La calidad total en la enseñanza universitaria

Abstract

Quality is a very important concept for any firm or industry, because its products´value, effectiveness and therefore success relies on it. In higher education institutions, the concept of quality must be emphasized and given the relevant character it should have. Although little has been written on this subject in the education realm, establishing the total quality degree of university education is of crucial importance. Total quality goes hand in hand with a culture based on continual improvement in every aspect; it is a paradigm in which any person belonging to a firm or organization develops an attitude that moves him or her to achieve excellency in his/her work. It is a process in which the functions, responsabilities and place of each person are clearly defined. Total quality is related to constant training, organization, technology and capital. The quality of universities has been questioned in Mexico for the last 20 years and different models have been proposed to evaluate it. In this work I intend to analyse total quality in several universities, applying concepts used to establish its level in business. The concept will be developed, followed by a synthesis of my efforts to apply the same judgment to a university. Finally, I will propose a total quality model applied to teaching.