The University Record, September 24, 1997
1996 EXPO Core Planning Team members are (from left) Susan Gilbert Beck, Alan T. Stevens, Jenny Lynn Carter, Pamela Hamblin, Deborah Coleman, Martha Taylor, Anne E. Marx, Robert B. Holmes, Karen Dickenson, Deborah Orlowski. Photo by D.C. Goings, Photo Services
T he Core Planning Team for the 1996 M-Quality EXPO has received the 1997 Quality in Human Resources Practice Award from the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA). This is the first time CUPA has given this award, considered to be very prestigious, to a cross-functional team.
In nominating the team for the award, Jackie McClain, director of human resources and affirmative action, said that “in a few short years the M-Quality EXPO has become one of the most important professional development opportunities available to members of the University community. It is also clear that its role in highlighting the creative work being done across the campus provides a new opportunity for people to learn from each other.
“Equally important, the EXPO gives all members of the University community an opportunity to recognize and celebrate teams who are at the forefront of making positive changes in the University environment, processes and policies.”
Incorporating M-Quality activities into the daily life of the University has been one of the challenges facing the U-M in light of rapid changes in organizational structure and processes.
“One of the important ways the University addressed these challenges,” McClain noted, “was the planning and presentation of the first M-Quality EXPO in 1994. I am happy to report that each of the three EXPOs has drawn more than 2,000 attendees to view exhibits, to network, to discuss improvement strategies with exhibitors and to gain expertise through attending special presentations. The 1996 Team was charged with designing a stronger conference format.”
