Documents Contributed by ECAR and Administrative Systems

It is time to think differently about administrative systems in colleges and universities. Using the Kuali Student Service System as an illustration, this ECAR research bulletin discusses a vision, and a set of functional and technical principles, for the next generation of administrative systems. Although the vision and principles are being developed for a new student system, they can serve as a framework for the development of an administrative system in any area of higher education. They are also a guide to what to look for in planning to select and implement a next generation vendor-supplied administrative system.

This research bulletin identifies external and internal factors that are highlighting the growing importance of IT support for research grant activity in higher education, especially as 2007 deadlines approach. These factors are driving higher education institutions to develop and implement integrated electronic research life-cycle systems.

The evaluation and remediation of the risks posed by trailing-edge or obsolete systems is a critical component of an enterprise risk management (ERM) strategy—the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization's activities to minimize the effects of risk on its operations. While enterprise-wide student, financial, and human resource applications appropriately demand much of our attention and budget, smaller administrative, departmental, or niche applications cannot be ignored. This research bulletin examines the various roles played by smaller systems—housing systems, endowment investment and accounting systems, hazardous materials tracking systems, and the like—and potential risks they pose.

This is the 2002 ECAR survey instrument used for ECAR Research Study concerning ERP Systems.

These Key Findings describe the major discoveries of the ECAR research study called Good Enough! IT Investment and Business Process Performance in Higher Education, which takes a complex look at the performance of so-called business processes in higher education, with a special focus on how IT investments have influenced that performance. It explores the question of what higher education has gained from its sizeable investment in improving business processes. This study also looks at the role that leadership and culture play in the performance of institutional processes. CIOs and others from more than 300 U.S. and Canadian institutions provided quantitative data, while individuals from some two dozen institutions participated in interviews. In addition, ECAR visited exemplary institutions to provide a detailed look into the mechanics of particularly interesting efforts to improve the performance of campus processes.

This Roadmap is designed to illuminate the major discoveries of the ECAR research study called Good Enough! IT Investment and Business Process Performance in Higher Education, which takes a complex look at the performance of so-called business processes in higher education, with a special focus on how IT investments have influenced that performance. It explores the question of what higher education has gained from its sizeable investment in improving business processes. This study also looks at the role that leadership and culture play in the performance of institutional processes. CIOs and others from more than 300 U.S. and Canadian institutions provided quantitative data, while individuals from some two dozen institutions participated in interviews. In addition, ECAR visited exemplary institutions to provide a detailed look into the mechanics of particularly interesting efforts to improve the performance of campus processes.

As a complement to the ECAR research study called Good Enough! IT Investment and Business Process Performance in Higher Education, this case study examines the Iowa State University (ISU) formal program to facilitate business process innovation. The program is based on a goal of consistently promoting enhancements in process and customer service, and on implementing a sustainable method of cross-departmental business process reengineering, and this case study provides an illustration of ISU's practice in action with the successful redesign of the university's travel reimbursement process.

As a complement to the ECAR research study called Good Enough! IT Investment and Business Process Performance in Higher Education, this case study explores how Brooklyn College and The City University of New York optimized their student advising process to support a strategic goal to enhance student enrollment and retention. The first part of the case study looks at Brooklyn College efforts to create a more customer-friendly administrative environment. The second part of the case study focuses on CUNY's Office of Computing and Information Services (CIS) Project Management Office and discusses its deployment of an enterprise-wide online advising and degree audit system.

This ECAR research study takes a complex look at the performance of so-called business processes in higher education, with a special focus on how IT investments have influenced that performance. It explores the question of what higher education has gained from its sizeable investment in improving business processes. This study also looks at the role that leadership and culture play in the performance of institutional processes. CIOs and others from more than 300 U.S. and Canadian institutions provided quantitative data, while individuals from some two dozen institutions participated in interviews. In addition, ECAR visited exemplary institutions to provide a detailed look into the mechanics of particularly interesting efforts to improve the performance of campus processes.

Drawing from research at California State University, Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Minnesota, this research bulletin describes the drivers, issues, and practices for ERP implementations at multicampus institutions. It is applicable to higher education institutions that have distributed organization structures and a multiplicity of student populations, faculty policies, and traditional business practices.