This article investigates the take-up by universities of enterprise-wideudcomputer systems and the development of a new module for the management andudadministration of students. Having its origins in Electronic Commerce, the system assumesudthe existence of a certain kind of user, one with particular roles and responsibilities – audself-service user. The notion of ‘self-service’ is deployed as an integral part of the systemudrollout where students are to view, input and modify administrative and financialudinformation on themselves and their courses. Drawing from the sociology of science andudtechnology, and material from a three-year ethnographic study, we describe the system’sudimplementation in a British university. While accepting of the need for an ERP system theudcampus community reject self-service. However, as we will show, because CampusudManagement is a ‘global product’ unwanted functionality can be difficult to resist outrightudand this can have important implications for the autonomy of the university and theudreshaping of fundamental principles and relationships.
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