ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, we presented an overview of a hierarchical model of levels of complexity in technology-based higher education organizations. The model consisted of eight system levels that are intertwined. Each level influences all the other levels and is influenced by them in varying degrees and for various reasons. These multiple and often simultaneous cause-effect relationships are numerous and specific to each institution of higher education at each moment in time. In this chapter, we will focus on the general effects of hardware systems on the academic and administrative affairs of an institution with the proviso that we cannot predict when they may occur, or what their specific effect may be on a particular institution. Faculty, administrators, students, and other stakeholders that are closely associated with an institution are best equipped to anticipate such effects, make a judgment if they are desirable or not in their particular situation, and devise methods, practices, and procedures to amplify or mitigate them. The case study in this chapter will further demonstrate how the acquisition of a hardware system impacted the operations and functions of a community college.
