Eight Years On: Implementation of quality management in an Australian university

Abstract

This paper considers the development and implementation of Quality procedures in Australian Catholic University during the period 1992 to 2000. It recognises that the introduction of systematic quality management procedures in a University setting involves major changes in organisation and processes, with underlying changes in attitudes and understandings by staff. It refers to research on innovation in educational settings over the past 30 years (e.g. Fullan, 1993; Fullan & Pomfret, 1975) which demonstrates the complexity of organisational change and identifies several factors and constraints which affect the success of such innovations, and looks at the use of a collaborative model (Dynan, 1985) at Australian Catholic University for the successful implementation of quality management procedures in academic, administrative and support units of the institution. It focuses on the need for a long-term implementation strategy aimed at involvement of staff at 'grass-roots' level, with proposals for achieving such involvement. The paper also continues consideration of the issues emerging from recent experiences in Australia relevant to long-term implementation of quality procedures in university settings.