Higher education is undergoing great changes that require universities to adapt quickly, and making these changes can be difficult. One discipline that can aid in executing change is project management, which has developed a set of clear processes and strategies for completing initiatives quickly and effectively. Several authors have identified…

This paper reviews school inspection systems in small states and territories (SSTs), indicating tensions, challenges and sensitivities that relate to their small size. A qualitative case study is presented of the new school inspection system in Macau, a post-colonial, small territory facing issues experienced in other SSTs. Macau's inspection…

Purpose: This paper aims to show the process of designing and measuring learning competencies in program development. Design/methodology/approach: The paper includes cross-sectoral comparisons to draw on programmatic and pedagogical strategies, more commonly utilized in vocational education, and transfer the application of these strategies into…

At Samford University (Alabama), Total Quality Management methods and tools were used to reorganize the library. The professional librarians formed the quality team. Focus on customer needs and restructuring of staffing and organizational processes have resulted in both quantifiable and less tangible improvements in service and environment. (MSE)

Hoshin, or breakthrough, planning is the Total Quality Management method of integrating strategic planning into the daily work of organizational units. Delaware County (Pennsylvania) Community College's adaptation of the process and its use in daily management are described and presented in the form of a flow chart. (MSE)

At Samford University (Alabama), Total Quality Management principles were used effectively to revitalize an ailing nursing education program, through systematic evaluation of teaching, advising, and admissions processes. Faculty, staff, and student involvement and commitment to the quality assessment process were key factors in success. (MSE)

This manual is intended to assist managers of support units at institutions of higher education in the implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). The purpose is to describe a cooperative model for CQI which will permit managers to evaluate the quality of their units and institution, and by using the described tools and techniques, to…

This guide draws on case studies to identify lessons for small and midsized firms who wish to improve the quality of their services and facilitate change. Following an introduction, section 2 describes the context in which the research was undertaken after a needs analysis was conducted of small and midsized businesses and service providers, and…

Assuring the quality of education provision is a fundamental aspect of gaining and maintaining credibility for programmes, institutions and national systems of higher education worldwide. Despite a long and generally successful track record, open and distance learning (ODL) is still required to prove that the quality of student learning is at…

This manual presents 15 Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) tools and techniques necessary for effective teaching. By using the tools and techniques of CQI, teachers will be able to help themselves and their students to focus on the classroom processes. This will permit the teacher and students to plan, organize, implement, and make decisions…

At Fox Valley Technical College (Wisconsin), application of Total Quality Management (TQM) brought positive outcomes and other effects. Areas in which TQM was used are considered, including admissions, employee safety, customer focus, policy formation, management performance appraisal, student services, creation of a self-managing class, TQM for…

Both of these "Surveys of policy and practice" were conducted on behalf of COL by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) as part of COL's partnership agreement with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning. The first report identifies…

The prospects for managing the tension between accountability and improvement in further and higher education (FHE) were examined through a literature review and a 5-year ethnographic study of a change management project at a higher education college in Wales. Special attention was paid to the following challenges facing FHE: globalization; the…

This guide explains how staff at further education (FE) colleges throughout England and Wales can engage in the Learning Gateway, which is a program featuring personal advisers, "front end" assessment and support, and life skills training to help disengaged 16- and 17-year-olds re-engage in education, training, and employment. Chapter 1…

The factors responsible for the atypical success experienced by some English further education (FE) colleges were examined through case studies of eight FE colleges that have managed to extend their high-quality vocational education and training (VET) provision in recent years. The 8 colleges were selected from only 56 identified as having…