Here is a summary of my significant original contributions to the body of Lean knowledge over the last 20 years as author or co-author. My primary focus has been Lean leadership and Lean management, but also includes Lean in higher education, Lean in supply chain management, and the history of … [Read more...] about Summary of Contributions to the Body of Lean Knowledge
Why University Teaching Rarely Improves
In higher education, the job of a professor is well-defined. It consists of three things: teaching, research, and service to the university and one's profession.Teaching involves three tasks: preparation (of the course), execution (delivering the course), and follow-up (guiding students' work, … [Read more...] about Why University Teaching Rarely Improves
The Rewards of Teaching
I have been a professor for close to 20 years now, after having spent the previous 15 years in industry where I worked in engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management. There are many positives associated with teaching that I would like to share with you, as well as a few … [Read more...] about The Rewards of Teaching
Maintain Academic Excellence?
A new president of a public university has these four goals*:Increase student enrollment Maintain academic excellence Expand community engagement Develop additional sources of fundingNotice anything odd among the four goals?It should be Goal 2, "Maintain academic excellence." … [Read more...] about Maintain Academic Excellence?
Creative Graduation Ceremony
My father, Cesare Emiliani (Dott., Ph.D), was a long-time chair of the Geology department at the University of Miami in Coral Gables Florida. He was a creative, outgoing, and fun person who applied his gifts to how the department would graduate its students. It was a separate ceremony that took … [Read more...] about Creative Graduation Ceremony
The Toxic University
John Smyth, the author of The Toxic University, talks about his book in this interesting article: "Author discusses ideas in his new book, 'The Toxic University'" (IHE, 12 July 2017)My key takeaway is that those responsible for pricing tuition and fees bear full responsibility for the toxic … [Read more...] about The Toxic University
Excellence in Teaching
Excellence in teaching? Not quite.The results of the U.K.s 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) have been released. Click here to view the results of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze university awards (official government results are here).The purpose of TEF is to "...shin[e] a spotlight on … [Read more...] about Excellence in Teaching
Feedforward to Students
Professors typically give lots of feedback to students over a semester to help them learn and improve.Professors, however, often complain about the feedback that students give concerning the professor's performance in a course. I eagerly accept student feedback because it helps me understand what … [Read more...] about Feedforward to Students
It’s Time for Colleges to Cut Costs
Higher education thought leader Jeffrey J. Selingo has a new thought: It’s time for colleges to cut costs. Hasn't this been obvious for the last 10 or 20 years? (See my 2005 article, "Lean in Higher Education").In his 26 May 2017 article in The Washington Post, "Forget the marketing gimmicks: It’s … [Read more...] about It’s Time for Colleges to Cut Costs