------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                                                      |
|     HEIRAlliance Executive Strategies Report #1                      |
|                                                                      |
|     WHAT PRESIDENTS NEED TO KNOW                                     |
|     ... about the Integration of Information Technologies on Campus  |
|                                                                      |
|                                                                      |
|                                                   September 1992     |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|     from the Higher Education Information Resources Alliance         |
|     of ARL, CAUSE, and EDUCOM                                        |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------


The cover story of Time magazine, April 13, 1992, opened with the
observation, "By the year 2000, American colleges and universities will
be lean and mean, service oriented and science minded, multicultural,
and increasingly diverse -- if they intend to survive their fiscal
agony."
        Like it or not, prepared or not, our institutions of higher
education are entering the information age. We have experienced more
than a decade of proliferation of personal com-puters on the desks of
executives, administrators, faculty, and students; of widely extended
access to research resources, teaching techniques, administrative
databases, and colleagues across campus and the world. Most institutions
report increasing pressure from various constituencies for access to the
power they believe to be available through the information technologies:
instant answers, process shortcuts, responsiveness to individual needs,
cost savings.
        Many of our institutions are in a transitional environment which
has evolved in piecemeal fashion. Interwoven in this milieu are:
        - increased generalization of computing use by faculty and
students;
        - increasing emergence of information exchanges by faculty,
students, and administrators through networks;
        - widespread use of online bibliographic databases to identify the
existence, content, and whereabouts of information;
        - emergence of limited full-text electronic resources and
electronic imaging for non-character-based information resources;
        - a plethora of network databases and independent protocols and
applications which are beginning to converge in common digital formats
and processes and respond to the evolution of national standards;
        - continued reliance on labor-intensive distribution channels for
the delivery of instruction and paper-based information resources;
        - a perceived shortage of information management generalists to
support faculty, librarians, administrators, information and media
specialists, and students;
        - various levels of competition and cooperation among
organizational groups which are being drawn together by overlapping
technology-based concerns -- librarians, computer center staff, faculty.
        It is time for the revolutionary fervor which greeted the new
technology to subside for a bit. This is the time to separate the
confusions and self-deceptions from the truths, and to effect the real
information technology revolution: adjusting our organizational
structures to accommodate and exploit what is valuable in these
technological developments. Such lulls can be the most crucial periods
of revolutionary change -- time for the evaluation and integration which
are the business of the president.


ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT: ENSURING APPROPRIATE FOCUS ON
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES FOR A UNIQUE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING

The role of the president is not, of course, to lead the development of
new information technologies, but to establish a process and an
atmosphere that will promote the integration of these inevitable new
technologies, both with each other and with the mission and core values
of the institution.
        The emphasis on any single campus may be support of scholarship, a
sophisticated and individualized learning environment, provision of on-
demand administrative data, cost-effective enrichment of library
resources, community service, outreach activities for the "new
educational majority" -- ethnic minorities, part-time students,
commuters -- or any combination of these and other priorities. Key to
all of them is the development of organizational, instructional, and
informational infrastructures which capitalize on the technological
accidentals of the late 20th century and reinforce the values and
peculiar identity of that institution. Expressions of the guiding
principles for technology development will be as diverse as the
institutions they serve.
        Brown University, for example -- a major research university --
made a conscious decision to use computing and telecommunications in
academic life in the 1970s, and in the 1980s introduced the model of the
network of scholars' workstations to the academic community. Brown has
established certain guiding principles:
        (1) an assumption that the real revolution in information
technology is about communication, not computation;
        (2) a commitment to providing a basic level of resources and
services to all members of the university community, which means, among
other things, that there is no charge to individuals or academic units
for any computing or networking services. Information technology is
regarded as a basic feature of university life.
        In comparison, the Maricopa County Community College District has
developed a set of directional statements which, while they echo certain
of the above concepts, give a clear priority to community service. The
statements include the position that "the future community college
computing environment will be technically heterogeneous, and
interoperability across elements of this environment is an important
objective; the environment, in contrast to the research university
environment, is the civic community which the community college serves
together with the network-supported learning needs of sponsored
education regardless of level."
        Bill Chace, president of Wesleyan University, recognizes that
technology has provided cost savings in commercial areas and has
potential for comparable savings within the labor-intensive environment
of academe. The concerns he articulates are common to leaders of many
smaller institutions which have traditionally not invested heavily in
technology:
        -- How can we convince faculty of the possibilities of technology,
motivate them to use its tools, and keep them up to date with emerging
capabilities?
        -- How might we use video- or satellite-based instruction from
other institutions to supplement our traditional learning with new
sources of content-rich instruction?
        -- How can we use technology to offer our traditional quality of
education to non-traditional students?
        -- How can we ensure that we have network access to a very broad
range of information for research applications?
        -- How can we catalog and publicize technological resources
(software, multimedia materials, etc.) that might be of interest to
others on campus?
        Of top priority in dealing with these and most other technology-
related needs is the creation of a single, online information system
that offers easy and institution-wide access to a broad selection of
instructional and information resources and services -- in short, a
gateway to an "information rich" environment for faculty, staff, and
students.


ELEMENTS OF THE INTEGRATED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM

The new technology is not, in itself, a revolution. The revolution is
the difference that technology makes in how we organize, structure, and
empower our lives and our workplaces. The California State
University/Los Angeles, which has invested significant research and
resources in the effort of reengineering its business and academic
processes to take full advantage of new technologies, recognizes similar
responses throughout higher education: many, if not most, colleges and
universities either already have or are in the process of investing in
voice, data, and image networks, institutional information systems,
personal computers and workstations for students, faculty, and staff --
including developing strategic plans for information technology and
recognizing data as a significant institutional resource. They are
initiating stringent budget-cutting and cost-containment endeavors. They
are introducing new organizational paradigms such as total quality
management (TQM) or continuous improvement and enrollment management,
and moving toward more decentralized management perspectives with
empowerment of individuals throughout the hierarchy. Campuses are
focusing on the development of partnerships within the institution, with
other institutions, and with government, business, and community
entities.
        Enabling most of these changes is the power of technology to
distribute information widely, quickly, and easily. But success in using
technology requires a vision -- an information technology infrastructure
which is integrated, efficient, and functional. Any such system must
fuse three elements:
        CONTENT -- the volume, diversity, and accuracy of machine-readable
primary materials. This may be scholarly research, bodies of academic
knowledge, student and alumni records, operational databases.
        ACCESS -- the network through which the content is distributed,
and the platforms through which users reach it. Considerations here are
capacity, reliability, connectivity, ease of use, and seamless levels of
technical integration.
        GUIDANCE -- education, training, and ongoing support of users at
all levels.


MOVING TOWARD INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

A primary focus for information technology in much of higher education
over the last decade was automating the institution's administrative
functions. The focus for the next decade on many campuses will be on
making strategic investments to increase academic productivity and
reengineer administrative processes for greater efficiency. The
following checklist incorporates suggestions drawn from the experience
of several institutions for the successful development and integration
of information technology into the campus community:

        -- Develop an effective campus-wide network as quickly as
possible.
        -- Focus overall coordination of information resources at a high
administrative level to create an intersection point for traditionally
independent lines of authority.
        -- Support librarians in efforts to focus on knowledge access and
management as well as  the traditional acquisition, organization, and
preservation of information.
        -- Engage faculty and staff who are affected by projects in
framing questions and possible answers, and then evaluate projects by
considering these factors: specific project description, value to the
community, cost, and life expectancy of the result.
        -- Develop motivation and support mechanisms to encourage use of
information-rich databases and new modes of interaction in the
teaching/learning process.
        -- Encourage innovation and exploration with judicious use of
"seed money" and pilot projects.
        -- Expand use of computer conferencing as a convenient discussion
format for faculty and administrators.
        -- Develop a plan to fund the maintenance of desktop, network, and
classroom technology as a vital capital asset. Replacement of the
technological infrastructure at most institutions closely parallels the
deferred maintenance crisis which faces their physical plants, with the
difference that any deterioration or even relative obsolescence has
immediate, obvious consequences for productivity.
        -- Require cost-benefit analyses and assessment mechanisms of
technology investments, with attention given to innovative ways of
recouping some of the investments through the benefits they will yield.
        -- Be on the lookout for signs of "magical thinking" -- unfunded
goals, projects without budgets. In a fixed-resource environment, if you
are not re-thinking old functions, you cannot be funding new strategies.
        -- Move aggressively toward paperless administration -- beginning
with analysis and planning to manage campus printing and publishing
activities, which have been estimated to consume as much as 15 to 20
percent of operating budgets.

        With the explosive increase of networked services and resources,
we are beginning to realize the goal of having the world's information
-- not just that of our own departments and institutions -- at our
fingertips. Along with the overwhelming abundance of data and
technologies for data delivery come fragmentation of areas of expertise
and an increased need for coordination and integration. The president
must create a climate where risk-taking and innovative solutions are
encouraged, where an accessible information infrastructure links a
multiplicity of activities. With thoughtful, high-level, committed
guidance, the information technologies can be a catalyst for integrating
and energizing our professional community.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
          SIDEBAR -- SIDEBAR -- SIDEBAR -- SIDEBAR -- SIDEBAR
------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRENDS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

   -- traditional funding sources are flat or decreasing
   -- public expectations and state mandates are calling for more
reporting requirements and accountability
   -- consumer expectations demand more sophisticated services requiring
greater access to data
   -- increased telecommunications versatility supports a new spectrum
of activities
   -- knowledge has become a key factor of production along with
capital, people, and technology
   -- evolving organizational structures will significantly change
traditional hierarchical structures
   -- sophisticated knowledge workers require expanded
technical/consulting support
   -- decentralized capabilities enhance network and computing power for
departments and individuals
   -- the boundary between technology customers/clients and campus
technology resource units is growing more permeable
   -- the convergence of computing, telecommunications, and office
automation leads to technologies being managed as a totality
   -- the establishment of a National Research and Education Network
(NREN) will make universal networking available
   -- the teaching and learning information infrastructure will change
to accommodate a shift from a paper- to a network-based system of
sharing academic resources

    --- From the CSU/LA report, adapted from Jane Ryland, "Strategic
         Planning Trends for the 1990s," Report to the CAUSE Strategic
         Planning Committee, October 1991, and highlights from Campus
         Trends, 1991, American Council on Education, August1991.


QUOTES FROM CONTRIBUTING EDITOR REPORTS

"The computing revolution was laid at our feet. We could hardly ignore
it. It was a force in the community and in the external environment. If
we had not taken the gauntlet and moved with it to its highest form of
application, I doubt that we would enjoy the prosperity, community
support, student support, and national prestige that we currently
enjoy."
     --- Paul Elsner, President, Maricopa Community Colleges


"We see information technologies as encompassing a rapidly evolving set
of tools, increasingly based upon computers, that we use to gather and
manipulate information. These technologies can be powerful amplifiers of
the human intellect and its academic work. It is this quality that
distinguishes them in our academic processes from such tools as
typewriters and copying machines."

     ---Thomas Ehrlich, James G. Neal, and Polley Ann McClure
          Indiana University



------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The preceding report was drawn from material prepared by teams of
executives from five institutions of higher education identified below.
Individual team papers expand on all the points contained in this
report, and several include references for further information. Printed
copies of these papers are available through the CAUSE national office
at a per-page cost-recovery fee; inquire at 303-449-4430, fax 303-440-
0461.
  For electronic text of this report or the supplementary background
papers, send  e-mail to HEIRAES@CAUSE.colorado.edu with the following
"GET" messages (it is not necessary to list a subject):

     for text of report: GET HEIRA.ES1
     for entire supplementary packet: GET HEIRA.ES1.SUP
     for individual papers:
        GET HEIRA.ES1.BROWN
        GET HEIRA.ES1.CSU
        GET HEIRA.ES1.INDIANA
        GET HEIRA.ES1.MARICOPA
        GET HEIRA.ES1.WESLEYAN.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Executive Strategies reports are published by the Higher Education
Information Resources Alliance (HEIRAlliance), a vehicle for cooperative
projects between the Association of Research Libraries, CAUSE, and
EDUCOM. Reports in this series inform campus leaders about critical and
timely issues related to information technologies, based on experiences
of colleagues from different types of colleges and universities. Focus
issues are identified by the executive officers of the three sponsoring
associations: Duane Webster, Executive Director, Association of Research
Libraries; Jane N. Ryland, President, CAUSE; Kenneth King, President,
EDUCOM.
        Copyright 1992 by HEIRA. Material from this report may be
reproduced for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credit to the
HEIRAlliance.
        Questions concerning this report may be sent to Executive Editor
Karen McBride at CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, Boulder, CO
80301; phone 303-449-4430, fax 303-440-0461, e-mail
kmcbride@CAUSE.colorado.edu.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARL, the Association of Research Libraries, is an organization of 120
major research libraries in the U.S. and Canada whose mission is to
identify and influence forces affecting the future of research libraries
in the process of scholarly communication. 202-232-2466

CAUSE, the association for the management of information technology in
higher education, is a nonprofit association whose mission is to promote
effective planning, management, development, and evaluation of computing
and information technologies in higher education. 303-449-4430

EDUCOM is a non-profit consortium of colleges and universities
headquartered in Washington, D.C., which is concerned with computing and
communications issues. Its programs focus primarily on networking and
integrating computing into the curriculum. 202-872-4200

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS for this report:

Brown University
  Vartan Gregorian, President
  Merrily Taylor, University Librarian
  Brian L. Hawkins, Vice President for Academic Planning &
     Administration

California State University/Los Angeles
  James M. Rosser, President
  JoAn Kunselman, University Librarian
  James I. Penrod, Vice President, Information Resources Management

Indiana University
  Thomas Ehrlich, President
  James G. Neal, Dean of University Libraries
  Polley Ann McClure, Associate Vice President, Information Resources

Maricopa Community Colleges
  Paul E. Elsner, Chancellor
  Philip Tompkins, Director, Library Information Services
  Ronald Bleed, Vice Chancellor, Information Technologies

Wesleyan University
  William M. Chace, President
  Robert Adams, University Librarian
  H. David Todd, Director of University Computing


.