Washington Adventist University Provost Recognized for Her Leadership in Performance Excellence
University is on the path toward earning the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Takoma Park, MD (January 12, 2016) Washington Adventist University Provost Cheryl Harris Kisunzu, PhD, has been recognized by the Maryland Performance Excellence Awards (MPEA) Program. MPEA is the state’s Baldrige-based education and recognition program whose mission is to advance performance excellence through education, assessment and feedback, leadership, sharing of best practices and recognition. The organization strives for Maryland to become home to the nation’s highest performing organizations, elevating the quality of life for all who live and work in the state.
For an eight-month period of time from March-October, 2015, the Provost devoted 120 volunteer hours to formal and on-the-job training regarding performance evaluation processes and improving performance through consensus.
In a December 4 letter to Washington Adventist University President Weymouth Spence, EdD, Michael J. Novak, MPEA representative, praised Kisunzu for her effort. He pointed out that she “quickly learned the concepts of the evaluation criteria, applied the principles of the examination process, and showed dedication and enthusiasm throughout the examination process.”
Washington Adventist University is committed to becoming one of the premier small universities in the mid-Atlantic region. Efforts to achieve a culture of excellence are part of the university’s Vision 2020 Plan, which was rolled out in 2009. Vision 2020 has guided a wide variety of improvements at the university – from academic programs to the physical campus. In recent years, a new music building and ball field have been added, and the new Health Professions, Science and Wellness Center is expected to break ground in 2016.
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Washington Adventist University is Montgomery County’s only four-year private college. Part of the Seventh-day Adventist system of higher education, Washington Adventist University has been educating college students since 1904 on a 19-acre campus in suburban Takoma Park, close to the nation’s capital. A total of 1,100 students of all faiths participate in the university’s nine graduate and 31 undergraduate programs. The 2016 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranked Washington Adventist University among the best regional colleges in the north.
Media Contacts:
Angie Crews, 301-891-4134, acrews@wau.edu
Donna Bigler, 240-286-1169, dbigler@wau.edu