Charlotte School of Law Earns ‘Commitment’ to Baldrige
The Charlotte School of Law accepted a North Carolina Award for Excellence Commitment Award (Level 2) through the North Carolina Performance Excellence Program on August 29th.
The Performance Excellence Program is facilitated by North Carolina State University’s Industrial Extension Service. Within the program is the state award and coaching and mentoring services. The state award is modeled after the National Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award and recognizes participants in four stages of their journey. Coaching and mentoring is provided to help organizations improve key processes and results as they journey beyond the national award.
The Charlotte School of Law is a new institution, having received full approval from the American Bar Association in June of this year. They were drawn to the Baldrige Performance Excellence program by the core values prescribed in the criteria which closely followed their own. They also looked to the program to further define their strategic planning process.
Participation in the program is also beneficial in determining the strength and weaknesses of an organization’s processes. Baldrige examiners provide this information by way of a feedback report. The School followed criteria specifically designed for educational institutions and by doing so, are now using information from the feedback report to further develop processes relevant to strengthening and integrating their systems.
When looking to the future, they hope to apply for Level 3 –‘Progress’ in the fall of 2012. But Charlotte School of Law President, Dennis Stone, said, “We’re not overly concerned about winning awards, but instead with improving our business processes.” Stone prefers to use the feedback report along with other learning opportunities including touring other organizations on their journeys toward excellence, to continuously improve their own.
“We want to be a cutting-edge legal institution—that means we need to be nimble and respond quickly to change,” said Stone. Baldrige provides a means for the School to be just that.
The Charlotte School of Law joins a growing list of educational institutions, government agencies and businesses that are achieving remarkable improvements through a commitment to a state of excellence. Winners of the National Baldrige Award that participate in the NC Performance Excellence Program include Iredell-Statesville School (2008) and Premier (2006).
About Charlotte School of Law
Charlotte School of Law, fully accredited by the American Bar Association, offers a student-centered education that includes a rigorous academic program and the practice-based, hands-on learning necessary to equip graduates with the leadership, management and interpersonal skills needed for career success. As the only law school in North Carolina’s most populous city, Charlotte School of Law offers full-time and part-time day programs as well as an evening part-time program for working professionals. On the Web at www.charlottelaw.edu.