MAD HATTER PAGE 2

 

 

- To minimize duplication of effort
and expense, most of the "DEC stream"
users banded together to choose soft-
ware for the financial fumctions re-
quired. This group is known as the
DEC Financial Systems User Group. It
has selected and is now implementing

integrated systems for General Ledger,
Payables, Payroll, and Purchasing in a

number of colleges which have access
to DEC Hardware.

- Seven colleges in the lower mainland
formed a group which is studying the
feasibility of processing on a common

machine at a central site. The intent

is to consolidate the administrative
functions on this machine(s}. The

Ministry is now considering a request
for capital funds to enable this pro-

posal to go forward in the very near .

future.

- A number of colleges formed another
group which is guiding the enhance-
ment of Student Records Package.
This package will be available to DEC
Users in April 1982. I am Chairman
of this development group. The pack-

age looks to be excellent for Douglas
College's needs but we have not yet
committed the College to it. That
decision must be resolved before
September, 1982.

- The Library is active in a proposal
before the government to fund a
central library cataloguing operation
for college, know as B.C. Union Cat-
alogue (BCUC). This, if it goes
forward, will replace the existing
University of Toronto facility
(UTLAS). In addition, DEC hardware
is being utilized by some colleges
to run circulation and periodicals
systems and we are watching their
progress.

- Word Processing has come to demand
a lot of attention in recent months.
The main question is not whether it
is needed, but who is first? There

 

are two areas of interest, with
different needs;

i) Instructional needs should be
met via “stand-alone” (or
"shared logic") devices.

- equipment will be kept "state
of the art"

- will provide exposure to the
types which are most prevalent
in the job marketplace.

- controlled environment where
the loads on the device are
dictated by the instructor.

ii) Adminsitrative support needs
can be met more optimally via
central mainframe device.

- word processing via DECWORD/
WORD II

- 80% capability of stand-alone
units is available.
- electronic mail available.

- not the same pressure to keep
up with technology.

- the same devices can be used
as general purpose enquiry to'
service administrative account-
ing and records needs.

- The new building has been designed
to take advantage of the advances
in Office Systems Technology. We
have allowed sufficient capacity to
handle the elcectronic communication
needs of the foreseeable future.
Tenders will soon be called to select
a Telephone Switch (which these days
is a computer of sorts) which will
have the ability to handle digital
communications internal to the campus
allowing "Office of the Future" con-
cepts to be implemented as they, and
funds, become available.