The College's Committment to Performance Excellence
Samuel Merritt College has long been committed to the goal of achieving educational excellence in the preparation of students for the health professions. Quality performance and improvement is foundational to the institution's commitment to student learning and ultimately to the patients that graduates serve.
The commitment to excellence [1] is fundamental to every operational division of the College as well as their various educational and service components. To that end, SMC tracks its performance based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence in Higher Education. Samuel Merritt College was the first institution of Higher Education in California to receive the California Governor's Quality Award in 1999, based on Baldrige principles.
Samuel Merritt College is guided by a strong mission statement based on an explicit value system. The values and mission guide strategic planning and development of strategic priorities from which divisions and departments within the College design and manage their work, delineate performance criteria and monitor outcomes. SMC is committed to the notion that assessment, planning and performance are ultimately based on analysis of relevant and accurate data that is explicit, trended and analyzed to affect positive growth and change. Further, public distribution of performance measures are helpful to prospective students, grant funding sources, accrediting agencies, college counselors, alumni and other parties charged with making thoughtful and informed decisions.
