A well-designed database, carefully defined procedures, and consultation with legal counsel can greatly reduce the prospect of costly litigation associated with retrenchment. Tenure contracts, case law on financial exigency, due process, and liability are discussed. (Author/LB)

A summary of a site visit offers understanding of the role of administrative information systems in higher education. Briefly described are: the history of Virginia Tech, computing history at the University, the Computing Center, and Administrative Systems Development Department. (MLW)

The findings of a CAUSE survey of institutions of higher education that are either currently using or have used a database management system are presented. In addition to demographic information, other issues addressed are: management implications, systems concepts, systems development, personnel, operational considerations and prospects for the…

The academic transcript system at the University of Calgary, a successful application that combines online and batch processing to generate student transcripts, is described. In addition to improved service to students and alumni, the registrar's operating budget has been reduced and productivity has increased. (Author/MLW)

A system for computer-assisted analysis and assignment of tasks designed for use in administering distance learning programs is also proposed as a model project of research into computer science in education. The aims, design, and initial application of the program are outlined. (MSE)

A student information system, repository of most essential customer information and registration data, is especially vulnerable to data corruption because of its many different users. A hypothetical case illustrates how service to a college applicant can be compromised by inattention in system use. Specific areas of system vulnerability are noted,…

Although digital distribution via the Internet offers enormous potential for profits for artists, writers, and developers, pirates can also distribute perfect copies. Examines methods of protecting intellectual property: "superdistribution," watermarking, securing sound, managing multimedia, digital envelopes or secure containers,…

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…

A management information system developed in Santa Clara County monitors K-12 students through their school years. The data reflect up-to-date demographics and changes in students' behaviors and characteristics. School districts are able to identify areas of program strengths and weaknesses so that changes can be made. (MLF)

Describes a computerized management information control system for an educational facility construction program that allows access to more than 50 major system applications, using over 5,000 programs. (MLF)

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,…

In moving Syracuse University (New York) administrative computing applications from mainframe to a client/server environment, challenges have come not from technological transition but from changes in the ways both information systems are organized and clients work. Cultural initiatives were necessary, including organizational restructuring,…

Describes a study that evaluated the impact of information technology on the role of seven high school principals. Findings suggest that the introduction of a management information system into the school resulted in changes in the clerical, managerial control, and strategic aspects of the principal's role. (Author/JKP)