The purpose of this paper is to highlight the complexities involved in higher education provision and how systems thinking and socio-technical systems (STS) thinking approach can be used to understand the education ecosystem. Systems thinking perspective is provided using two case studies: the development of European Learner Mobility (EuroLM)…

In this paper, we propose a conceptual and operational framework for process reengineering (PR) in higher education (HE) institutions. Using a case study aimed at streamlining exam scheduling and distribution in a distance learning (DL) unit, we outline a sequential and non-linear four-step framework designed to reengineer processes. The first two…

A rapidly changing global economy, shifting demographics, and concerns about our ability to maintain a competitive workforce have focused national attention on the educational systems of America's states, highlighting their critical role in ensuring a productive and creative future for our country. As a result, Americas colleges and universities…

The US Department of Education's plan to redesign the systems used to deliver student financial aid--the Integrated Student Aid Delivery System (ISADS) Project--is discussed. Background on the origins of the ISADS project is provided and its broad implications for postsecondary institutions are considered. (MLW)

The activities of Project TRANSACTION, a 10-year research and development project of the College Scholarship Service division of the College Board, are described. The project is intended to unify the student financial aid delivery system through application of electronic information technologies. (Author/MLW)

This paper discusses the managerialist approach to developing and implementing systems for flexible delivery of educational systems in the Australian university sector. Rapid advances in communication technologies have enabled the education sector to provide greater flexibility and diversity in the traditional areas of mixed delivery and distance…

Arguing that telecommunications is transforming almost every sector of American society except education, this study analyzed the governance, management, technical, and fiscal issues associated with the creation and maintenance of an education satellite telecommunications system that would make cost-effective, equitable access to quality education…

The increasing sophistication of information technologies and the nearly universal access to computing have blurred distinctions among information delivery units on college campuses, forcing institutions to rethink the separate organizational structures that evolved when computing in academe was more localized and less prevalent. Experiences in…