The article examines reasons for the decline in use of quality circles in higher education. A 1988 survey of eight universities and colleges using circles in 1986 found that because quality circle principles were violated, similar problems (such as inadequate training, problematic group membership, and exclusion of supervisors) were encountered at…

The process and criteria by which the Humanities and Social Sciences panel of the Australian Research Council evaluates research proposals are described and discussed. Peer review is the primary method of evaluation, and the primary criteria are the potential of a given proposal for significant conceptual advance and research/researcher quality.…

Advocates of participatory leadership, site-based management, and decentralization often assume that changing decision-making group composition will automatically improve the quality of decisions being made. Stakeholder satisfaction does not guarantee quality results. This article offers a framework for moving the decision-making discussion from…

Examines the overriding aims and purposes underlying the University of California's forms of governance and administration, viewed in terms of two broadly shared and mutually reinforcing principles: maximization of the university's autonomy and pursuit of its preeminence in every possible department, service, and activity. It is suggested that the…

Views academic libraries through the lens of the assessment and accountability movements. Illustrates how a research library at the University of Rochester (Rochester, New York) has created an assessment environment in an effort to focus on educational impact. Discusses principles of good practice, and formal and informal evaluation. (AEF)

An instrument for measuring service quality was developed in Singapore's polytechnic libraries, based on previous work done in New Zealand. Focus groups of academic librarians reported on their understanding of service quality. Contrasts between the two instruments are examined. The time lapse between the projects accounts for some variation. A…

Describes the model used to assess the cost and quality of student computing at Indiana University, Bloomington, and its application in a recent assessment. Three families of measures (quality, cost, value) are used to assess the performance of the campus system. (MSE)

Created in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization, in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO 9000 is attempting to develop a world standard to help companies and other institutions measure and monitor their quality-control efforts. This article describes four school districts' successful efforts to secure ISO 9000 certification. (MLH)

Discusses evidence from the British Universities Council for the Education of Teachers to the House of Commons Select Committee concerning methods of preservice teacher education evaluation by the Office for Standards in Education, explaining that the evidence represents a significant critique of the impact of recent teacher education reforms. A…

Assesses the perceptions of chief student services officers from 172 public two-year colleges regarding student services provided in 1994. Indicates that both large and small colleges reported the quality of their services as average to slightly above average, an improvement over perceptions reported in the 1965 Carnegie Foundation study. Contains…

Explains why the Internet is not replacing libraries. Highlights include the lack of substantive material that is available; problems with finding what is there; the lack of quality control; physical difficulties with reading electronic texts; high costs of digitizing; and lack of access to older material. (LRW)

Quality assurance in higher education is in the interest of all concerned. Universities must formulate objectives and goals, but attainment of them requires external assessment and cooperation of all parties. Assessment must be based on clear and attainable expectations, aim at improvement, provide insight into quality, contribute to institutional…

Presents a historical explanation of Hong Kong's expanding higher education sector. Describes quality assurance mechanisms deployed by the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong to review and assess its own development, the degree programs it offers, and the courses in each degree program. (Author/JMV)

Uses a fable to make the point that professors in the academy must fashion the terms of the discourse about accountability and assessment so as to demonstrate that education is not entirely measurable by an increase in the tax base. Suggests that educators should work to shape surveys and other material to reflect the broader goals of an…

The Dutch quality improvement model in higher education has successfully maintained the delicate balance between internal improvement and external accountability, but the faculty's clear ownership of the system (as contrasted with government ownership in some nations) has made continuous quality improvement a dominant feature of the current Dutch…