Staff Recognition Awards Program
The objective of this program is to recognize two staff members annually who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, service, and achievement in the area of education or community building. The awards associated with these achievements are the Lifelong Learner Award and the Distinguished Citizen Award.
The Lifelong Learner Award recognizes a staff member who has demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning, self-renewal, and professional development. The focus of learning should transcend the specific requirements of the individual’s current job responsibilities. Though the award is given annually, activities documented on the nomination form will likely address learning over a longer period. Awardees receive a $2,500 St. Thomas budget, which they may use to fund their own professional development or donate part of or the entire award in their own name to a St. Thomas scholarship fund.
The Distinguished Citizen Award honors a staff member whose contributions reflect the qualities of good citizenship, such as providing service to others and advancing the common good for the campus and broader communities by enhancing the quality of life for others. Awardees receive a 40-hour, paid recognition leave to engage in community activities with a non-profit organization of his or her choosing. This paid leave may be used at one time or incrementally during the calendar year in which the award is granted.
Who is eligible?
All current full- and part-time staff who have completed at least one year of service with the University may be nominated for this award. Ineligible for participation in the program are employees in the following categories:
- Senior-level staff such as members of the President’s Staff and the Academic and Administrative Leadership Group
- Faculty
- Employees with a temporary, term, or casual appointment
- Student employees
How do I nominate?
Nominations are solicited using the Staff Recognition Awards Form. Any St. Thomas staff or faculty may nominate at any time during the calendar year an eligible staff member for one of the two awards. There shall be a special push for nominations during August and September with an December 3, 2007 deadline. All nomination materials must be submitted by the deadline.
- Nomination Process
Using the award criteria as a guide, all nominations are typed and provide specific examples of the nominee’s achievements and contributions that reflect the principle criteria and attributes stated above. Most successful award nominations are:- at least a few paragraphs long and provide details of the nominee’s achievements and/or contributions
- accompanied by a minimum of three letters of recommendation from St. Thomas faculty or staff who know the nominee best and are familiar with his/her achievements and contributions
- Selection Process
The Staff Recognition Awards Review Committee will review nominations and decide which nominations of an employee best meet the principle criteria of the award categories. The two Executive Vice Presidents, in collaboration with the Associate Vice President for Human Resources, shall make the decision if the committee is in a deadlock. If all nominations fail to meet the criteria in either award category, an awardee shall not be selected for the year.
Recognition Ceremony
Award recipients shall be honored each year at the University’s Annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony. In addition to the specific award discussed in Section II above, recipients in each award category shall receive a honorary plaque, have their photograph displayed on the Human Resources Department website as an award recipient, and an article placed in the Bulletin Today recognizing this great achievement.
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