Department of Human Resources & Equal Opportunity

What's Inside

Archive of Award Recipients

Contact Us

Comments: Judith S. Karon
Webmaster: Lita C. Wallace

External Access: 34629

Outstanding Service Awards (OSA)

Outstanding Service Awards ceremony is scheduled on April 10, 2013, in Kirby Ballroom at 3:00 p.m.

Outstanding Service Awards have been developed to recognize the significant contributions of:

• Civil Service employees; and
• Academic Professional/Admninistrative (P&A) that do not hold faculty rank appointments.

NOMINATION PROCESS

1. Nomination may be made by a co-worker, supervisor, department head, director, or dean.

2. All nominations carry the same weight, i.e., a nomination by a department head is comparable to a nomination by a co-worker, a nomination by a group is comparable to a nomination by an individual. Multiple nominations will not be a factor in the final selection process. Each nomination will be judged on its own merit.

ELIGIBILITY

1. The nominee must hold one of the following job classifications:

• Civil Service (non-bargaining)
• AFSCME
• TEAMSTER
• Academic Professional/ Administrative (P&A) appointment that do not hold faculty rank. Individuals holding faculty rank are eligible for other monetary awards.

2. Award eligibility:

For Continuous Service Award: An employee is eligible to receive a Continuous Service Award once every ten award years. Those that received a Continuous Service Award in 2002, 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 are not eligible. See list.

For Project Award: An employee is eligible to receive a Project Award once every five award years. Projects must have been completed between January 2012 and November 2012. Those that received a Project Award in academic years 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 are not eligible. See list.

Note: if there is a break in-service between the award years specified, contact Lita Wallace (726-7822, lwallace@d.umn.edu) to verify if the employee is eligible.

3. Required documentation:

The nominee must have a current Performance Appraisal and Job Description forms in their official personnel file at UMD HR & EO (for civil service employees) and EVCAA (for P&A employees) completed within the prior 12 months. The Nomination Form will not be deemed complete without the Performance Appraisal and Job Description forms. It is the responsibility of the supervisor's nominee to submit the forms to HR&EO.

The Selection Committee (composed of former OSA winners) will not review the Performance Appraisal but they will review the Job Description as part of the nomination.

4. Year of service:

The nominee must have worked at UMD a minimum of two consecutive years in one or more of the job classifications specified above.

5. Appointment:

The nominee must be an employee on a continuing appointment of at least 50 percent time during the last two years. Awards are prorated according to term of employment (an example is shown below) on the current percentage appointment.

6. Probation:

The nominee must have passed probation in their current position.

7. Actively Employed

Must be actively employed on the scheduled day of the award ceremony.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

I. Continuous Service Award

This award is designed to recognize employees who have consistently performed their ongoing responsibilities in a superior to outstanding manner and have significantly enhanced departmental, collegiate, or campus goals and objectives.

The nomination must be consistent with the Selection Criteria of the Continuous Service Award and should provide specific example(s) of the achievement, behavior, and/or effort for which the nomination is being made.

1. Work "above and beyond" the expectations of the job classification title;
2. Initiative;
3. Innovation;
4. Excellent performance; and
5. Dedication.

Longevity in and of itself is not a sufficient reason for selection.

II. Project Award

This award is designed to recognize individual employees or work teams who have implemented a special project during the year in supporting the mission of the campus/unit and have significantly enhanced departmental, collegiate, or campus goals and objectives.

The nomination must be consistent with the Selection Criteria of the Project Award category and should provide specific example(s) of the achievement, behavior, and/or effort for which the nomination is being made.

1. Based entirely on the output of the project and how it contributed to UMD; and
2. How it supports the mission of the campus/unit.
3. Specify if this is part of the job responsibilities.  Explain how this Special Project is in relation to the present job duties.

NOMINATION FORM REQUIREMENTS

• Must be typewritten or legibly handwritten.
  
  
• Main nominator must use the form provided and clearly show how the nominee meets the Selection Criteria as specified on the Nomination Form.
  
  

  Continuous Service Award Nomination Form	WORD
  Project Award Nomination Form	WORD

  
  Note: the nominee will get a copy of the Nomination.
  
  
• Supporting letters will not be accepted to support a nomination. The supporting letters will be returned to the nominator. Follow these tips if there are other employees supporting the nomination.

Tip 1: Each individual supporting the nomination MUST fill out a Nomination Form or a similar format may be accepted clearly showing how the nominee meets the five Selection Criteria; for example for Continuous Service Award: (1) Work "above and beyond" the expectations of the job classification title, (2) Initiative, (3) Innovation, (4) Excellent Performance, and (5) Dedication.

Tip 2: The main nominator may collect all the letters of support from various individuals in their unit and summarize it in the Nomination Form. Nominator may also specify what each person wrote about the nominee for each of the Selection Criteria.

• Only the main Nomination Form is required to have the signatures. All signature areas must be signed before submission even if all areas (nominator, supervisor, department head, dean/director) is the same person.
  
  
• Send the Nomination Form to:

	Via Inter-campus mail:		Via Postage Mail:
		Lita C. Wallace Outstanding Service Awards HR & EO 255 DADB		Lita C. Wallace UMD Department of Human Resources & Equal Opportunity 255 Darland Administration Bldg 1049 University Drive Duluth MN 55812

AWARDS

All awards will be of equal value except for the following:

1. Limitations as stated in Eligibility sections;

2. Maximum award amount is $2,500.00 each;

3. Members of a team receiving an award will divide a single award equally and prorated according to each individuals' appointment.

Awards are prorated according to term of employment. Examples:

Employee with 75% and 12-month appointment will receive: $2,500 x 75% = $1,875.00

Employee with 75% and 9-month appointment will receive: $2,500 x 75% = $1,875.00 divide by 12 months = $156.25 x 9-month appointment = $1,406.25

4. Only one monetary reward will be given, whichever is higher, in cases where the nominee is awarded both Continuous Service and Project Award.

Contact for questions: Lita Wallace, OSA Coordinator, 218-726-7822 or lwallace@d.umn.edu