Designed to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of effective teaching methods, ideas, and experiences of the the faculty at Broome Community College (BCC) in New York, the first volume of "Center Stage" includes the following articles: (1) "Teaching Resources Center Update"; (2) "Self-Reflectiveness in Teaching"; (3) "New Faculty…

The TAFE (Technical and Further Education) National Centre for Research and Development conducted a survey to determine industry needs for quality training in Australia. Interviews were conducted with managers in manufacturing and tourism/hospitality companies throughout Australia, especially with firms with a high reputation. Interview forms were…

Indicators are used in quite different ways in vocational education and training, from control and accountability to performance and quality purposes. A classification model has been proposed in which many indicators can fit. It is based on two important dimensions of indicators: (1) the "message" relating to the information content,…

This study examined the structure and function of student affairs research offices (SAROs) at American colleges and universities. A total of 35 SAROs completed questionnaires during 1995 in regard to their organization and its activities. Overall, the study found only a small number of SAROs in American colleges and universities, mainly at public…

This learning module/handbook explains the rationale behind school-based budgeting (SBB)--the transfer of authority and responsibility for allocating a portion of school operating funds from the central school district to individual schools--and suggests practical implementation strategies. According to part I, SBB comes in many forms. Each school…

The seven papers in this monograph focus on defining and assessing quality. The paper are: (1) "Reflections on Design Ideals" (E. Grady Bogue), which addresses some "governing ideals" of collegiate quality; (2) "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Investment and Quality in Higher Education" (Sven Groennings), which sees…

A college-level classroom assessment model that provides an alternative for assessing student competencies and can be adapted readily to different academic settings is presented. The procedures described help faculty assess the impact of their teaching on student mastery of course competencies while applying continuous quality improvement…

A Victoria University of Technology (Australia) project designed to harness the interdisciplinary and collegial culture of the institution to implement Total Quality Management principles is reported. The successful project stressed the value of culture binding through transformative processes in quality improvement. (Author/MSE)

Discusses issues for community college administrators related to Total Quality Management (TQM), transformational quality, and college leadership. Highlight's the author's application of TQM and college leadership literature. Describes initiatives developed at Illinois' Parkland College to provide better service to Parkland's community. (MAB)

Describes a program in California that funded school restructuring efforts. Highlights include creating a learning community; the role of principals; authentic accountability; quality indicators, including examples of hard logic and fuzzy logic; The Protocol, a total quality management (TQM) feedback tool; and how collaboration and TQM helped…

Academic libraries, pursuing excellence in their products and services, are a natural entity for total quality management (TQM). Basic TQM principles include making decisions based on objective data, respecting people and their ideas, empowering all library staff, focusing on the process, and doing the job correctly the first time, all to benefit…

A Deming expert explains that his 14 principles are no recipe but must be combined with the theory of profound knowledge, which poses essential questions and recognizes the importance of human variation, intrinsic motivation, and external rewards. She also debunks grading, formal teacher evaluation, tracking, and decentralized management. (MLH)

Deming's work emphasizes advantages of teamwork, investment in ongoing training for all employees to increase their value to the company, and insistence that research and employee-gathered data guide and inform every decision and improvement effort. The parallel between psychologist Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi's work and Deming's shows that Total…

A New York State school district opted to use total quality management techniques to improve the district's performance and gain public support. After defining four key measures and establishing standards of excellence for each, the district concerned itself with the first measure, proposing an affordable tax rate increase. The proposed budget was…

The arrival of the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach in higher education has brought both support and skepticism. Although consultants are busy selling tool-driven, seven-step workshops, it is not yet clear what the academic version of the approach will be or how it will evolve. (MSE)