Quality Improvement and the Future of the University
Excerpts of Remarks by Larry R. Faulkner
UT Quality Center Managers Conference
May 21, 1998
LBJ Auditorium
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas is a remarkable enterprise. A place like this --one of the great universities of the world -- is among the finest achievements of humankind -- not just for our time, but for all time. I like to think of The University as a repository of hope -- a place where we invest lives and resources as expressions of our hopes for the future. The future of our children, the future of ideas, the future of Texas. There are very few human constructs with greater commitment to building better, fuller lives and better, fuller communities. Very few strive so consistently toward improving the quality of so many aspects of life.
In addition to the privilege of working in such an extraordinary work place, we face the responsibility of doing everything we can to preserve and extend the quality of this institution. The authors James Collins and Jerry Porras state in their book Built to Last, "In a visionary company, [continuous improvement] is an institutionalized habit--a disciplined way of life--ingrained into the fabric of the organization and reinforced by tangible mechanisms that create discontent with the status quo."
Well, we've got the discontent mastered. No, seriously, that description sounds very reminiscent of a productive academic environment--an environment where we question accepted practices, press for new answers, constantly jettison flawed theories, and expand knowledge and human understanding.
Yet somehow the continuous loop of self-improvement that we associate with academic life does not always extend to all corners of our institutional bureaucracy. I recently saw bureaucracy defined as three elements: people, policies, and process. Good people cannot overcome flawed policies and processes. As managers, we need to critically examine our policies and processes to identify those that are too rigid or too complicated--or that just drive people crazy. The quest for excellence that characterizes our teaching and research must extend to all our operations.
Authors Collins and Porras continue: visionary organizations "apply the concept of self-improvement in a much broader sense than just process improvement. It means long-term investments for the future; it means investment in the development of employees; it means adoption of new ideas and technologies. In short, it means doing everything possible to make the [organization] stronger tomorrow than it is today."
Here at UT we need to take these factors into account as we allocate resources, as we make personnel decisions, as we improve customer service, and as we implement ways to measure our success.
The emphasis on quality at The University is nothing new. Educator Oscar Henry Cooper wrote in 1880: "May we not hope that an institution, so nobly endowed, and so sacredly guarded as this has been by the State of Texas, will be so wisely organized, so ably administered, and so generously sustained as to become not only an honor to the State, a blessing to the present and the future, and a strong aid to the progress of civilization, but also ultimately, one of the foremost of American universities." That sounds like a visionary charge to engage in self-improvement and to make long term investments in the future.
Here's what I believe we can accomplish within the next five to 10 years. First, that we are regarded throughout the nation as one of the top three public universities. That an American with a reasonable understanding of higher education in this country would, when asked to name the best public universities, list "Berkeley, Michigan, Texas"--and not necessarily in that order. We can do this.
Next, I see The University with an enhanced reputation as a center for outstanding teaching as a result of greatly enhancing the quality of the classroom experience for all our students. We can do this.
I see The University continuing to develop our research endeavors, with an even higher percentage of our faculty on the cutting edge of discovery and innovation. As a result, we will increase the volume of public and private funding for research on this campus. We can do this.
I see The University equipped with facilities and technology second to none. The capital campaign will help us make sure that our competitiveness will be enhanced by state-of-the-art resources. We can do this.
I see The University delivering the services and support that our students, faculty, and staff need with such efficiency that people here say with pride, "at this university, the support systems help me to accomplish my goals and to realize my greatest potential." We can do this.
I see The University taking a more active role to improve the lives of Texans in all 254 of the state's counties. I see The University's story of service in public education, health care, social services, child development, legal aid, and our numerous other programs understood and appreciated by the people of Texas. We can do this.
In short, I see us building on our strengths, expanding upon what we already do--but doing it better. If we can accomplish that, while honoring and preserving our core values, we will succeed.
Let's work together to keep The University of Texas on a visionary path and make it the best university it can be.
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