used at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada) that entailed reorganization, reorientation, and retooling is…

Older computer applications are often caught in cycles where maintenance and operation become increasingly expensive, yet replacement costs are prohibitive. Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a strategic approach toward enhancing an existing alumni/fund-raising/gifts system to extend its life and avoid the capital costs associated…

Colleges and universities must find a way to streamline and integrate information management processes across the organization. The Georgia Institute of Technology responded to an acute problem of dissimilar operating systems with a campus-wide integrated administrative system using a machine independent relational database management system. (MSE)

The academic computing office at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center implemented a campuswide system for information dissemination. The system has since been tied into a worldwide system. The evolution of the system is described, including selection and adoption of procedures, staffing, and development of publishing tools. (MSE)

The University of Massachusetts has adopted user data groups (groups of information users whose function is to address data issues rather than applications or operations) to help develop an institutional culture supportive of more advanced information technology. The university is treated as a corporation and its five campuses as divisions. (MSE)

The University of California at Los Angeles has implemented an innovative computing system based on radical postaudit and distributed security concepts. Rather than automate standard manual processes, the university decided to eliminate all preapproval processes and decentralize access controls. Results include significant cost savings, faster…

An institutionwide strategic planning effort at Central Michigan University, in response to a need for rapid and significant changes in its information technology infrastructure, is outlined. The effort resulted in a matrix governance structure for information technology that acknowledges the value of both distributed support and a strong central…

In response to a need to develop services for poorly-served or unserved potential clients and to provide staff development, Pepperdine University (California) created a program of specialized service provision, using individual staff contacts to provide regular communication and planning assistance to clients. Program design, staff training, and…

The experience of Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) in developing a campuswide information system to enhance the computing culture is discussed, focusing on four elements: the philosophy of computing as a public utility; investment in physical network infrastructure; standardization of workstations; and development of content-neutral network…

Babson College (Massachusetts) responded to expanded campus computer use and resulting demand for support services by developing service delivery tailored to user groups' needs. Resources devoted to this effort have grown dramatically, and include help desk and dispatch support, program of technology specialists, evening support to residence…

The development of a complex, highly computerized system of performance indicators by the State University of New York provides the means to monitor internal progress, report to a skeptical public, and compare the system's performance with a national sample of institutions. The system is described here, and the performance indicators and data…