One of a series of three self-instructional units, these materials are aimed at helping British hotel and catering managers improve profits and/or reduce costs in their areas of responsibility. Following an introduction and a paragraph on how to use the unit, section 1 covers how to use management information. The section includes these trainee…

New roles for college institutional researchers in the area of data administration and management that have resulted from developments in computer technology are reviewed. These developments include easily accessed databases, user-friendly software, and powerful and inexpensive hardware. The growing demand for data, combined with a general lack of…

This report comprises a detailed evaluation of two minicomputer-based school information management systems for use at the senior high school level: (1) Prompt Automated Scheduling System (PASS) by Mid-American Corporation and locally developed software, which runs on an IBM minicomputer, and (2) Student Administration System (SAS) by SIERRA…

An analytic system for colleges that involves student flow calculation, an historical curriculum matrix, and departmental workload forecasts is examined. The conceptual base, uses of the data, technical issues, and implementation are covered. The student flow calculation uses enrollment trends to develop the probability of a student with a given…

A computerized information system was developed from specifications of 40 data elements to provide a database for decision making about problems relating to new admissions standards on a multi-campus, open admissions university. For over 400 entering freshman, multivariate analysis of the data elements and other standard predictors was used to…

A management information system model was designed to provide data for planning, directing, and evaluating programs for the National Origin Minority Education (NOME) office of the New Hampshire Department of Education. NOME is federally funded to provide training to local school district and community members regarding the educational needs of…

Established by Executive Order 12369 on June 30, 1982, the President's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control (PPSSCC) carried out its mandate through an executive committee of 161 high-level private sector executives. The committee set up a management office and 36 task forces with 1,300 members. The task forces were co-chaired by members of the…

A planned maintenance system, which was implemented at Washington State University (WSU), uniquely integrates functions of equipment inventory, scheduling, time reporting, project management, materials inventory, and billing. Management now has immediate access to equipment data, maintenance status, and costs. Staff requirements are readily…

Policies on microcomputers are presented for four colleges. For Clemson University, purchasing computer hardware and software is addressed. Attention is directed to obtaining approval for purchasing hardware and the policy regarding connecting terminals and modems. Eight steps required for obtaining computers are listed, including those relevant…

Efficient and convenient comprehensive information systems, long kept from coming into being by a variety of obstacles, are now made possible by the concept of distributive processing and the technology of micro- and mini-computer networks. Such systems can individualize instruction, group students efficiently, cut administrative costs, streamline…

This paper suggests methods for collecting and using student information for school improvement by describing how the Richardson Independent School District (RISD), Texas, determines data for effective school management decisionmaking. RISD readily accesses student information via a networked database on line with the central office's IBM…

Reprints of 19 articles pertaining to library microcomputing appear in this collection, the second of two volumes on this topic in a series of volumes of reprints from "ONLINE" and "DATABASE" magazines. Edited for information professionals who use electronically distributed databases, these articles address such topics as: (1)…

Comprehensive staff development approaches described in this paper are based on on-site work with school districts and a 1980 National Rural Project investigation of problems experienced by over 80 rural districts and cooperatives across the country as they attempted to implement staff development programs. Three models are described which…

Ideas that have been developed in the decision support systems (DSS) literature that seem particularly relevant to institutional research, planning, and analysis (IRPA) are reviewed. In addition, a survey of practitioners in Canadian universities that provides new information on the rapidly changing current state of information technology,…

In an effort to shed light on the advent of the computer and its applications at small, two-year colleges, this report describes a national survey and case studies of five small colleges to determine their current use of computer services, the role and method of governance of computer-based information systems, and the policies affecting them. The…