This article examines the total quality management (TQM) concept as it is applied to higher education campus facilities. Each of the fundamental principles of TQM are examined as follows: customer-centered orientation; leadership; improved communication; continuous improvement; accountability; and quality of life. (GLR)

In a successful college marketing program, students and high-quality instruction are top priorities. Marketing research should investigate student needs and frustrations, the products offered, value received for time and money invested, physical convenience and appeal, and promotional strategies. Program research and development suggestions are…

Increasingly, higher education institutions are using Total Quality Management (TQM) as a vehicle for delivering cost-effective programs and services. The TQM philosophy is that quality can be improved by ceaselessly improving the processes that support the institution's mission. TQM is applicable to institutional research and planning as well as…

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)

The Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity at the University of Maryland has developed a methodology that enables the management team of an organization to define its critical performance dimensions. A set of metrics is offered to help colleges and universities assess whether quality management is improving their performance. (DB)

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)

An effort to enhance quality and efficiency at the University of Florida was designed to produce quick results without involving many employees and focused on the accounts payable department. Flowcharting identified inefficiencies and pinpointed opportunities for improvement in labor-intensive processes, mailings, check registers, reports,…

The most widely recognized quality management standard in the world, the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9000, is considered by some in higher education to have much potential for college administration. Its advantages include its focus on organizational infrastructure, adaptability, articulation of tangible requirements for…

A discussion of quality assurance in Portuguese universities looks at the environment of expanding enrollments and new laws concerning program quality. It is proposed that evaluation should be informative, exhaustive, and concise, and should involve cooperation between evaluators both internal and external to the institution. (MSE)

The University of Michigan sponsored a 2-day, institution-wide exposition of quality management efforts, which included 64 exhibits staffed by university employees. The underlying principles, planning stages, evidence that the expo was successful, lessons learned, plans for similar future efforts, and ways to obtain further information about this…

Principles for producing well-written college alumni newsletters include keeping reader needs foremost; obtaining strong material; monitoring overall quality and quality of details; devoting time to coming up with bright headlines; using varied formats; having a policy about coverage of subjects; and considering many means of self-evaluation. (MSE)

It is suggested that college administrators not let satisfaction with current operations develop into complacency. This includes setting ambitious objectives and providing the climate, resources, and incentives for people to meet high expectations, and requires a periodic critical examination of all operations. (MSE)

Presents a typology of quality-assurance systems for higher education and evaluates the alternatives. Argues that total quality management strategies are best suited to higher education's purpose because the model is internal to the delivery of the service, continuous, and process-oriented, but notes, however, that there are deep, often…

Total cost management, an innovation useful in higher education, is best implemented in the institution's support services. Total cost management is the practice of analyzing and improving an institution's financial and qualitative performance when producing a particular product or service, paying attention to the complete work process and all…

The need for information controls for college records management programs and the elements of program organization, planning, and management are discussed. Conditions at institutions that indicate a flaw in information control are identified, along with the benefits of a sound records management program. The management of an information and…