Total Quality Management is being implemented in American and British schools to improve educational outcomes. The 14 points of Deming's quality model and Porter's models of competition and drivers of cost provide a systematic, structured template to promote educational excellence and meet the demands of social, political, and economic forces.…

A University of Vienna (Austria) staff development program that emphasizes the professionalization of university teaching and management is described. The approach integrates personnel evaluation, quality assessment, and staff development, which is also linked to institutional mission and identity. A benefit of the staff development seminars has…

Describes quality models that community colleges have adopted to improve program effectiveness and customer service, focusing on the use of these models in career development. Discusses exemplary college programs that focus on quality, teamwork and participatory management, and service to students as their prime customers. (AJL)

Alongside increasing demand for faculty to do more teaching, research, and community service, there is increasing pressure to improve the quality of academic work. The relationship between quantity and quality of academic work is complex, and achieving higher quality requires that academics, administrators, and funding bodies have a better…

Critically examines Total Quality Management (TQM). Analyzes the concepts and practices of TQM and its failure to live up to expectations in higher education. Emphasizes the problems inherent with TQM initiatives in an educational environment and outlines ways that student affairs officials can proactively apply TQM to support universities'…

Written by a former McDonald's manager who earned a master's degree in library science, this article describes how "QSC"--quality, services, and cleanliness--can be applied to libraries in the same way it is used by restaurants. Argues that libraries are simply businesses that cater to customers. (Contains 42 references.) (NB)

Comparable scales to measure quality of early intervention services for infants and toddlers as perceived by parents and service providers were developed based on the Recommended Practices in Early Intervention. Scales were administered to 209 parents and 177 providers. Parents' perceptions of quality were related to family centeredness of…

Co-workers of three job trainees with mental retardation used coincidental training procedures while completing their own jobs. Coincidental training resulted in improved accuracy of salad-making skills, but skill acquisition was very slow; subsequently, a model and a quality-control check were added, resulting in higher performance levels. (JDD)

Describes the activities of the Health Sciences OCLC User Group, which was organized to establish a forum for communication; provide information about National Library of Medicine cataloging rules in OCLC; maintain close relations with the National Library of Medicine and the Medical Libraries Association; and represent its constituency to OCLC.…

In this issue, which examines the use of standards in school facility planning, the introduction points out that persons involved in educational building want to know what standards are to be used for planning, designing, and utilizing educational facilities. However, there is a lack of uniformity and even the absence of standards in some cases.…

Many colleges are expanding their traditional programs to promote exchange of students and faculty members and explore new arrangements with colleges abroad. Some observers say American institutions are moving too fast to meet demands for American-style education and do not adequately oversee operations overseas. (MSE)

Describes the unique reliability problems of very large databases that necessitate specialized techniques for hardware problem management. The discussion covers the use of controlled partial redundancy to improve reliability, issues in operating systems and database management systems design, and the impact of disk technology on very large…

One college faculty member's experiences in applying Deming management theory to his business courses to improve instruction are discussed. Key issues in the Deming philosophy are outlined, course changes based on them are described, and outcomes are examined. Suggestions are offered for overcoming institutional and ideological barriers. (MSE)

Describes development of NAEYC accreditation and offers a description of the process. Highlights the effects of accreditation and discusses its future. Notes that accreditation provides opportunities and motivation for valuable professional development, and that quality control is the greatest challenge faced by accreditation efforts. Notes…

A team of administrators, faculty, and students used the Total Quality Management approach to enhance weekend student life at Winthrop University (South Carolina). The process used and resulting recommendations, some of which have been implemented, are presented. The project is seen as contributing to freshman retention. (MSE)