An approach to quality in college instruction at a French technical institute, based on the industrial model of quality assurance, is outlined, and four separate initiatives are described. They include a group organized to implement the approach in a civil engineering department, undergraduate curriculum reform, redefinition of objectives in…

Changes in values and practices in Mexican higher education in the 1990s are examined, including economic recovery from the 1980s, new funding mechanisms, curriculum development, increased support for research and graduate study, and institutional restructuring. The trend is viewed as moving away from the social welfare model of higher education…

Reports on the results of a survey of 87 library and information science journal editors that investigated manuscript review processes, acceptance rates, and availability of instructions to authors. Topics include the proliferation of journals; assessing the quality of journals; and implications for faculty promotion and tenure decisions. (LRW)

Presents proceedings from a conference cosponsored by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing and the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations. Twenty-four professionals developed goals to provide direction for the profession, identifying internal and external actions to move health education into a significant role…

The challenge of containing health-care costs continues despite a break from cost increases. Most experts would advise school employees to replace existing health plans with a triple-choice HMO plan using $10 copayments. Armed with quality data and a choice-based plan design, school business officials can improve their chances for long-term cost…

Explores the key benefits and costs of implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) in student affairs. Discusses the experiences of early innovators and uses specific criteria to analyze TQM. Outlines effects on financial aid, costs, goal achievement, time and resource commitment, long-term focus, leaders as models, and clarity of mission. (RJM)

Explores the idea of quality, what it means to educators (student affairs professionals in particular), and the role assessment plays in measuring quality. Examines how assessment is used within Total Quality Management to measure quality from a customer perspective; compares such assessments to traditional evaluative methods. (RJM)

Presents a framework for judging educational technology programs that was developed for the Department of Education by the Expert Panel on Educational Technology. Highlights include clearly articulated goals; developing learning and thinking skills; equity for educational excellence; promoting organizational change; measurable evidence of…

Discussion of technological developments in library reference services focuses on contributions of the H. W. Wilson Company and highlights CD-ROM technology. Topics discussed include online access; menu-driven systems; CD-ROM hardware and software concerns; user response to CD-ROM; quality control of databases; pricing considerations; and future…

A model of quality assessment for higher education that incorporates both accountability (representing extrinsic values) and peer-review/collegiality (reflecting intrinsic values) is outlined. It is presented in both a historical context and the context of experiences with quality assessment in North America and Western Europe. (Author/MSE)

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is a controversial management award program seen variously as a catalyst for organizational transformation and as a destructive influence. The core values of the program, award criteria, concerns about its impact, and implications for education are examined. (MSE)

Three models for college and university decision-making about scarce resources are outlined: (1) shared governance, (2) corporate management, and (3) total quality management. Two underlying principles of all the models are, first, that faculty are the heart of the institution and, second, that successful institutions are governed through the…

Protocols for evaluating programs in Quebec universities are described. The evolution of the system is reviewed, and policies and procedures for assessing both new and existing programs, both internally and externally, are outlined. (MSE)

An explanation of the periodic evaluation of Laval University (Canada) programs begins with an outline of the university's organizational structure and administrative bodies. The justification, objectives, and scope of the evaluation policy are then described, and some benefits and problems are discussed. (MSE)

First, the role of the association of universities in the Netherlands in external institutional evaluation is examined. Then, three basic tenets of program assessment are discussed: (1) university programs must be of academic quality; (2) program content must not be too compressed; and (3) programs should be challenging for students. (MSE)