College of Business earns TN Center for Performance Excellence Commitment Award

 

The Lipscomb University College of Business has earned the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) Commitment Award in the annual Excellence in Tennessee award program administered by the center.

 

Through an annual evaluation and assessment process, the nonprofit TNCPE recognizes organizations that have achieved the highest standards of excellence in their operations and results. The program uses the Criteria for Performance Excellence, established by the national Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, as the evaluation tool.

 

Representatives of the College of Business will accept the award at the 18^th annual Excellence in Tennessee Awards Banquet on Feb. 23, 2011, at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin, Tenn. Ray Eldridge, associate dean of undergraduate studies in the College of Business, lead the process improvement team whose efforts resulted in the Commitment Award.

 

Lipscomb’s College of Business provides a faith-informed, dynamic learning environment that develops leaders of excellence and integrity at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional level. In the past five years, the college has established the School of Executive Education, a “green” MBA and the Professional MBA program, master’s programs in human resources and accounting, the Dean Institute for Corporate Governance and Integrity and an MBA fellowship program in key industries.

 

TNCPE awards are presented in four categories: Interest Recognition (the beginning level), Commitment, Achievement, and the highest level – the Excellence Award. Recipients of Commitment Awards have demonstrated progress by identifying and putting in place some key process improvements, which are directly attributable to a fact-based improvement process.

 

“This is so much more than a plaque on a boardroom wall,” said TNCPE President and CEO Kathryn Rawls. “Pursuing a TNCPE award demonstrates that the college has adopted proven performance practices, principles, and strategies that nurture excellence in all aspects of business – from client relations to workforce development to results. These processes will help it continue to be successful for years to come and will translate into organizations where people want to work and want to do business. I’m proud that the Lipscomb College of Business is among these high achievers taking such positive steps to grow internally and benefit our economy.”

 

Since TNCPE’s creation in 1993, more than 1,100 organizations have progressed through one or more levels of achievement. A Board of Examiners made up of experts in business, education, health care and government assessed this year’s applicants in seven categories: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results.

 

The TNCPE program, which is itself a national and international role model, is available to all businesses, educational institutions, health care organizations, government agencies and other non-profit entities.

 

“My congratulations to the Lipscomb College of Business for earning TNCPE’s Commitment Award, and for all the hard work that helped them achieve this honor,” said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. “The College of Business has met a specific set of criteria and standards only found in the country’s best-run organizations. Pursuing these standards is a significant achievement that encourages growth and innovation within the business, which helps drive economic development in Tennessee. I applaud college for achieving this recognition.”