The adoption of an information systems implementation strategy that emphasized user involvement at the University of Alaska, the only public university in the state, is discussed. The university sought to provide an online Student Information System (SIS) that provided convenient procedures for registering, tracking, and grading students, as well as accessing data to be analyzed for institutional research and planning. The diversity within the system, particularly academic policy and administrative procedures, required building a SIS that incorporated the varying needs of different campus users. Embracing the user perspective toward project management enhanced both the system design and campus commitment toward the development effort, established effective project team communication, and helped reduce the risk that non-data-processing tasks would end up on the project's critical time path and result in a delay in the implementation. Information is provided on the organizational structure for SIS development, the decision-making process, software and hardware selection, and the phases of SIS design and modification. (SW)