DEVELOPING A STUDENT INFORMATION-SYSTEM AT EAST TEXAS STATE

One of the most important efforts undertaken by an educational institution is information processing, both academic and administrative. This article will attempt to explain how a difficult project is viewed by those primarily responsible for maintaining and using it. The goal is to describe the assessment process and the preparation of competitive bidding documentation, and to provide an insight into making the decision to purchase and implement an integrated student information system (SIS) at East Texas State University (ETSU). Among the topics covered are assessment of data needs, site visits, analysis of minimum/maximum requirements, review of bid responses, recommendation of a vendor, and budget and resources.