E12.4 Staff Recognition Awards

Scope

This policy applies to all staff who are regular employees of the university (see Policy E1.0) excluding divisional vice presidents and chief officers.

I. Definitions

  1. Team. A team is defined as two or more individuals either 1) working together on a single innovative, impactful project; or 2) demonstrating ongoing innovation and/or creating best practices that have notable impact; and 3) cannot be an entire department or division that exceeds 15 people.

    1. Small Teams are defined as teams consisting of 2-5 people.

    2. Large Teams are defined as teams consisting of 6 or more members - it is recommended that teams consist of no more than 15 members.

  2. Award Selection Committee. An award selection committee, selected on a rotating basis by the Staff Council Executive Committee, is comprised of one (1) member from each of the six (6) Staff Council voting blocks, one (1) active Staff Council representative, the Staff Council coordinator, the Staff Council Vice Chair and an RIT Human Resources liaison. The Staff Council voting block representatives and Staff Council representative are voting members of the selection committee. The coordinator, vice chair and HR liaison are non-voting members and act to provide guidance and instruction on the process. The decisions of the Award Selection Committee are final.

    1. Active members of the Award Selection Committee are not eligible to receive an award. Committee members may choose to recuse themselves from the committee for an award cycle. A replacement committee member would then be selected to serve on the committee for the award cycle.

II. Policy Statement

  1. Purpose. 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 outstanding co-workers. The university-wide Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff recognizes the contributions of individual staff members and/or teams of co-workers whose work has a major impact on the university, who excel in the performance of their duties, promote team work, and inspire excellence in other members of the RIT community. The Isaac L. Jordan, Sr. Staff Pluralism Awards (policy E12.5) are part of the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff,

  2. Sponsorship. This award program is sponsored and funded by the Office of the President and administered by Staff Council.

III. Award Categories / Criteria

These awards recognize staff members who have integrated RIT’s Core Values into their daily performance. Seven awards are given annually to individuals and/or teams as described below: one Rising Star award; four Excellence Awards; one Dancy Duffus Outstanding Citizenship award; and one Albert J. Simone Legacy Award. The monetary awards are distributed through the RIT Human Resources payroll process, therefore recipients must be employed as RIT Staff on the day of dissemination.

  1. The Rising Star Award. This early career award recognizes a staff member with three years or less of service to the university, as of the date nominations close. This award is given at the discretion of the Selection Committee to one individual who has not previously received the award.

    1. Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contributions to RIT by:

      1. Embracing the RIT Core Values.

      2. Demonstrating a clear pattern of increasing exceptional service and continuous growth.

      3. Making unique departmental contributions by showing imagination, creativity, and innovation.

      4. Demonstrating willingness to work collaboratively with colleagues and university constituents.

    2. Eligibility: This award is given at the discretion of the Selection Committee to one (1) individual who has not previously won the Rising Star Award.
      1. If the Rising Star Award is not awarded in a specific year an additional Individual Excellence award may be awarded.

  2. The Staff Excellence Award. This award recognizes staff members and/or teams of staff members who have excelled in the performance of their duties as well as promoted team work and inspired excellence in others. Four (4) awards are given annually to at least two (2) individuals and a maximum of two (2) teams with no more than one (1) large team.

    1.  

       

      Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT by:
      1. Exemplifying the RIT Core Values.
      2. Consistently performing job responsibilities at a level above and beyond normal expectations and/or demonstrating innovative approaches to their work.
      3. Exhibiting an extraordinary ability to foster collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and university constituents.
      4. Clearly demonstrating respect for and earning the respect of colleagues, students and administrators through professionalism and ethical conduct.
      5. Producing a measurable, positive impact on the advancement of the University’s strategic goals and/or departmental objectives.
      6. Team Contribution (for team nominations)
        1. Clearly demonstrating that all team members are active, essential contributors to the team’s exemplary service, innovation and/or creation of best practices.
    2. Eligibility
      1. This award is given at the discretion of the Selection Committee.
      2. Prior recipients in any award category (including Excellence Award) are eligible after a 3 year waiting period. Example: A recipient of a 2026 award is next eligible for an Excellence Award in 2030.
        1. The waiting period is waived for individual award recipients nominated as part of a team OR team award recipients nominated as an individual.
  3. The Dancy Duffus Award for Outstanding Citizenship within the RIT Community. This award recognizes a staff member who consistently demonstrates a high degree of excellence, professionalism, and integrity in the performance of their duties and who has proven their willingness to help other members of the RIT community. The award was renamed in 2006 to honor Mrs. Dancy Duffus, RIT Trustee Emeritus, a longtime staunch supporter of RIT staff and who energetically advocated to establish this Staff Recognition program.
    1. Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT by: 

      1. Demonstrating exceptional service to university constituents.

      2. Exhibiting outstanding leadership qualities.

      3. Serving as a model of service to the RIT community.

      4. Showing imagination, creativity and innovation which embody the RIT Core Values.

    2. Eligibility: This award is given at the discretion of the Selection Committee to one individual who has not previously received the Dancy Duffus Award.

      1. If the Dancy Duffus Award for Outstanding Citizenship in the RIT Community is not awarded in a specific year an additional Individual Excellence award may be awarded.

  4. The Albert J. Simone Legacy Award. This award recognizes an individual with at least 20 years of service as an RIT Staff member as of the date nominations close. The award was created in 2018 and named to honor Dr. Albert J. Simone, RIT President Emeritus, on the 25th anniversary of the creation of RIT Staff Council. Dr. Simone's visionary inclusion of staff in the university’s shared governance process is part of the legacy of his fifteen years as president of RIT (1992–2007).
    1. Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT by:

      1. Leaving a lasting impact by improving or creating a process/procedure/service that has become standard across multiple areas of the university.

      2. Performing meritoriously over the course of their entire RIT career.

      3. Being a catalyst for positive change within the university.

      4. Exemplifying and embracing the RIT Core Values.

    2. Eligibility: This award is given to an individual who has not previously received the Albert J. Simone Legacy Award.

      1. If the ​​​​​​​Albert J. Simone Legacy Award is not awarded in a specific year an additional Individual Excellence award may be awarded.

IV. Awards

All nominees and recipients will be recognized during the annual Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff ceremony. Each award recipient will receive a framed certificate, a personal memento, and a monetary award. Monetary awards will be made through Payroll:

  1. Rising Star Award

    • $900.00 (gross pay)

  2. Staff Excellence Award

    • Individual: $1700.00 (gross pay)

    • Team: $1700 (gross pay) divided evenly among team members with a minimum of $500.00 (gross pay) per team member

  3. Dancy Duffus Award for Outstanding Citizenship Within the RIT Community

    • $2,500.00 (gross pay) to the recipient and $500 (net) donated in the recipient’s name to a campus organization or charity of their choice

  4. Albert J. Simone Legacy Award

    • $3000.00 (gross pay)

Responsible Office:
Staff Council.

Policy History:
Approved 7/16/1996
Revised April 13, 2006
Revised March 29, 2007
Revised September 29, 2011
Revised March 10, 2014
Revised October 1, 2015
Revised October 3, 2018
Revised June 15, 2019 - sections III (last sentence added) and III.D (first sentence revised to clarify eligibility for the award)
Revised May 20, 2021

Edited November 12, 2025 - section III

Revisions approved by University Council on April 22, 2026 - Scope, Section I and Section III