E12.4

STAFF RECOGNITION AWARDS

The Staff Recognition Awards, a university-wide awards program, recognizes the contributions of individual staff members and/or teams of co-workers whose work has had a major impact on the university, its goals, and its customers and who have excelled in the performance of their duties and created a positive environment for all members of the RIT community. The purpose of the awards is to identify and reward staff for outstanding contributions to the university and to provide staff with an opportunity to recognize and learn from their co-workers.

1) SPONSORSHIP

This award program is sponsored and funded by the Office of the President and administered by the RIT Staff Council (RSC).

2) AWARD CATEGORIES/CRITERIA

The Staff Excellence Award

Up to 4 awards may be given annually to any combination of individuals and/or teams.

These awards recognize staff members who have excelled in the performance of their duties as well as promoted team work and inspired excellence in others.

Criteria:

1. Integrates RIT's Core Values into daily performance
2. Exhibits an exceptional ability to foster collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and University constituents.
3. Has improved customer service and/or increased customer satisfaction.
4. Has improved a work process or system, or significantly increased the efficiency of an operation or unit.
5. Consistently performs at a level above and beyond normal expectations
6. Has clearly earned the respect of co-workers
7. Exhibits a high degree of personal ethics and integrity
8. Consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to Student Success

The Dancy Duffus Outstanding Citizenship Award

May be awarded annually to an individual or a team

This award recognizes Staff members who consistently demonstrate a high degree of excellence, professionalism, and integrity in the performance of their duties and who have proven their willingness to extend themselves to help other members of the RIT community. The award was renamed in 2006 by the RIT Staff Council to honor Mrs. Dancy Duffus, RIT Trustee Emeritus, who has long been a staunch supporter of RIT staff and who energetically advocated to establish this Staff Recognition program. This award is given at the discretion of the Staff Awards Selection Committee.

Criteria

1. Demonstrates exceptional service to students and university constituents either directly or through support to others
2. Is recognized as a strong team leader and as a model of service to the community
3. Shows imagination, creativity, innovation, and integrity which embody the RIT spiRIT
4. Exhibits a high degree of personal ethics and integrity
5. Integrates RIT’s Core Values into daily performance

Rising Star (New Employee) Award

May be awarded annually to one individual

This will be awarded to a staff member with three years or less of service to the University, as of May 1st of the current year. The nominee will have embraced the RIT spiRIT and has made a unique departmental contribution. This award is given at the discretion of the Staff Awards Selection Committee.

Criteria:

1. Presents progressive examples of high-quality of service,
2. Has integrated RIT’s Core Values into daily performance
3. Has demonstrated the ability to foster collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and University constituents.

3) AWARDS

• Rising Star Award: $500.00
• Staff Excellence Award: $1000.00
• Dancy Duffus Outstanding Citizenship Award: $1500.00.
  • Additionally, $500.00 will be donated to a campus charity of the recipient’s choice

Each award recipient will also receive a framed certificate of merit as well as a personal memento. Each recipient’s name will be inscribed onto a plaque, which is displayed on campus.

4) RECOGNITION EVENTS

Staff Appreciation Day and Community Picnic

• To recognize and thank RIT staff for their ongoing contributions in the workplace
• To provide an opportunity for interaction of all members of the RIT community
• To highlight the university-wide Staff Recognition Award Program.

This is a day at the end of Spring quarter with special social events planned.

Annual Awards Presentation

The Awards Presentation is a formal, public recognition of staff award recipients held annually in the fall.

5) NOMINATIONS

Nominations may be submitted by any member of the RIT community through drop-boxes or electronically on the RSC website. Nominations will be evaluated by the Staff Recognition Award Selection Committee. The awards will be presented by the RSC during the annual fall awards ceremony. The Awards committee reserves the right to award a nominee for any category, regardless of the suggested category submitted during the nomination process.

Posthumous nominations may be submitted, and will be advanced at the discretion of the awards committee.

6) STAFF RECOGNITION AWARDS SELECTION COMMITTEE

Purpose
To identify team and individual examples of excellence and outstanding citizenship.

Membership

• Chair: The RSC Vice-chair as of January 1st serves as Committee Chair, non-voting. S/He continues to serve in this capacity until the following December 31st, regardless of the outcome of the Staff Council officer elections in June.
• Vice Chair: One voting member from Staff Council. S/He will continues to serve for the duration of their appointment, regardless of their status on RSC
• One ex-officio non-voting member from Human Resources
• One voting member from the community at-large representing each RIT Staff Council voting block: recommended by the Staff Council Vice-Chair and approved by the Staff Council Executive Committee
• The RSC Staff Assistant will serve as a permanent ex-officio non-voting member of the committee.
• The incoming Vice-Chair of the RSC will be encouraged to observe the awards process as they deem appropriate.

Terms

Three year terms, staggered to replace one-third of the committee each year. In the event that a member cannot complete his or her term, an alternate will be appointed by Staff Council Executive Committee to complete the term.

Terms begin on January 1st and end on December 31st of the calendar year.

Responsibilities of members

• Attend meetings throughout the term of membership and actively participate in the work of the committee. Significant absences from scheduled committee meetings may result in relinquishing committee membership.
• Keep all discussions and materials surrounding the nomination process in strict confidence.
• Be objective in the selection procedure and remain uninfluenced by any personal relationships with the nominees.

7) ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURES

Any Award Committee member who accepts a nomination for an award shall withdraw from the committee and a replacement shall be designated by Staff Council.

No staff member may be selected for the same staff recognition award consecutively. To be selected for an award, the individual must be an active employee of RIT when the award is presented. An active employee is defined as active by RIT Human Resources and the RIT Policies and Procedures Manual.

The awards are based on the merit of the nomination. The Award Committee may decide not to select any nominee in a particular award category. In that case, no award will be presented for the category in that year.

A team is defined as a group of individuals, working together to accomplish a specific task or goal. Under normal circumstances, the nomination of an entire department or division will not be considered.

The selection committee will follow the procedures as set forth by the RSC.

Approved July 16, 1996
Amended February, 2006
Approved April 13th, 2006