A discussion of Australian higher education looks at the nature of quality and its assessment in higher education, particularly in the context of a new national committee on quality assurance. It examines the compatibility of quality management strategies with existing institutional decision-making and management processes. (MSE)

Movements toward quality assurance in Australian and U.S. higher education systems are compared and found largely similar. One element, oversight of the federal government in this process, is seen as the principal difference. A national quality assurance effort is in place in Australia, but not in the United States. (MSE)

This discussion of Australian student transfer into technical and further education institutions from previous institutions of higher education looks at the nature of this migration and the implications of reciprocity between sectors. Better provision of information to students, articulation for credit transfer, and research on student migration…

Challenges facing higher education in the United States in a period of increased interest in assessing the quality of education are discussed. In particular, the role of senior administrators and the role of shared (faculty/staff/administration) governance in this context are examined. (MSE)

The idea that different meanings of "quality" in higher education (meritocratic, social, and individualistic) may influence the assessments of college presidents of their institutions is explored. These three dimensions are combined in a model that allows a more complex view of institutional quality. (MSE)

It is argued that bringing the cultures of business, industry and advertising into higher education, in the form of quality assurance systems, goes beyond a healthy challenge to be destructive of many traditional values of university culture. Imposition, and acceptance, of the language of management reflects this phenomenon. (MSE)

Key characteristics of the administration of Australia's higher education system are outlined, and the current debate over quality assurance in higher education is discussed. Historical treatment of higher education quality in Australia, government initiatives since the mid-1980s, and reasons for the current emphasis on quality are outlined. (MSE)

Evolution of "quality" in higher education as an institutional concept is traced, and differences between approaches at the institutional and state levels are explored. Contrasting approaches in Florida and Illinois are examined, particularly in the case of Miami-Dade Community College (Florida). Contribution of the different approaches…

The commonly held idea that quality assessment in higher education must be consistent with academic values concerning self-regulation (e.g., autonomy, academic freedom) is questioned. A fundamental tension between quality assurance systems and professional, discipline-based standards is seen to preclude use of the former in the university as we…

Factors affecting concern about quality of higher education are examined in three contexts--the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. These factors include the economic climate, international competitiveness, public perceptions, and the role of government in determining the missions and activities of colleges and universities. (MSE)