Resumo

CATERINA, Clemenza,; FERRER, Juliana; ARAUJO, Rubén  e  ESPINA, Sabrina. Fortalecimiento de la competitividad Institucional a través de la calidad en la educación: Caso Universidad del Zulia. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia [online]. 2006, vol.11, n.36, pp.615-637. ISSN 1315-9984.

The general objective of this paper is to analyze the quality of university education as a basis for strengthening institutional competition. It is a descriptive-documentary study. Three populations are studied, made up of active researchers, students from the different faculties, and the external sector that maintains contact with research units within the university (LUZ). The sample selected was non-probabilistic, in the case of professors and students, and a census for the external sector. A structured instrument was applied to each population covering the variables under study. The results indicate that LUZ has groups of highly qualified scientists and specialists who belong to research units that generate important programs and projects requested by the productive sector. In relation to the opinion of students, they indicated that their courses promoted ethical and moral values and developed abilities and skills; that professors understand and transmit adequately course contents, are up to date and occasionally apply didactic material; however that university infrastructure was weak, prohibiting academic development. The conclusion is that it is necessary to orient action towards maintaining quality in basic university functions, integrating all the actors in the institution and their interaction with the external ambient, contributing in this manner to successfully inserting the university in an environment which is more and more competitive and which requires continuous efficiency, efficacy and social effectiveness.

Palavras-chave : Higher education; educational quality; institutional competitiveness.