The Connecticut Distance learning Consortium in New Britain will receive a GOLD 2002 Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) from the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Inc. The award is for their organization of public, private, two and four year accredited institution of higher education collaborating for distance learning courses and programs. Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium's numerical results substantiated the benefits of this innovation to their organization.

Since 1987, CQIA has been the state's annual quality awards recognizing Connecticut organization that excel in managing quality improvement for business success and growth.

The not-for-profit CQIA Partnership is a growing group of active business people, educators, health care executives and government officials concerned with improving the economic vitality of our state by using three levels of CQIA awards: Innovation Awards, Breakthrough Awards and Leadership Awards.

This year the CQIA Partnership received 110 applications from 60 diverse organizations in 36 cities and towns across the State.

At CQIA Partnership's 15th Annual Conference on Quality Innovation to be held on October 17, 2002, plaques will be presented to 22 Golf and 39 Silver winning organizations. The keynote speaker for the daylong conference is David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue, the successful low fare airline flying out of New York City.

For more information, please contact Sheila Carmine at 203-322-9534 or go to ctqualityaward.org.