The design of computer-based decision support systems for an urban college in New York City with special focus on strategic planning

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to examine how higher education decision makers can use decision support systems to generate information in their strategic planning process, and (2) to design decision support systems that are institution-specific and adaptive. The setting for the research was an urban college in New York City. The study investigated and analyzed the elements of both the current strategic planning process as well as those of the current decision support systems to determine the information used and/or needed in these processes.; A case study approach was used for the study, and interviews with twenty one selected decision makers were conducted at the college. Among those interviewed included the president, the provost, three deans, the director of institutional research, the director of administrative computing, two other administrators, ten faculty members, and two students. All were members of the college's policy and decision-making body.; The study found that the strategic planning process was in its first year of operation and was still being refined. The plan was centralized with decision makers providing the broad guidelines. However, each unit or department implemented the institutional goals and objectives through the management by objectives (MBO) approach which was incorporated into the plan. Planning was for a continuous five-year period and was assessed yearly. The plan provided for wide participation of all the constituencies of the college including faculty and there was a high degree of commitment on their part to the strategic planning process.; The computer support for the planning process was highly inadequate. However, a major effort in developing an integrated student information system was underway in the college. The study also found that there were no decision support systems (DSS) in use at the urban college, but the decision makers saw DSS as necessary for manipulating the planning data. The college had enough computer hardware resources to implement decision support systems.; In the conclusion of the study, a design process and three configurations options were developed as recommendations for design approaches that may aid the college in designing its decision support systems.