Dr. David Rankin, president of SAU, accepts the Commitment Award from Maria Haley, director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and John Womack, CEO of Arvest Bank.
MAGNOLIA — A commitment to continuous improvement earned Southern Arkansas University state-wide recognition Monday night during the 16th annual Arkansas Governor’s Quality Awards celebration at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock. A total of 18 business organizations were recognized on four award levels during the event.
SAU President Dr. David Rankin accepted the Commitment Level Award on behalf of the University. This award is designed for organizations that have progressed to a point of demonstrating a serious commitment to the use of total quality principles to achieve performance excellence. Recipients receive more than just the recognition of the award. They also receive an in-depth evaluation of their management systems and a written feedback report citing strengths and areas for improvement.
“It was a tremendous honor for Southern Arkansas University to be chosen for the Commitment Level Award,” Rankin said. “We are striving for continuous improvement every day, and this award is evidence of our successes.”
A 21-page report prepared by SAU administrators for consideration of the award addressed seven key issues contributing to the University’s commitment to improvement: leadership process; strategic planning process; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results.
The Governor’s Quality Awards fall in line with the University’s new partnership with the Academic Quality Improvement Program. AQIP is a process of continuous improvement to maintain accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
The goal of the Governor’s Quality Award Program is to encourage Arkansas organizations to engage in continuous quality improvement, which leads to performance excellence, and to provide significant recognition to those organizations. Created as a non-profit organization, the program is dedicated to assist in building a strong infrastructure for Arkansas businesses.
