The Use of Quantitative Information in Higher Education Decision Making [microform] / Donald Earl Harris

Perspectives on facilitating the use of quantitative tools in higher education decision-making are offered. Suggestions are directed to those in the institution who will be working with decision-makers, with a focus on how such individuals can assist the decision-maker in the development and use of computer-based tools. The instigators of computer tools must work through issues involving how useful quantitative information is to daily management decision-making. It is also important to understand and work with the political dynamics of higher education decision-making. Research on institutions using computer-based planning models suggests that this type of tool involves time and effort by the decision-maker to understand the benefits of such work. The users of computer-generated information need to be educated in the form that quantitative information is kept and how it can be accessed. Recommendations for the successful implementation of decision support tools are as follows: identify and develop the integrators in the institution, invest resources in training middle and senior managers, examine ways quantitative information is reported, and study the decision-making process and the use of quantitative information in it. (SW)