The Operating System for a University

All universities have operating systems. These operating systems are composed of the instruction set, and these instructions are the forms, or the actions that users are required to input in order for the university to perform a specific action. The demands of the university create the forms and procedures, which are the instructions that define the operating system for the campus. In computers, the work happens in silicon when instructions are processed sequentially. Using a computer as a metaphor for a university, the work happens in offices processing paper-based instructions.

For example if a computer requires a specific piece of input, there will be a prompt on the screen. Easy to use software provides the user with clear prompts, such as "Press any key" and hard to use software provides the user without a clear prompt, such as the familiar DOS "C:>".

If the university requires a specific piece of input there may be an entry in a the catalog or handbook or brochure or web page that will direct the student to the required office to obtain the specific form during a specific time to be completed in a specific way and turned in during a specific time. This form, once properly completed and properly submitted, will accomplish a specific action in a specific office, much like the DIR command in DOS will display the names of the files in the current directory.

Operating systems for computers that require specific commands to accomplish specific actions are called "command line interface" (CLI) systems. A specific command is entered to cause a certain set of actions. DOS is a CLI operating system, and while generally reliable, DOS is not well liked by users. I believe that DOS was not well liked because it is not easy to learn. The instructions came in a catalog-like manual that used accurate but opaque descriptions. Users were expected to learn and use these instructions with little or no help. The individual needed to accommodate the requirements of the computer and learn how to use the computer. Alternatively, the user had nearly total control over the computer.

MacOS and Windows are "graphics user interfaces" (GUI) systems in which the user doesn't have to know much to make the machine work. GUI operating systems and application programs present a familiar array of menu options (File, Edit, View, Insert . . . . Help), use nice pictures to represent things and allow multiple applications to work at the same time. GUIs are more user oriented than CLIs, and the GUI user can quickly learn to move the cursor over a picture and click or double click to make things happen.

CLI is a 'purer' operating system, and there may be virtue in this purity. Each command does a specific thing, unambiguously and consistently. CLI may be tedious, but it is accurate. GUI is what people prefer, even though it removes some of their autonomy. My word processing program wants to save my files in a specific folder that it has decided is a good place. I can modify this setting, with some command like actions and save into the folder that I want but I had to learn how to do this.

What would a GUI campus be like? Work processes would be integrated and have multiple entry points. Many offices can perform the same task, enter the same data and achieve the same action. As with Windows/MacOS operating systems and applications, there should be one menu bar for all activities designed with the student in mind.

Command line interface operating systems have the computer in mind as the primary stakeholder for all commands. Many universities have their processes in mind as the primary stakeholder for all forms, procedures and processes. GUI was designed as a more appropriate user oriented operating system. Some universities are putting the student first when redesigning forms, procedures and processes, but this means that the university will have a new operating system. Since most of us have experience upgrading operating systems, we know what a challenge this can be.

By reinforcing the discrete character of each of our work units on campus the CLI mentality, one special form for one special action, keeps us from integrating our interactions with students. Students need to go from office to office on campus to accomplish work, and at each office having a specific form (command line) handed in during a specific time. Classic stories abound about students being sent from office to office to accomplish one simple task, because several offices had a part in an overall task but no office was responsible for more than their single command line.

I am not sure what a GUI campus would specifically look like, be like, or work like, but different operating systems have different appearances and different ways of working. To continue the computer metaphor, LINUX is one of the latest things in CLI, but some people have made a GUI interface for LINUX. The user is presented with the familiar cursor/icon interface and it is transparent to the casual user that command lines are being enacted as they click on icons. Campus networks make it possible to enter data, or submit command lines, or submit forms, from nearly any location on or off campus. Since the networks don't close at 4:30 students can submit command lines or forms during hours that are convenient for them.

This material was inspired in part by reading Neal Stephenson's In the beginning was the command line. (1999, Avon Press)