Examples of Qualifying Leadership

• Leading initiatives, programs, or major efforts.
• Mobilizing teams, committees, or cross-unit groups.
• Demonstrating innovation, strategic thinking, resourcefulness, or collaboration.
• Achieving measurable outcomes resulting from leadership influence.
• Driving positive community impact connected to their University role.
  
  

Required Supporting Documentation

• Description of initiatives led and their purpose.
• Evidence of people mobilized or guided (e.g., committees chaired, teams convened).
• Outcomes or changes resulting directly from leadership.
• Internal or external recognition tied to leadership efforts.

Purpose
Recognizes two employees who demonstrate exemplary service, innovation, or significant operational improvement within the scope of their job responsibilities.

Eligibility
Employees up to and including Associate Deans and Executive Directors, except OPS.

Award
Engraved trophy and $1,200, plus a letter of recognition from the President.

Examples of Qualifying Contributions

• Creating or implementing unique ideas, processes, or tools that improve efficiency or reduce costs.
• Introducing new programs or enhancing existing standards.
• Identifying operational gaps and developing effective solutions.
• Producing measurable improvements in workflow, productivity, or service quality.

Specific Nomination Timeframe
Accomplishments must have occurred between January 1 and December 31 of the previous calendar year.

Required Supporting Documentation

• Process improvements or workflow descriptions.
• Before/after comparisons demonstrating impact.
• Metrics, results, or other evidence of effectiveness.

Purpose
Recognizes one employee whose sustained service, initiative, and dedication extend beyond assigned duties, producing positive and lasting impact on colleagues, students, operational continuity, or the broader University community.

Eligibility
Employees up to and including Associate Deans and Executive Directors, except OPS.

Award
Engraved trophy and $1,000, plus a letter of recognition from the President.

Examples of Qualifying Contributions

• Voluntary support to colleagues or departments beyond one’s formal role.
• Informal mentorship or guidance improving employee success or onboarding.
• Helping maintain operations during staffing or organizational changes.
• Contributing consistently to a positive, collaborative University culture.
• Demonstrating exceptional reliability or proactive problem-solving.

Specific Nomination Timeframe
Sustained service demonstrated within the last five years.

Required Supporting Documentation

• Evidence of repeated support that enhanced others’ success or well-being.
• Contributions extending beyond the nominee’s unit.
• Documentation of sustained impact over time.
• Examples showing continuity or cultural support during transitions or challenges.

New this year, Special Award nominations must be submitted by a nominee’s direct supervisor or their Area Dean, Vice President, or equivalent. Others may contribute supporting attestations to a nomination but may not submit a nomination independently.

• Nomination(s) must be submitted on the online nomination portal to be accepted and common to all nominations is a one-page narrative (250–500 words) that describes the nominee’s role and core responsibilities, the contributions for which they are being nominated, and the impact of those contributions on the University or community. Supporting documentation is needed for the Awards Selection Committee evaluation.
• Core Narrative (Common to All Awards) – 250 – 500 words
• This should address
• Role Context: (3-5 bullets or a short paragraph):

1. Nominee’s position title and unit  
2. Brief description of core responsibilities
3. Clear indication of how the cited contributions were beyond assigned duties and/or outside the nominee’s formal role or scope (depending on award criteria).

• Contribution: 1) What the nominee did within the period of time that the award covers 2) How they did it, 3) Who was impacted or benefitted from it, 4) What challenges or needs they addressed, and 5) Why this contribution is meaningful to the University.

• Supporting Documentation (Common to All Awards): Short statement(s) from one or more impacted/benefitting persons describing specific actions and resulting impact (such as email excerpts, unsolicited attestations, or short, written statements confirming impact), news clippings or articles or pictures with supporting narratives describing or capturing impact, etc.

Additional Information

• Nominee may be nominated for more than one award. Qualifications for each award require different justifying features and support documents.
• Nominators may nominate multiple nominees; however, each nominee must be submitted separately.
• Nominations must be submitted by a second party; self-nominations will not be accepted.
• Nominee must have successfully* completed one-year of continuous service prior to the current calendar year to be eligible for evaluation and selection.

DEADLINE for nominations is 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 6th, 2026.

Winners will be notified, and awards will be presented at the Employee Service Awards ceremony on April 16th 2026.

 The Selection Committee is comprised of appointed/selected Faculty, AMP, and SP representatives.

*All award amounts are pre-taxed (gross) and subject to all required and applicable withholdings.

The Nomination Committee needs as much detail, data, information, and concrete examples that you can provide as evidence or to demonstrate the depth and breadth of your nominee’s qualification.

In your nomination narrative, please do all the following :

• Be specific
  Terms such as “above and beyond” or “dedicated” - while they may be true of your nominee, without explanation or substance in relation to the specific situation or context, is challenging to evaluate.  Include the “who, how, and when” to further explain and clarify.  For example, “Jane Doe goes above and beyond what her job requires” is not as clear as, “We are normally expected to make 0 outside employer connections a week.  Despite that Jane already makes the required number of connections during the normal working hours weekly, I see her in the office on the weekends making addition calls to ensure she is always hitting, if not exceeding her (minimally) required employer connection numbers or is well prepared for the following week.” 
• Provide data and numbers
  Please include (appropriate) data or numbers and provide specific context for the significance of those numbers. For example, “Jane Doe obtained a grant that greatly assisted to maintaining our program’s services” is not as clear and comprehensive as “Our service programs are primarily grant funded.  When Jane Doe learned of this, unsolicited, she researched, learned of, and applied for and received a $100,000k (annually renewable) federal grant that can be used for equipment and supplies, which greatly assists in continuing the work of our programs.”
• INCLUDE supporting documents

Please be certain to include any and all supporting documents (examples: pictures, articles, clippings, unsolicited attestations, etc.).  Supporting documents provide additional evidence and can substantiate as well as possibly greatly strengthen your nomination.

• Provide more information, rather than less

If you are hesitant in providing too much information or too much detail, rest assured that “too much” is preferred.   Thoroughly and completely exhaust measures to “show” the how, where, when, and why your nominee has demonstrated extraordinary customer service, leadership, or service.  You are needing to showcase your nominee as “extraordinary” or “exemplary” so do not hold back.