Total Quality Management in Engineering Education EFTHIMIA STAIOU Department of Business Administration University of Macedonia Egnatia 156, P.O. Box 1591, 54006 Thessaloniki GREECE Abstract: - Higher education institutions have been facing challenges for some time and are expected to face more in the future. In the new environment that higher education has entered quality plays an increasingly important role. In the past decade, emphasis on quality improvement has been one of the most characteristic features of higher education in many countries. By now, Total Quality Management has been adopted by many universities and colleges in the higher education world. Engineering education colleges and universities have no alternative but to follow and take advantage of the anticipated benefits that TQM has to offer. This paper reviews the main principles of TQM in higher education, defines the different roles of interested parties in a TQM program and comments on the models and the do’s and don’ts when implementing TQM in higher education. Finally, the paper outlines the unique challenges of implementing TQM in engineering education. Key-Words: - Total Quality Management, Quality, Engineering Education, Higher Education. 1 Introduction While TQM is generally accepted in industry and service organizations, as a successful managerial strategy, its role in the public sector, especially in higher education, is still controversial. TQM’s customer orientation creates problems when applied to universities. This is because of the special nature of many academics whose motivation for work is often independent of market issues. Although problems exist in TQM in higher education, they have not overshadowed the necessity for change in this area. Financial problems and market pressures, which are challenging many higher education institutions, appear to give the main impetus for change. They leave institutions no alternative but to offer “higher quality at a lower cost” – a primary aim of TQM. As a result, higher education institutions have to develop methods to improve their quality. They have to embrace the concepts of Total Quality Management as a means of continually improving every aspect of their organizations. There are many definitions or descriptions of Total Quality Management given by the quality gurus, but if we want to refer to one, we could mention the definition of the international quality standard ISO 8402 which states that “TQM is a management approach of an organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-run success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organization and society”. In the past decade, emphasis on quality improvement has been one of the most characteristic features of higher education in many countries. By now, Total Quality Management has been accepted by many universities and colleges in the higher education world, in the USA, in the UK, in Sweden, in India and other countries [1], [2], [3], [11], [12]. The anticipated results are similar to those experienced in the manufacturing or service sector; higher quality services delivered both to internal and external customers, increased customer satisfaction, higher productivity, and improved student/ staff morale. 2 Total Quality Management in Higher Education The applicability of TQM in higher education has been the debate for many years. While Total Quality Management has been adopted by many organizations world-wide, its implementation in non-profit organizations, such as higher education institutions, presents more challenges and difficulties than those encountered in business organizations. What are the problems of implementing TQM in higher education? Who is the customer? Can we identify the products? Can we specify a customer-driven definition of quality and introduce a management quality culture based on the industrial model in the education environment? What is the role that the students play in their own learning? Can we control and measure processes Proceedings of the 3rd WSEAS/IASME International Conference on ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Vouliagmeni, Greece, July 11-13, 2006 (pp125-130)