Annual Year End Staff Awards

Award Criteria Examples

Nominees for both excellence awards are evaluated on demonstrated excellence in one or more of the following areas. The Staff Senate Awards Committee uses these criteria when reviewing all nominations.

Excellence in Collaboration

An effective collaborator works well with others to produce positive results. A strong collaborator may:

• Solicit diverse views when completing projects

• Establish effective partnerships across multiple levels of the institution

• Build consensus in decision-making

• Share knowledge or information that contributes to group success

Excellence in Commitment

A deeply committed staff member demonstrates dedication to their work in ways that contribute to the vibrancy of the APSU community. Commitment may be evident when an employee:

• Demonstrates an intense commitment to providing excellent service to co-workers, students, and faculty

• Shares enthusiasm for APSU with others

• Maintains perseverance in the face of adversity

• Is recognized in the community as a reliable go-to person, willing volunteer, or good citizen who enriches APSU

Excellence in Innovation

An innovative staff member shows outstanding creativity when confronted with challenges or a desire for improvement. An innovative employee may:

• Actively seek ways to advance beyond the status quo

• Proactively identify novel, creative ways to improve processes or service delivery

• Implement change in a positive manner and strive to ensure its success

• Approach problem-solving with a solution orientation

Excellence in Leadership

A strong leader guides and inspires others in ways that contribute to the effective and efficient functioning of APSU. Leadership may be evident when a nominee:

• Inspires and encourages personal and professional development in others

• Builds strong relationships grounded in trust and credibility

• Adapts readily to new situations

• Effectively persuades others using keen organizational awareness

• Mentors employees and fosters a culture of respect conducive to achievement

• Contributes to the success of initiatives that benefit those outside their own department

Excellence in Learning

An employee who integrates learning with their work and applies that knowledge to improve results may:

• Convert information, business data, and processes into opportunity

• View mistakes as stepping stones essential to further growth

• Promote the transfer of knowledge from person to person

• Recognize and respond to differing learning preferences

• Model an open attitude toward self-evaluation

• Empower colleagues to make decisions