The following sections are included:IntroductionLSS in Higher Education: A Critical Review of LiteratureResearch MethodologyCase StudyProject Selection and PrioritizationKey Lessons LearnedSummaryReferences

Lean Six Sigma Journey in a UK Higher Education Institute: A Case Study

The following sections are included:IntroductionIssues with HEIsLeadership in HEIsLean Six Sigma in HEIsLSS Leadership for HEIDiscussion and Future WorkSummaryReferences

Lean Six Sigma Leadership in Higher Education Institutions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a continuous improvement project (CIP) at a Mexican university designed to increase engineering graduate student loyalty. Design/methodology/approach A plan-do-check-act problem-solving methodology was implemented, and a SERVQUAL survey was conducted on 67 master's engineering students. Findings Five factors were found to affect student loyalty: facility cleanliness;faculty teaching skills;evening student services;master's degree student management roles at work;and master's degree students' ages. After the implementation of the improvement and control actions, there was a 7.7% increase in the engineering master's degree students' loyalty scores. Research limitations/implications However, there were several research limitations: data availability (such as student loyalty, student satisfaction and a small master's degree student population size) and factors outside the CIP's scope (such as the country's economic situation, university rankings, master's programme accreditations and COVID-19). Practical implications The findings from this research study could be used by other higher education institutions (HEIs)to improve student loyalty and as a reference when conducting similar studies in other service organisations such as hospitals and hotels. Originality/value This research work took a different approach in assessing student satisfaction and student loyalty in a HEI by using the SERVQUAL survey as the data collection instrument for conducting CIP.

Increasing service quality at a university: a continuous improvement project

For over two decades in India, the technical industry's unique selling proposition (USP), with its wide infrastructure of technical institutes, has been capable of supplying best-in-class engineers. But recently, this claim does not hold water. According to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), about 2.6 lakh mechanical engineers graduate every year in India. But the real count of industry ready mechanical engineers is approximately 7%. Hence, there is a need to assess the quality of engineering education in India to reduce the flaws in higher education. The purpose of the paper is to identify the various defects associated with technical education and eliminate those defects using various quality tools. This research is based on the six sigma technique, which is used to assess the quality criteria proposed by the National Board of Accreditation India (NBA). The proposed model is then applied to a typical tier II Indian engineering college located in south India. Six Sigma has two main methodologies: DMAIC and DFSS. The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) methodology is implemented for existing systems, whereas DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) is for assuring quality in new products. In this project, the conclusion is driven by the DMAIC methodology. Various statistical and non-statistical tools are employed in this research. The tools used are CTS-CTQ, SIPOC, Pareto chart, normal process capability analysis, one-way ANOVA, Ishikawa diagram, FMEA, RCBD, and SPC chart. All the statistical processes are done using Minitab analytical software. From the results, it is identified that the factors that have a risk priority number (RPN) greater than 300 need improvement, such as versatility in program curriculum, laboratories and workshops, and credibility among universities. Six Sigma can be achieved by developing proper strategies for mitigating these defects. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-02-07 Full Text: PDF

Analytical Investigation of Higher Education Quality Improvement by Using Six Sigma Approach

This article focuses on research that was completed to better understand students’ individuality when learning and processing information and to also make note of their expectations for college courses.

Sandy L. Furterer

Papers

Lean Six Sigma in Higher Education: State-of-the-Art Findings and Agenda for Future Research*