The administration of computing on university campuses is seen as becoming increasingly complex. A survey sent to a cross-section of computer centers is discussed. It gathered information on reporting structures, hardware and staff considerations, and public v private university modes of operation. (Author/MLW)

Investigates how an informal computerized environment, or workspace, can support information seeking. Outlines the design space for information-seeking environments and presents a prototype, SketchTrieve, a graphic editor. Discusses how this environment might support information-seeking in ways not available in other more overdetermined systems.…

Common challenges faced by colleges and universities in fulfilling information system needs are explained and discussed, including frequent and bothersome database and application program upgrades, bugs in the application programs, business systems lacking the required business capability, upgrades to software tools used to build the business…

The evolution to date of the United Kingdom's Administrative Computing Initiative for universities, a program funding development of institutional management systems for both operations and planning, is described. The program divides universities into four families, each of which has adopted a different approach to systems development. (Author/MSE)

A listing of new software packages appropriate to college alumni and fund-raising program administration includes 26 packages for personal computer systems and 25 for larger systems. Listings include the name and address of the vendor, contact person's name and telephone number, software titles, software cost, hardware, and intended institutional…

Through integration of administrative information systems across diverse technology platforms and opening access to institutional data, Indiana University has begun to expand the concept of academic information systems. The university's experience has resulted in conclusions and guidelines for other institutions to use in AIS planning and…

The University of Miami (Florida) information resources department developed and instituted a program of "jump level leadership" in 1989 to open communication between all hierarchical levels. Results include free flow of ideas within the department, organizational changes, and happier, more effective employees. Successes, problems, and…

A computerized mechanism for client tracking linked to a management information system (MIS) is presented. The MIS can thus serve several evaluation functions. Features of the MIS are illustrated through a previous study of a project for pregnant and postpartum chemically dependent women. (SLD)

FARM Cheque is a system that integrates technical and farm management advice to provide detailed accounting information to farmers. The program has recordkeeping, software, advisory, and database components. (SK)

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)

Database Tomography (DT) is a textual database-analysis system consisting of algorithms for extracting multiword phrase frequencies and proximities from a large textual database, to augment interpretative capabilities of the expert human analyst. Describes use of the DT process, supplemented by literature bibliometric analyses, to derive technical…

Describes the new service model of the Resource & Information Center at Harcourt, Inc., which was charged with developing and publicizing library services that would empower end-users. Includes tips for purchasing online databases, guidelines for developing content that will draw people into the company's intranet or Web site, and top 10…

Presents the benefits facilities managers could realize by converting blueprints, CADD information, and as-built drawings into a computer-aided facility management (CAFM) system. CAFM links graphics to databases, adding information on types of spaces, occupants, materials, equipment, costs, and other building systems. This helps facilities…

Discusses the appropriateness of the newspaper metaphor for electronic news and highlights different approaches to the electronic delivery of news. Presents the editorial and presentational functionality of the Electronic News Delivery system project and provides an overview of the system architecture. Describes some of the prototype systems…

Discusses the design and implementation of Indiana University's course management enterprise system, Oncourse. The Oncourse project provides a technical framework for the dynamic creation of Web environments and Web-based supplementary functions for every course section offered in the university. (Author)