Management information systems have developed more rapidly than most innovations. In a relatively short period of time, the art has progressed from primitive routine clerical and accounting systems to elaborate management decisionmaking systems. Growing pains accompanied the rapid development and brought along many problems and critics. The…

The question "Can a machine counsel" asks not if a machine can imitate the behavior of counselors, but rather if an identity of goals can be achieved between machine and counselor. If the goal of counseling is the discovering and internalizing of problem-solving processes, is it possible to create ".....a machine environment such than an…

This monograph outlines the experiences of one school district when it acquired a computer capability. The document should prove useful to other school districts or educational institutions involved in the process of deciding how best to utilize computer technology. The study observes and documents the procedures commonly used by most schoolmen as…

New types of computer software--helpware--are being developed. One category is psychological, purporting to provide counseling, self-assessment, and treatment for personal problems. Another category has management applications: decision making, personnel selection and management, and problem solving. (SK)

Guidelines are offered for colleges to use in making decisions about self-operation or contracting of campus services. Six primary factors and 10 phases in the decision process are outlined. A matrix incorporating those factors and phases, and specifically designed for decision-making concerning campus computing services is also presented. (MSE)

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.…

The use of computers by institutional researchers is considered, with a focus on West Germany and Europe. Two developmental stages concerning higher education's political and economic contexts and information technology are addressed, along with the emerging tasks of instititutional research in higher education, and the functioning of…

The future presents us with seemingly insurmountable tasks. Most experts agree that we have only a very short time to adopt policies that will keep technology from destroying our planet. The increasingly rapid rate of change creates a milieu based primarily on temporary relationships and increases the rate at which the individual is called on to…

The microcomputer revolution, in which small and large computers have gained tremendously in capability, has created a distributed computing environment. This circumstance presents administrators with the opportunities and the dilemmas of choosing appropriate computing resources for each situation. (Author/MSE)

The four papers presented in this book are intended to promote awareness of educational applications of microcomputer systems, educational software, telecommunications networks, and cable television. An introduction and a list of contributors precede the papers, which discuss specific topics related to computers and new technologies in education:…

A Management Operations Review and Evaluation (MORE) study of the Department of Management Information and Computer Services, which was completed in the fall of 1980, strongly recommended that the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) develop a long-range plan to meet the computer needs of schools and central offices. In response to this…

The use of computer technology in college management has its own momentum, and the danger is that it will be pursued for its own sake. However, the use of computers to enable students to think more deeply and effectively, rather than just more technically, will be challenging and rewarding for higher education. (MSE)

The invasion of the microcomputer technology into the schools has implications that permeate every aspect of school management or instruction. The modern school administrator has a responsibility to foresee and direct orderly change. (AH)

Colleges and universities have begun to benefit from advancing technology. Considering the problems higher education faces and the potential that enterprise-wide information access offers, institutional leaders must look ahead and decide where to invest in information technology support to achieve maximum benefits in quality improvement and cost…

The 1980 CAUSE conference focused on how the management information systems area can add to the efficiency and effectiveness of the higher education institution. After acknowledgements and brief notes on general session topics, the papers are presented in six groups: (1) issues in higher education (futures planning, strategic decision-making, and…