The administrator has four options in choosing the most practical method of administrative, instructional and research computer usage. (Editor)

No college is too small to benefit from the technology explosion. By computerizing the college catalog, a school can save money, time, and trouble. A word processor at the University of Wisconsin is described that edits, stores, and updates its catalog series. (MLW)

Reviews the experience of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with an on-line registration system and a subsequent change to the use programmable terminals with the Sanders 810 computer, which is considered a significant improvement at less cost. Advantages and disadvantages of both systems are detailed. (JT)

Computerized information systems are often installed to reduce costs of: (1) system maintenance by requiring fewer man-hours, (2) system enhancement by requiring less manpower, (3) mechanical efficiency by doing more per clock-hour of time, (4) personnel by substituting machine expenditures, (5) supplies and support services by using microforms or…

Choosing a consultant to help with a computer system will have more impact on an office than any other decision made during the year. The major advantage of hiring computer consultants is that they bring in-depth expertise to the organization. Some basic rules for choosing a computer consultant are provided. (MLW)

A comprehensive study of five institutions, selected as leaders in the field of administrative computer technology in higher education, is analyzed. Results are presented in the following areas: administrative tasks, information organization/technical structure, institutional operation, personnel, and cost/value. (Author/MLW)

Installation of a small computer and the use of specially designed programs has proven a cost-effective solution to the data processing needs of a university medical center's ophthalmology department, providing immediate access to grants accounting information and avoiding dependence on the institution's mainframe computer. (MSE)

The University of Florida has implemented an online payroll certification system that exemplifies how computer applications can result in higher quality information and provide real cost savings. In this case, the combined personnel savings exceeded 6.5 full-time-equivalent positions, more than twice the computing costs incurred. (MSE)

This paper examines the proposition that management information systems (MIS) for colleges and universities are not achieving their original objectives of supporting better management decisions by providing more and better information in a more timely manner. As a consequence, the MIS activity should be reduced in scope, and standardized to…

Computer-assisted advisement provides solutions to the most fundamental of advising problems by giving reduced time in evaluating students for graduation, improved accuracy, ease in obtaining information, frequency in providing information, reduction of cost, and versatility. (MSE)

Ohio Wesleyan University has responded to the challenge of costing in colleges and universities by implementing a computer-based costing system, beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1970. This document describes the Ohio Wesleyan system that provides direct instructional cost per student enrolled for each individual course section, as…

This monograph on the cost and use of computers in education consists of two parts. Part I is a report of the President's Science Advisory Committee concerning the cost and use of the computer in undergraduate, secondary, and higher education. In addition, the report contains a discussion of the interaction between research and educational uses of…

Abstracts of 23 papers given at the conference are presented. These deal with a variety of subjects related to educational uses of computers, including: 1) information networking, 2) computer-managed test item banks, 3) learner-controlled instruction and courseware, 4) computer-assisted instructional (CAI) systems such as Coursewriter III and…

The Cornell University Office of Publications' experiences in the process of computerization are discussed, including rationale, choice of equipment, and decisions concerning the services to be offered, and the lessons learned are offered to others. (MSE)

Increasingly, budget pressures and rapid technological change are causing colleges to consider "outsourcing" for computer operations management, particularly for administrative purposes. Supporters see the trend as similar to hiring experts for other, ancillary services. Critics fear loss of control of the institution's vital computer systems.…