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Staff Recognition Awards

A university-wide awards program, the Staff Recognition Awards recognize the contributions of individual staff members and/or teams of co-workers whose work has had a major impact on the university, who have excelled in the performance of their duties, promoted team work and inspired excellence in other 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

Up to six awards may be given annually to any combination of individuals and/or teams. Of these six, one may be designated a Rising Star award, and one may be designated a Dancy Duffus Outstanding Citizenship award. These awards recognize staff members who have integrated RIT's Core Values:

• Student Centeredness
• Professional Development and Learning
• Integrity and Ethics
• Respect, Diversity and Pluralism
• Innovation and Flexibility
• Teamwork and Collaboration

into their daily performance as demonstrated by the criteria below.

The Staff Excellence Award

Up to six 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. Consistently performs all job responsibilities at a level above and beyond normal expectations, resulting in one or more of the following:
   • an exceptional contribution to their department's level of service satisfaction.
   • a significant contribution to the efficiency of an operation or unit.
   • exceptional collaboration, communication and cooperation with colleagues and University constituents
2. Has made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT
3. Has clearly earned the respect of colleagues
4. Exhibits a high degree of personal ethics and integrity
5. Consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to student success, directly or indirectly

The Dancy Duffus Outstanding Citizenship Award

May be awarded annually to one individual who has not previously received the award.

This award recognizes a Staff member who consistently demonstrates a high degree of excellence, professionalism, and integrity in the performance of his/her duties and who has proven his/her willingness to extend himself/herself 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 Selection Committee.

Criteria: In addition to the above criteria, the recipient:

1. Demonstrates exceptional service to students and University constituents either directly or by supporting others who provide service to these groups
2. Exhibits outstanding leadership qualities
3. Serves as a model of service to the community
4. Shows imagination, creativity and innovation which embody the RIT spiRIT

Rising Star (New Employee) Award

May be awarded annually to one individual who has not previously received the award.

This award recognizes a staff member with three years or less of service to the University, as of May 1st of the current year, who has embraced the RIT spiRIT and made a unique departmental contribution. This award is given at the discretion of the Selection Committee.

Criteria:

1. Presents progressive examples of high-quality of service
2. Has demonstrated willingness to work collaboratively with colleagues and University constituents
3. Shows imagination, creativity and innovation which embody the RIT spiRIT

3) AWARDS

• Rising Star Award: $500
• Staff Excellence Award: $1000
• Dancy Duffus Outstanding Citizenship Award: $1500 to the recipient and $500 donated in the recipient's name to a campus charity of his/her choice

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

4) Nominations

Nominations may be submitted by any member of the RIT community. Nominations will be evaluated by the Staff Recognition Award Selection Committee. The Selection Committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of all nominations.

5) STAFF RECOGNITION AWARDS SELECTION COMMITTEE

Purpose

The purpose of the Staff Recognition Awards Selection Committee (the Selection Committee) is to identify team and individual examples of excellence and outstanding citizenship.

Membership

• Chair: The RSC Vice-chair serves as Committee Chair, non-voting.
• Vice Chair: One voting member from Staff Council, appointed annually
• 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.

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, except for the Chair (RSC Vice chair), whose term runs concurrently with the RSC Vice Chair term and the Vice Chair (RSC member) who will be replaced if/when his/her Staff Council term expires.

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 strictest confidence.
• Be objective in the selection procedure and remain uninfluenced by any personal relationships with the nominees.

Organization and procedures

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

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.

Posthumous nominations may be submitted, and will be advanced at the discretion of the Selection Committee.

The awards are based on the merit of the nomination. The Selection 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 that works together and accomplishes a specific task or goal which is above and beyond normal job expectations (see Section 2 "Award Categories/ Criteria") and has a measurable or tangible outcome. The nomination of an entire college or division will not be considered.

The Selection Committee will follow the procedures as set forth by the RIT Staff Council.

6) RECOGNITION EVENT

Annual Awards Presentation

A formal, public recognition of Staff Recognition Award recipients will be held annually in the fall.