Abstract
Universities are increasingly turning to the principles of total quality management
(TQM) in an attempt to improve quality and gain competitive advantage. Recent
survey data, however, indicates that while many universities have been successfully
applying TQM in support and administrative functions, TQM has not migrated into
the classroom to any significant extent at many of these institutions. For TQM to
have the desired impact, it must be extended to the core learning processes and be
implemented in the classroom. This paper describes how student satisfaction guarantees
can serve as a tool for implementing TQM principles in the classroom. The
paper begins with a review of classroom-based applications of TQM. From this
review, five basic elements are identified as comprising a classroom-based model of
TQM. The paper then describes a student satisfaction guarantee used at one
university and how this guarantee facilitates the introduction of the five core TQM
elements in the classroom. Surveys and focus groups from students who have taken
the guaranteed classes are used to illustrate the points made. The paper concludes
with a discussion of the value added by these guarantees in the TQM implementation
process and the potential challenges faced in using this approach to implementing
TQM in the classroom.