Options for using computers in managing higher education institutions and technological questions are considered in a collection of nine essays developed by the authors for this monograph. An introduction considers historical developments and provides an overview of computing modes and languages. After considering some of the economic and technological influences under which computing centers of the 1980s will have to operate, attention is directed to the following concerns: the question of whether to do different tasks on the same machine, management techniques, the reporting structure of the information systems department, job shop scheduling versus utility operation, development versus maintenance, and evaluation and audits. Topics concerning software development include models and design of data-based management systems, systems development life cycle, and structured techniques. Operations concerns are also covered, including scheduling, critical paths, service charging, job accounting, and queuing and simulation. The role of the user and the system view are considered, along with perspectives on office systems and word processing, and planning for the automated office. Issues concerning networks and sharing are also discussed, including the impact of the micro/mini computers and software sharing. Perspectives on the future of administrative computing are also considered. (SW)