On the Philosophy, History and Management of Quality in Education

Higher education institutions are currently facing new levels of competition due to globalization. In order to maintain their effectiveness, universities must constantly work to increase their quality. To fully understand the complex nature of excellence in education, we must consider quality from various viewpoints, including philosophical, historical and management perspectives. First, to form a philosophical foundation, this paper discusses reforms in education and the need for an appropriate level of government financial support. To determine the objectives of higher education, the diversity of institutions and their goals are taken into account. Then the concept of quality is defined, and a formula is offered to approximate the quality of a given institution. The next important question is that of who should measure quality. The suggestion is made that independent accreditation agencies are best suited for this job; on the contrary, government influence should be limited. It is crucial to determine what should be the consequences of such evaluations; the conclusion is made that the main result of accreditation should be a determination of the level of state financial assistance offered to the institution or department under evaluation. From a management perspective, the paper discusses the logistics of running a higher edu-cation institution, including the importance of near-academic and non-academic service sectors to meet the needs of students. The suggestion is made that institutions should be given freedom to govern themselves in proportion to the responsibility they demonstrate in doing so. The role of governments to preside over higher education is compared in Azerbai-jan and in other parts of the world. The suggestion is also made that the capacity of institu-tions should be monitored in proportion to their availability of campus services, labora-tories, etc. to maintain a high level of quality along with growing numbers of students. Finally, the issue of quality is discussed from a historical perspective. The paper summarizes the origination of accreditation agencies in America and traces the evolution of regional and specialized accreditation agencies. The limited centralization of such evalua-tion is praised as an asset in the American model. Next, the background and present situa-tion of evaluation in the United Kingdom is discussed as another model. The Soviet system is described, and the changes that it influenced in worldwide education after World War II are highlighted. The paper concludes with a discussion of the current situation in Europe.