Describes features of the Western Library Network's database, including the database structure, authority control, contents, quality control, and distribution methods. The discussion covers changes in distribution necessitated by increasing telecommunications costs and the development of optical data disk products. (CLB)

After raising tuition for a number of years, some states are trying to freeze or reduce public college tuition. These changes arise from concern about reduced enrollments and image, and it is hoped that legislatures will respond with increased appropriations. Some critics fear a compromise in educational quality. (MSE)

The phenomenal growth of distance-learning programs and the possibility of a virtual university have increased concerns about how to ensure that higher education programs delivered via telecommunications are of good quality. The Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications has formulated guidelines, presented here, for…

A consultation quality control model (CQCM) developed for an expert system (ES) integrated both ES performance measures and end-user judgment values. Simple decision theory concepts were used to design the CQCM. Results show end users belong to different categories characterized by utility functions and the weights they assign to ES consultation…

Kent State University (Ohio) has focused on developing an organizational culture that expects and promotes quality. A college finance division statement, distributed to division staff, identifies its values and beliefs and emphasizes a culture in which planning, empowerment, and continuous improvement are key elements. (MSE)

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.…

Educators' response to the quality assessment and assurance provisions in Estonia's proposed higher education reform law is discussed. It is argued that copying the ready-made standards of Western European countries is not realistic or appropriate. Institutionalized attitudes about vocational education are also examined. (Author/MSE)

Total Quality uses group methods to identify and collectively prevent or solve specific problems related to consumer satisfaction and quality issues in business. This article integrates social influencing strategies with developmental group processes for facilitating consumer satisfaction and problem-solving in total quality groups. A case study…

The quality of early childhood programs can be assessed from the top down, through the viewpoint of an adult observer, or the bottom up, through the viewpoint of a child in the program. Questions that can be asked from each perspective are listed. (LB)

The concept of risk-adjusted measures of quality is discussed, and a methodology is proposed for risk-adjusting and integrating multiple adverse outcomes of anesthesia services into measures for quality assurance and quality improvement programs. Although designed for a new anesthesiology database, the methods should apply to other health…

Reviews recent objections to Total Quality Management (TQM), suggesting that the reported implementation problems are a product of inadequate leadership rather than defects in the model. Indicates that compatibility between organizational culture and the tenets of TQM must exist to avoid such implementation problems. (27 citations). (MAB)

Reasons for differences in academic standards in new and established South African universities are attributed to a fragmented educational system, disparities in student enrollment and staffing, and lack of a culture of learning. Areas requiring attention before quality assurance can be implemented are identified, and recommendations are made.…

Discussion of Total Quality Management (TQM) highlights its history in business and industry, explains its use in higher education settings, and describes recent quality efforts in library services. Topics addressed include a history of quality; barriers to quality control; examples at Pennsylvania State University; and learning opportunities for…

It is argued that despite the current view of college teaching as a discrete set of skills, good teaching is more complex and involves understanding the specific contexts in which teaching occurs, and how teachers understand and communicate concepts to a changing student population. Portfolio-based peer assessment of college teachers is…

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education's accreditation standard requires that teacher education programs be based on essential knowledge. This article describes five attributes of a knowledge base for program design as a set of beliefs; an organizing theme; source documents; a program model; and program outcomes and evaluation…