Examines the characteristics of management information systems and their impact on decisions of senior library managers. The organizational feasibility of such systems is discussed in terms of four key components--economic, technical, structural, psychological--that are related to libraries in general and senior management decisions in particular.…

A passive computer application using student course transcripts to group and arrange specific degree requirements to produce an advising worksheet is described, and the language used by a math department for this purpose is outlined. A sample advisement form resulting from the program is reproduced. (MSE)

The use of microcomputers for informing principal investigators of due dates for continuation and renewal proposals and for tracking proposals from submission to award or withdrawal/rejection in multiple-project research programs is discussed. (MSE)

The Army Research Institute developed and made operational a computer-based maintenance performance management information system that monitors technical activities of maintenance personnel. The implications of data from eight months of system operation for training programs, training material development, estimating manning requirements,…

The decision to computerize operations in the DeAnza Community College bookstore was followed by a number of decisions about financing options (purchase, lease/purchase, lease, timesharing). A timesharing agreement was reached with a local bank, with no capital outlay and at a cost equivalent to an accountant's position. (MSE)

The effect of new computer technology on the practice of collection development in libraries is reviewed, noting the use of computers and applications of management information systems to manage collections, automated acquisition systems, online abstracts and indexes, videodisc technology, and electronic publishing. Three footnotes are given. (EJS)

The INFAMOUS financial aid data system which has five participants--registrar, undergraduate admissions, graduate admissions, academic information reporting, and financial aid--is described. Sample letters to financial aid applicants are included. (MLW)

Identifies the lack of an effective comprehensive management information system (MIS) as one major impediment to effective library administration and outlines a proposal for the development of a system based on a total systems approach, which would be made available to subscriber libraries through a network system. Twenty-three references are…

Data needs for recruitment and retention records, especially for minority students, and their uses in administering and evaluating programs are discussed. The model presented, based on a system at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, provides a framework for microcomputer data files, record fields, relationships, and system…

Faced with the challenge of providing security across a complex, multiprotocol institutional information network, computing services at Indiana University implemented a responsive, collaborative security architecture designed for the future. Information systems design, security principles and strategy, and implementation are described. (Author/MSE)

In planning for institutionwide access to information, Cornell University's information services focused on providing access to usable, sharable data from the university's legacy systems, keeping the interface as transparent as possible. A development strategy and user modules were designed that could be transferred to a variety of institutional…

At the University of Delaware, World Wide Web tools are used to produce multiplatform administrative applications, including hyperreporting, mixed media, electronic forms, and kiosk services. Web applications are quickly and easily crafted to interact with administrative databases. They are particularly suited to customer outreach efforts,…

Four developments have made strategic planning and information-based management necessary in higher education: changing external conditions; demands for accountability; deteriorating financial strength; and need for changes in leadership roles. Although institutional situations and needs vary, what is most important is to learn to manage with…

Design concepts and techniques for building integrated executive information systems and decision-support systems for mission-critical college applications are presented from the developer's perspective. Financial planning, student retention, and enrollment demand are offered as examples of administrative applications. Sample screens are included…

Priority given to enrollment management at the University of Hartford (Connecticut) has created demands for better information about prospective student markets, admissions selectivity, enrollments, student adjustment, retention, and graduation rates. The planning and institutional research office used fourth-generation software, microcomputers,…