Prior to the opening of the academic year, a student obtains a catalog, which describes the courses a university is to offer that year and contains some general rules and regulations as well as informational material. The rules and regulations bind the student. What obligates the university?

Up to now, one would normally look in vain to answer that question—if, indeed, the question ever occurred to a student. The University of Haifa is about to change the unilateral nature of the university-student “contractual” relationship. Beginning this Fall, it will offer all students a revolutionary service contact spelling out the various services that each student can expect to receive from the Students Administration, the time it will take for the student to receive the service, and the quality of service that “the student has a right to obtain.”

Kellerman also announced that the University has completed transition to the year 2000 so far as in-house work is concerned (e.g., Human Resources Unit). The year 2000 computer problem has scared large and small companies and institutions around the world. The University began work on it almost four years ago. Employing the Sapiens computer software firm, it tackled the specific requirements presented by each unit to find appropriate solutions. According to Uri Ehrlich, director of Management Information Systems at the University, the solutions involved much tedious work, but nothing revolutionary. “The problem is sexier than the solution,” he remarked.

The computerization of the University continues apace, and Kellerman reported that about 75 percent of the students would be able to use the University’s computerized registration system from their homes. The system is presently available to those in the 12 largest departments. He wants to add a search engine to the on-line catalog to make it easier for students to review requirements and prerequisites.

The Vice-President added that the Council for Higher Education’s Planning and Budgeting Committee, the governmental entity overseeing post-high school education in Israel, has notified the University that it will fund a video conferencing center here. This installation will enable a University of Haifa lecturer to teach students physically located elsewhere--whether, say, at Rambam Hospital (where students in the Dept. of Nursing train) at the other end of Haifa from the campus or even at another university—and yet able to participate directly. Similarly foreign lecturers would be able to interact with students on Mount Carmel.