Describes the Slovenian system of higher education and the country's new effort to establish an improved system. A draft plan for introducing a system of quality assurance into the relatively small existing system has been developed based on foreign experience, with attention to Slovenian national needs. Evaluation will be an integral part of the…

Provides comprehensive information about new developments in the field of educational quality evaluation in Europe. Focuses on the most important international documents adopted and signed by the European authorities responsible for higher education--the Sorbonne and the Bologna Declarations, and the Prague Communique. Analyzes follow-up…

Discusses the concepts of accountability and quality assessment in higher education. Topics include performance indicators in academic libraries, including international standards; factors affecting the reliability and validity of data, including consistency, ease versus utility, and values; and recommendations for research libraries. (LRW)

Examines attitudes of insecurity regarding the status of English language teaching as a profession. Touches on the tradition of graduates using English teaching as fall-back to writing a great novel and on English language teachers committed to high professional standards. Concludes that such standards are necessary for an international language…

Since 1987, the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry has established a system of committee responsibilities for quality assurance, involving the committees for clinical affairs, academic performance, safety and therapeutics, and a council composed largely of department chairs. Additional review of procedures and records management…

Current issues and the future of the database business are discussed in five papers. Topics covered include aspects relating to the quality of database production; international ownership in the U.S. information marketplace; an overview of pricing strategies in the electronic information industry; and pricing issues from the viewpoints of online…

Describes an expert system that can identify documents erroneously categorized by indexers working within a prior category scheme. The discussion covers the results of a test of the system and its implications for automatic indexing systems. (14 references) (CLB)

Over the past two years, the KEYS (Keys to Excellence in Your School) project research team, in concert with National Education Association (NEA) leaders, members, and advisors, has completed many important tasks in improving the quality of public education by disseminating information, lobbying for quality education, and refining the original…

Discusses conceptual frameworks for the designing process, including conclusion-oriented design and decision-oriented design; describes the systemic quality cube of design that incorporates process, product, efficiency, and effectiveness and considers total, global, and systemic quality; and discusses present applications, including computerized…

Presents a historical background of the quality assessment of higher education publications in the United Kingdom. Explores quality control in British library and information science journals by analyzing the editorial processes and interviewing journal editors. Findings show that although there is some subjectivity in their application, valid…

Describes Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques implemented at Waukesha County Technical College (Wisconsin). The CAUSES program focuses on customers, accountability, understanding, self-improvement, education, and searching. Describes application of TQM to the fixed-asset team project. Four figures are included. (LMI)

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)

Data from two surveys of manufacturers (325 of 650 responded) suggest that those with quality improvement programs jointly administered by labor and management achieve significantly greater improvements than those with no programs. Those with programs administered solely by management fared no better than those with no programs. (Author/SK)

Training must be preceded by a well-articulated quality strategy and must be designed to facilitate its implementation. Each phase of the training curriculum should build on the preceding phase so that people will have the knowledge and skills they need when they need them. (JOW)

Discusses indicator systems and the relationship among indicators, development, and accountability for strategic management of school system improvement. Explains a system of indicators developed to monitor the effectiveness of practice, highlighting these indicators' dual purpose (school development and quality management). Areas requiring most…