The current attempt by Sally Vamvakias, chairman of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees, to mimic Gov. King’s productivity task force is unfounded and misdirected. Her goal to cut costs 2 percent by July 1, 1996, using an approach called “growth by substitution,” violates most basic principles of quality and productivity improvement.

Her justification for this initiative is altruistic: fund future salary increases, maintain buildings and expand programs. This sounds more like a strategy to assure “buy in” from those people who have so far actively resisted any significant changes to improve the educational system, (and who feel they have the most to lose from implementing any productivity improvement process).

Recently, the General Student Senate approved nine recommendations “to look for ways of cutting a top-heavy system administration at no cost to the universities.” It too has noticed that the UM system appears to be top-heavy in administration, non responsive to its customers (students), and not clear in its mission.

The solution is not simple, nor easy to implement. A truly objective approach requires much more than downsizing proposals, arbitrary percentage cuts and “puff paper” vision statements. Curricula that are minimally staffed need to either be funded or axed (it’s similar to operating a 100-watt light bulb at 25 watts — you can see a dim glow, but you can’t read by it!). Programs that meet the needs of its customer-students (either research or career) should be nurtured and funded. Programs where UMS has direct local competition should be made competitive or be abandoned.

The late Dr. Deming (quality guru) clearly stated his disapproval of management-imposed goals, use of slogans, quotas and reward systems that encourage the status quo. Quality improvement and its resulting productivity gains are created through a managed process that seeks the best way to meet customer requirements and preferences. UMS students are those customers: They choose to attend UMS, select programs and schools within the university, choose courses and instructors, and most important, pay for it all. Thomas W. Taylor-Lash Orland