Online learning environments (OLEs) are complex information technology (IT) systems that intersect with many areas of university organisation. Distributed models of leadership have been proposed as appropriate for the good governance of OLEs. Based on theoretical and empirical research, a group of Australian universities proposed a framework for…

A diverse society has created a diverse education system, which in turn requires diverse and complex mechanisms of quality control. The diversity and complexity of the industrial, service, and knowledge-based economy, with its vast variety of occupations and dynamic labor markets, heavily influences the curricular structures and academic profiles…

Purpose: This study aims to present a general conceptual framework which can be used to evaluate quality and institutional performance in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The quality of higher education is at the heart of the setting up of the European Higher Education Area. Strategic management is widely used in higher education…

A study of the use of performance indicators in assessing the quality of higher education investigated the potential contribution to quality control of 17 indicators. It is concluded that of the 17, only 7 have high or medium impact, while 10 have low to marginal impact. Concerns regarding government use of performance indicators intended for…

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)

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)

Interviews with 32 presidents of diverse colleges and universities revealed three basic views of quality: meritocratic, social, and individualistic. It is proposed that these three views correspond to different dimensions of quality and that, to achieve quality in one dimension, institutions may have to make trade-offs in the others. (MSE)

A college's administrative services and support units must give attention to improving quality and service just as instructional units do. Greater efficiency and productivity among noninstructional units can have a significant impact on institutional feasibility. Cost reduction is most effective when there is a common understanding of core…

A discussion of external evaluation of a college or university program or unit looks at two different approaches used in the United States for accreditation purposes--standards of good practice and competency-based learning and review. Methods of maintaining consistency and eliminating bias are examined briefly. (MSE)

A recently implemented program of institutional evaluation in Spanish universities, designed with the intention of improving the quality of teaching, research, and administration, is discussed. Objectives and mechanisms for assessment in each of these areas are detailed. (MSE)

System-wide assessment in higher education can be influenced by political issues, which are in turn preoccupied with market forces and technological development. This generates a climate inimical to ethical quality and conflicts with academic work. If academic work is to make its best contribution to society, administration must move beyond…

The quality assessment process for Australian universities is examined, including its impact on quality improvement, whether judging quality at the institutional level is too coarse a measure to give accurate results, some alternatives, and whether the whole institution approach may lead to greater external interference in institutional affairs.…

Examines the results of Mexico's quality-oriented higher-education policies, in place since 1984 and designed to encourage improved faculty performance through economic incentives. The policies were enhanced further in the mid-1990s by establishing medium-term improvement strategies and using external evaluators and international experience to…

Explores the idea of quality, what it means to educators (student affairs professionals in particular), and the role assessment plays in measuring quality. Examines how assessment is used within Total Quality Management to measure quality from a customer perspective; compares such assessments to traditional evaluative methods. (RJM)

Protocols for evaluating programs in Quebec universities are described. The evolution of the system is reviewed, and policies and procedures for assessing both new and existing programs, both internally and externally, are outlined. (MSE)