Can you explain how you restored hope by transforming the culture of the institution using the Baldrige criteria?
Sorensen: As in many organizations, transformational change is often driven by crisis and this is clearly the story at UW-Stout. In 1995-1996, the UW System experienced a deep budget cut and had to look at creative new ways to run the institution. We responded by suggesting that UW-Stout study the issue of becoming a charter school, withdraw from the UW System, have its own governance board and be freed from the many state regulations. I had strong support from the UW System, the Board of Regents and even the governor. But the campus erupted, and led by key faculty in the Senate, organized a vote of no confidence against my leadership in the spring of 1996. I chose to work with the faculty to restore confidence and trust in my leadership, and we came together as a campus to do just that. We made the following strategic changes: • Chancellors Advisory Council (CAC). We changed the definition of leadership to systems of leadership. The CAC embodies this by including a representative of e
