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The subcommittee's discussions noted that at least five fundamental changes in the basic character and nature of information technology were likely to influence, in important ways, the manner in which new financial systems should be evaluated, selected, and developed or purchased. These changes include: (1) the increasing roles of campus networks and the Internet; (2) the emergence of distributed hardware and software platforms; (3) the emergence of graphical user interfaces; (4) the emergence of new information distribution and access approaches (e.g., World Wide Web) and new tools for information analysis and decision support; and (5) the increasing viability of robust electronic commerce.
Against this technological backdrop, the subcommittee also observed that fundamental changes in the administrative operations of many U.S. colleges and universities were taking place. The first half of this decade has witnessed increasing public skepticism, declining enrollments in many geographic areas, and sharp declines in state support for many public universities. Additionally, current pressures to reduce the federal deficit suggest that the late 1990s will witness broad reductions in federal support of higher education, particularly of university-based research. Finally, the subcommittee noted that a few colleges and universities were experimenting with the financial system planning, selection, and implementation process itself, exploring new partnerships with software vendors and other colleges and universities.
These observations led subcommittee members to conclude that an important need would be filled by commissioning a practitioner's handbook to help guide college and university business officers through the complex set of decisions and actions associated with replacing financial management systems.
To fill this need, NACUBO asked several leaders in college and university management to "develop a publication that addresses, in a 'how-to' format, the steps necessary to evaluate an institution's current hardware, network, and software." As authors of this book, we were asked, further, to identify change strategies that would support both incremental changes in financial systems and large scale changes in the institution's "financial architecture." Finally, we were asked to identify themes, messages, and strategies that would assist campus practitioners across the entire higher education constellation, from small liberal arts college to community college to research university.
Most importantly, an early decision was made to produce this book as a collaboration between NACUBO and CAUSE, the association for managing and using information resources in higher education. This collaboration reflects our universal belief that the successful implementation of new financial information systems depends on a strong and healthy partnership between financial management and information technology management.
Our group of authors reflects broad and varied experience and expertise in financial and technology management. We are technologists, financial officers, planners, and generalists, who brought to the writing experience rich and varied professional backgrounds representing a broad spectrum of perspectives -- from liberal arts to community college, from public research university to the Ivy League, and from an international association.
We sincerely hope that the book we have developed reflects the benefits of this professional and contextual diversity and reflects the mutual learning (without the occasional learning pain!) that we have shared in this writing experience.
Stephen Jonas
Richard N. Katz
Linda Martinson
Margaret F. Plympton
Steven W. Relyea
Edwin D. Rennie
Julia A. Rudy
John F. "Barry" Walsh
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