American Society for Engineering Education

The Journey to Improvement

Source: ASEE Prism, Vol. 3, No. 9 (May 1994), pp. 18-21
Published by: American Society for Engineering Education
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 Improve
Imp rovement Highlights of a report by the

Engineering Deans Council

Task Force on Quality Improve

ment in Engineering Education

"In the eyes of the task force,

n a December 1991 PRISM ar-TQM

TQMISisNOT
not A
a destination,
DESTINATION, butBUT
universities, has expanded
UNIVERSITIES, to 18
HAS EXPANDED TOcompa
18 COMPA

T ticle ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF

TICLE ON THE IMPLICATIONS
TOTAL
TOTAL QUALITY
QUALITY
OF A)OURNEy
RATHER TQIMPROVEMENT."
A JOURNEY TO

MANAGEMENT MADE A FIVE-YEAR

MANAGEMENT A FIVE-YEAR COMMITMENT
COMMITMENT TO TO NINE
NINE
NIES AND 35 INSTITUTIONS. In 1992, IBM
,MPROVEMENT... ™D 35 INSimmONS. In 1992, IBM
MADE

In a December 1991 PRISM ar

FOR
FOR EDUCATION,
EDUCATION, JOHNDEFINITION:
JOHN PRADOS, PRADOS, Who is our customer?
DEFINITION: WHOINSTITUTIONS
IS OURTOCUSTOMER?
ENCOURAGE INTEGRATION
INSTITUTIONS TO

THEN-PRESIDENT
THEN-PRESIDENT OF ABET,
OF ABET, What OUR
TOLD OUR
TOLD is quality
WHAT in education?
IS QUALITY As John
OFIN
TOTAL QUALITY IN CURRICULA
EDUCATION? AS JOHN AND
OFRE
TOTAL Q

WRITER
WRITER THAT THAT THOUGH
THOUGH MANY MANY
ENGINEERING McLaughlin,
ENGINEERINGassociate dean at Purdue,
MCLAUGHLIN, SEARCH.
ASSOCIATE DEAN AT PURDUE, SEARCH.

PROGRAMS
PROGRAMS TEACH
TEACH THE PRECEPTS THE told PRISM,
PRECEPTS
OF TOTAL OF"When
TOTALyou talk
TOLD PRISM, And
to facul early YOU
"WHEN in 1993, ASEE's
TALK TO Engineer
FACUL- AND E

QUALITY
QUALITY TO TO THEIR
THEIR STUDENTS,
STUDENTS, ty TO
HOPING about quality,
HOPING TO theTY
response
ABOUT one fre ing Deans
QUALITY, THECouncil appointedONE
RESPONSE a task
FRE- ING DEAN

PREPARE
PREPARE GRADUATES
GRADUATES FOR IN
FOR IN AN INCREASING quently
AN HEARS IS, 'I've
INCREASING- been doing
QUENTLY that
FORCE,
HEARS IS, CHAIRED BY DEAN
'I'VE BEEN DOINGJOHN BOLLINGER
THAT FORCE, CH

LY
LY QUALITY-MINDED
QUALITY-MINDED CORPORATE ENVIRON CORPORATE
ALL MY LIFE.' " of theMY
ENVIRON- ALL University
LIFE.'of Wisconsin-Madi
" OF THE UNIVERSI

MENT,
MENT, ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING How much
EDUCATION,EDUCATION,
FOR THE FOR has
THEchanged
HOW since then? HAS
MUCH son, CHANGED
to explore and report
SINCE onTHEN?
the need SON, TO EXP

MOST
MOST PART,
PART, HAD YET HAD YETWHAT
TO PRACTICE TO IT TQM'S POSSIBLE
PRACTICE WHAT ROADMAPS
IT TQM'STHROUGH
FOR A QUALITY
POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT
ROADMAPS MOVEMENTFOR A QUA
THROUGH

PREACHED.
PREACHED. PRADOS, ENGINEER ACADEME
CHEMICALCHEMICAL
PRADOS, HAVE BEEN CHARTED
ENGINEER- ACADEME HAVEINBEEN
BY SEVERAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION,
CHARTED BY AS WELL AS TOIN ENGINEE
SEVERAL

ING
INGPROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR AT THE OF UNIVERSITY
TEN GROUPS, INCLUDING
OF TEN- THE RECOMMEND
NATIONAL
GROUPS, SCI
INCLUDING ACTION.
THECOMPLETED LAST SCI- RECOMM
NATIONAL

NESSEE,
NESSEE, SAID,SAID,
"I DON'T
"ITHINK
DON'T IS ENCETQM
TQMTHINK Foundation, whose FOUNDATION,
IS ENCE task force YEAR, THE REPORT WENT
WHOSE TASK FURTHER,
FORCE SHOW
YEAR, THE

GOINGTO
GOING TOACCOMPLISH
ACCOMPLISH MUCH
MUCH IN ENGINEER-
IN ENGINEER TOOK
TOOK ONON THE
THE CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE OFOF INGHOW
DEFINING ING
DEFINING HOWFACULTY
FACULTY AND
AND ADMINISTRATORS
ADMINISTRATORS

UNLESS WE
ING UNLESS WE PRACTICE
PRACTICE IT,
IT, TOO." QUALITY
TOO." TRANS
TRANS- IN EDUCATION
QUALITY (SEE BOX,
IN EDUCAHON CAN
PAGE
(SEE BOX, BEGIN
21).THE
PAGE 21).PROCESS OF IMPROVING
CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF IMPROV

LATING TQM
TQM FOR
FOR USE
USE ON
ON CAMPUS The
CAMPUS HAS
HAS INTQM
IN- University
THE TQM Challenge,
UNIVERSITY begun
QUALITY.
CHALLENGE, Here
BEGUN ARE HIGHLIGHTS
QUALITY. OF THE RE
HERE ARE HIGHLIGHTS OF T

EVITABLYRUN
EVITABLY RUN INTO
INTO QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS OF IN IN
OF 19911991
WITHWITH
FIVE COMPANIES
FIVE COMPANIES PORT'S
AND EIGHT AND FINDINGS
EIGHT AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
PORT'S FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDA

ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW DALY May 1994 • ASEE PRISM 19

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 interact in a variety of ways with and match and even surpass them at it." Not
Theon
ontime
time is
is right,
Quality
Quality right, the
the EDC
Improvement
Improvement EDC Task
Task
states
states Force
Force
in
in its interact
within
its within ina atypical
a typical variety of ways with
engineering
engineering college." and
thatmatch
college."
ing ingand
thateven
benchmarking surpass
need them
not involve
benchmarking at it."
need not Not
involve
"for engineering
report, "for engineering educators
educatorstotoStakeholders may be bothmay
Stakeholders suppliers
be both(e.g.,suppliers
ranking, the report
(e.g., says, the
ranking, "In fact,
reportranking
says, "In fact, ranking
provide national
provide nationalleadership
leadershipininhigher
higher eded- high schools) and receivers
high schools) (e.g., students
and receivers is students
(e.g., is not benchmarking.
not benchmarking. Ranking is the reRanking is the re
ucation by embracing
ucation by embracingquality
qualityand
andcontin and employers).
contin- and employers). Among
Among internal internal
stake- stakesult
suit of outside of outside
organizations organizations compiling
compiling
uous improvement
uous improvementprinciples
principlesininour
ourcur holders
cur- holders are non-engineering
are non-engineering faculty whofaculty
data theywhobelieve is relevant.
data they It may
believe bear
is relevant. It may bear
riculaand
ricula andininourour operations.
operations. We must teach
We must engineering
teach engineering students.
students. little resemblance to what
little will really
resemblance mat will really mat
to what
take action
take actiontotofocus
focus
on on
ourour stakeholders, As for As
stakeholders, benchmarking, the deans'the
for benchmarking, taskdeans'
ter intask
an individual's personal education
ter in an individual's personal education
embrace strategic
embrace strategicplanning, facilitate force force
planning,facilitate concluded
concluded there there
is more is more to italthan
to it than al experience.
experience. Academic institutions
Academic institutions
peer interaction
interaction and
and benchmarking,
benchmarking,eses- taking published
taking published
data and making
data and
com-making
could benefit
com by establishing
could benefitbenchmark
by establishing benchmark
tablish meaningful
tablish meaningfulcriteria
criteriafor
for effective- parisons.
effective Their report
parisons. Their quotes
report thequotes
interna-
theing networks."
interna ing networks."
ness,and
ness, andsetsetdemanding
demanding goalsgoals
for the tional
forenthe en- tional Benchmarking
Benchmarking Clearinghouse's
Clearinghouse's What aspectsWhat
of performance
aspects of can en
performance can en
gineering
gineering profession." suggestion that
profession." its essence
suggestion that is
its"the practice
essence is "the gineering schoolsschools
practice gineering measure over over
measure timetime
and and
Isititnecessary
Is necessary to create
to create an awardanto award to ofof being
being humble
humble enough
enough to admit
to admit thatthat compare
compare withwithotherother institutions?
institutions? The The
motivate
motivate colleges
colleges
to improve,
to improve, along the someone else is better
along the better atat something
something and andtask
task force
force proposes
proposesseveral
severalindicators
indicatorsof
of
lines
linesofof industry's
industry'sBaldrige Award?Award?
Baldrige The The being
being wise
wise enough
enoughto totry
trytotolearn
learnhow quality
howtoto in in
quality students,
students,faculty,
faculty,andand
overall
overall
task
task forceforce didn't
didn't think think
so, saying, "We so, saying, "We programs, which are which
programs, shown are at the
shown at bot
the bot
do not believe that awards should drive
do not believe that awards should drive F~^B|gpS|S&I torn of the page. tom of the page.
change
change in education.
in education. Rather,
Rather, people with people with k' "Clearly," the "Clearly," report the warns,
report "some of of
warns, "some
aacommitment
commitment to excellence and a desire
to excellence and a desire these measures thesemust
measuresbe must
quantified caucau
be quantified
tododo
to what
what is right,
is right, within the within the constraints ... v tiously and with
constraints tiouslyattention to thetocharac
and with attention the charac
of available resources, should create teristics of different types of institutions.
of available resources, should create j Jjj teristics of different types of institut
change,
change, particularly
particularly in engineering
in engineering edu edu- ; Some are useful
Someforare comparisons among
useful for comparisons among
cation. ... In the eyes of the task force, Ifagtt' Hi! similar institutions; applic
cation. ... In the eyes of the task force, similar institutions; others may be others may
TQM
TQM is not
is not a destination,
a destination, but rather abut rather a able only within one
able onlyinstitution, but ex
within one institution, but ex
journey
journey to improvement." , . jL-, T.. tending over atending
to improvement." period over of time."
a period of time."
Looking at the perennial question of
who
who is the iscustomer
the customer
of engineering edu of engineering edu- jL'ii T? or educators who have ye
cation,
cation, the task theforcetask force
preferred the conpreferred the con- _R0h9H ForTQM
educators
their who
to TQM havetheir
to
operations, yet
whattois apply
operations,
the
cept
cept of of stakeholders,
stakeholders, who
who can vary can vary wide- best way to get
wide beststarted? First,
way to get started? says
First, the
says the
lydepending
ly depending on a college's
on a college's mission, mission, task force, comes a strategic
task force, plan
comes a strategic plan and
and
goals,
goals, strategies,
strategies, and tactics.
and tactics. "The stake "The
stake- 4r"? goals. Once goals aregoals
goals. Once set,are "the processes
set, "the processes
holder
holder concept,"
concept," says
says the the
report, report, "em- involved in each
"em component
involved of the
in each component of the orga
orga
phasizes
phasizes thethe interdependence
interdependence among among * "f^..g.3 nization may be assessed
nization bybyapplying
may be assessed applying
those
those individuals
individuals and organizations
and organizations that that TQM principles." An example:
TQM principles." An example:

Indicators
Indicatorsof Student
of Student
Quality Indicators
Quality of Faculty
Indicators
Quality Indicators
of Faculty
of Overall
Quality
Quality Indicators of Ov
Qualifications
Qualifications and diversity
and diversity
of entering Recruitment
of entering
and retention
Recruitment
success; diversity
and The
retention
use of strategic
success;
planningdiversity
processes The use of strategic pl
students
students Amount
Amount
of non-academic
of non-academic
engineering External
engineering
engagements: K-12,
External
industry,
engagements: K-12
Rate of retention to graduation experience community, profession
Time to complete degree Teaching quality, productivity, innovation Proportion of interdisc
Fraction engaging in practical training— Effectiveness of student advising Rate of temporary e
of with
e g" co"°P or internships Publications and other dissemination of with industT
indust^ and
and g
Fraction engaging in undergraduate knowledge Level of and trends in institutional support
independent study or research Institutional, professional, and public service Diversity of external financial
Fraction participating in education abroad Successful collaborations and mentoring Demand for institutional efforts
Employment patterns and salaries after Acquisition of resources for students and ^uir,es'etc;)
^uiries'etc;)
graduation research Character of internal and external review
Graduate school admissions and fellowships Contributions to continuing education Proce
Press
Student satisfaction and employer satisfaction |ntema|
|mema| and
and extema|
externa|honors
honorsand
andawards
awardsUmn
Um
Stature in the profession and in society
Faculty career satisfaction

Networking

20 ASEE PRISM • May 1994

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 Engineeringeducators
■ Engineering educators should
should look
look
Giving
GivingMeaning
Meaningto to
Quality
Quality afresh
afresh at
attheir
theircurricula,
curricula,integrate
integrate
effective
effective
quality
quality principles,
principles,teamwork
teamwork
experi
experi
innovators, decision-makers, and lead ences,
ences, hands-on
hands-onopportunities,
opportunities, andandquali
quali
With
With sosomany
does
doesmany pursuing
quality
quality pursuing
mean
mean it,engineering
in what
it, what innovators,
in engineering ersinin
ers thethe decision-makers,
global
global economy
economy ofand
of the thestlead
21 21st ty ty assessment
assessmenttools toolsinto
into curricular
curricular concon
education?
education? TheThe National
National Science
ScienceFoun-
Foun century.
century. Quality
Quality engineering
engineering education tent,
education tent, and
and avoid
avoidterminology
terminology conflicts
conflictsthatthat
dation's task force on TQM tackled the demands
dation's task force on TQM tackled demands aaprocess
the process ofof continuous
continuous im im detract
detract from
from productive
productive improvement.
improvement.
definition
definition and and came
came up up with
with this:
this: provement
provement of and dramatic
of and dramatic innovation
innovation
Quality
Qualityengineering
engineering education inin
is the is
education student,
student,
the employer,
employer, andand satissatis ■ ASEE
societal
societal ASEE should
shouldencourage
encourage ABET's
ABET's Engi
Engi
development
development of intellectual skills and
of intellectual faction,
skills andby systematically
faction, by systematically and collectively neering
and collectively neering Accreditation
AccreditationCommission
Commission to to
re re
knowledge
knowledge thatthat
will will
equipequip
graduates
graduates
to evaluating
to and and
evaluating refining the system,
refining prac prac focus
the system, focus accreditation
accreditationguidelines
guidelines to to
address
address
contribute
contribute to to
society
society
through through
produc-produc tices,
tices, andand culture
culture of engineering
of engineering educaeduca the the processes
processesincorporated
incorporated in in
a program,
a program,
tive
tiveand
andsatisfying
satisfying engineering
engineering careers tion as
as tion
careers institutions.
institutions. the
the use
use ofofstrategic
strategicplanning,
planning, andand
thetheef ef
fectiveness
fectivenessof ofstrategic
strategicplans,
plans,as as
reflected
reflected
by
by appropriate
appropriateassessment
assessment metrics.
metrics. As As
"Consider
"Consider thetheprocess
process of research progress
of research progress toward
toward instituted
instituted plans
plansshould sessment
shouldsessment of of institutional
institutional programs
programs
proposal
proposalpreparation
preparation and and
submission.
submission.
be be
incorporated
incorporated into internal
into internal andandexter-
exter should
should be be based
based ononthethe appropriateness
appropriateness
Faculty
Facultymay may feel
feel
thatthat
the processes
the processes nal
are nal are program
program reviews
reviews withwith meaningful
meaningful as- ofasa of a mission
mission and and
howhowwellwell
thatthat mission
mission is is
impeded
impededbyby bureaucratic
bureaucratic ineptitude,
ineptitude, sessment
sessment metricsused
metrics usedininthe
theevaluation carried out.
evaluation carried out.
whereas
whereasadministrators
administratorsfeel thethe
feel faculty process.
faculty
process.
cause
cause serious
serious delays delays
and errorsand errors as a result The following
as a result served served
The following on the EDC
on the EDC
of
ofignorance
ignorance and and
sometimes
sometimeseven arro ■ Engineering
even arro- ■ deans should promotedeans
Engineering the Taskshould
Force onpromote
Engineeringthe Task Force on En
Education,
gance.
gance.One One would presume
would presumethat the
that use
goal of goal
the TQM principles
use of TQMand tools in oper chaired
principles and tools
by JohninBollinger
oper- ofPaired by John Bollin
the Univer
for this
this vital
vital process
processisistotoproduce
produce high engineering
ating
high ating engineering educational
educational enterprises, enterprises, ■. /w;. ,, , u . D ,
I,-,? . , . . . sity of Wisconsin-Madison: Feter Banks,
sity of Wisconsin-Madison: Peter Banks,
qualityproposals
quality proposalswith with a high
a high probability
implementing
probability implementing continuous improvement TT. .„ ,, ,
continuous improvement
? . ■ i r i • j - -u University of Michigan; Martin
University Becker,
of Michigan; Martin Becker,
torsuccess
for successin ain a timely
timely fashion.fashion. programs
programs in administrative
in administrative activities that ' ' °
activities that
University of Miami; Michael Carroll,
"One would
"One wouldfirst
firstidentify
identify those
those in in- affect
directly directly affect
students students and faculty. University of Miami; Michael C
and faculty.
volved in the process. These are the Rlce University; David Hodges, Univer
volved in the process. These are the Rice University; David Hodges, Univer
stakeholdersand
stakeholders and should
should provide
provide the the
■■ Engineering deansshould
Engineering deans should take
take the the sity sity
lead lead of California at Berkeley;
of California TrentTrent
at Berkeley;
population
populationfor
fora astudy
studygroup. The
group. group
The in
inacquiring
group acquiring the
the tools
tools and
and skills associat-Montgomery,
skills associat Montgomery, Southern
Southern University; John
University; John
shouldidentify
should identify many
many of of
thethe actual
actual ed with
ed with TQM
TQM practices
practicesandandestablish
establish anan Owen,
Owen, Oregon
Oregon State
State University;
University; George
George
processesinvolved.
processes involved. It would
It would establish
establish in-house process
in-house process of
of training
trainingtrainers
trainers who
who Pincus,
Pincus, NewNew Jersey
Jersey Institute
Institute of Technol
of Technol
metrics for measuring performance can
at motivate and propagate
metrics for measuring performance at can motivate and propagate improved improved Qgy.
ogy; Robert
Robert Ritchie,
Ritchie, Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
variousstages
various stages as well
as well as benchmarks
as benchmarks process for
for process
in their in their organizations. r. r, c , c +] r, c +
organizations.
. b . , , , 1 b Company; Duane Sander, Company; South Dakota
Duane Sander, South Dakota
comparison
comparison with processes elsewhere. • ,
with processes elsewhere.
, , t- • • j i i j i • l State University; Stuart State University; Stuart Walesh,
Walesb, ValVal
bum a systematic
"Such systematic approach
approach totoana
ana- ■ Engineering
■ Engineering deanswork
deans should should
withwork with J
lyzing a troublesome
troublesome area area should
should pro
pro-
facultyfaculty and administrators
and administrators to develop toa paraiso University; William Walker,
develop a paraiso University; William Walker
duce remarkable
duce remarkableimprovements.
improvements.The The thorough
thorough understanding
understanding ofinstitu
of their Auburn
their institu- University,
Auburn James Wei, Prince
University, James Wei, Princ
gains realized could themselves be im- tions' constituents and desirable stake ton University; Herbert
im tions' constituents and desirable stake- ton University; Herbert Woodson, Uni Woodson, Un
proved
proved upon
upon so long
so long as the as thecontin
group group contin-
holder relations. holder relations. versify
versity of
of Texas at Texas
Austin. at Austin.
ues to monitor,
monitor, benchmark,
benchmark, andand measure
measure
performance of of the
the process."
process." The
The report
report
points out that training
training both
both faculty
faculty and
and A Simple Tool
administrative staff in continuous im
ferent from the principles taught in feed
provement techniques is essential.
TQM's
TQM's
deans'
deans' tools,
tools,
tasksays says
the
force,
task force, thehelpful
helpful
are engineering
are engineering
in solv-ferentfrom
back control
in solv the principles
back theory."
control theory."
One taught
One
such cycle, in feed
re such cycle, re
ing
inga awide
widerange of engineering
range ferred
and ferred
of engineering and to asDo,
to as Plan, Plan, Do,Act
Check, Check, Act
Whatmic
arecommunity?
the next steps human-relations
human-relations problems. "The underly-
problems. (PDCA),
(PDCA),
"The underly is basedisonbased on teams
teams getting to getting to
Amongfor
thethe
taskacade
force's recommendations: ing
ingtheme
themeis empowerment to implement
is empowerment gether
gether in
to implement in order to
order to
data-based
data-based decision-making,
decision-making,
employingemploying
■ Study the currentthe
■ Study situation
current situation
feedback-gathering
feedback-gathering and and
graphic displaydisplay
graphic ■ Identify
■ vital problems
Identify vital problems
■ Every engineering education program
should have an institution-specific mis
The
Thereasoning
reasoning power associated
power with ■ Act
associated withon■ problems
Act on problems
sion statement. these
thesemethods
methods can strengthen problem-problem
can strengthen ■ Monitor progress. progress.
■ Monitor
solving
solving in in
student, faculty,
student, and administra-
faculty, The
The report
and administra report
says, says, thought
"This simple "This simple thought
tive groups. TQM planning cycles used process
by can be very effectively
tive groups. TQM planning cycles used by process can be very effectively applied to applied to
■ Every engineering education program
management
management consultants
consultants are not are generating
notgenerating
too dif- too dif improvement."
improvement."
should be driven by a periodically re
viewed strategic planning process, and

May
May1994
1994
• ASEE
• ASEE
PRISMPRISM
21 21

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