New Orleans, La. - The Xavier University Division of Business has been awarded the Louisiana Quality Foundation's (LQF) highest award, the Level 3 Louisiana Performance Excellence Award (LPEA) based on an evaluation of its proven effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, integrated processes and tracked results. The LPEA is a statewide award recognizing quality leadership in education, government, manufacturing, service industries, health care and non-profit organizations.

The purpose of the LPEA program is to promote quality and performance excellence awareness and practices in Louisiana and recognize the quality achievements of Louisiana organizations. The award criteria are based on the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award and is organized and administered by the LQF.  

The Malcolm Baldrige Quality Criteria is an internationally recognized standard for performance excellence administered by the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which is based at and managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The division was evaluated on its organizational profile and documentation related to its leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement, analysis, and knowledge management, human resource focus, and process management.

According to Dr. Joe Ricks, Chair of the Division of Business “Going through this process challenged us to take a critical look at ourselves and get better the same way we challenge our students. This award is evidence that we practice what we teach.”

The division received the award at a ceremony on May 21 at the Louisiana Governor's Mansion.