Staff-Faculty Partnership Award

Nomination forms are due in February of each year.

Eligibility

All tenure and tenure-track faculty, research faculty and lecturers in the College are eligible. This excludes the Dean, Associate Deans and Department Chairs. Faculty who have previously won the Staff-Faculty Partnership Award (SFPA) are not eligible for re-nomination.

Criteria

When reviewing nominations, the Selection Committee will look for examples of faculty who demonstrate and value the staff-faculty partnership. Consideration will be given to nominees who have made significant contributions or possess special qualities and attributes, such as:

  • Treating staff, as well as others, with respect, compassion, and understanding
  • Displaying good citizenship
  • Serving as a resource/partner for staff
  • Recognizing staff work-life balance
  • Operating altruistically
  • Displaying a positive attitude
  • Willingness to make time for staff
  • Understanding of, and accepting, university guidelines
  • Showing patience and sensitivity when discussing a difficult topic
  • Respecting time frames, deadlines, and workload of staff
  • Partnering as a team with staff to understand the mission and goals of unit
  • Advocating for and promoting staff
  • Encouraging staff independence
  • Fostering a collaborative work atmosphere
  • Being a trusted leader and valued colleague
  • Soliciting staff input and feedback regularly
  • Being a contributing, productive and engaged member of the department

Selection of the recipients will be based only on the information provided as part of the nomination process. All nomination materials remain confidential.  

The recipients will receive:

  • an individual cash award of $3,000
  • recognition at the CoE Staff Excellence Awards event
  • recognition at the Faculty Honors and Awards dinner dance

All recipients will be notified prior to the event.

Who May Nominate

All current staff members of the College community are invited to submit nominations for an individual. Supporting letters will be accepted from faculty, staff, and students. The nomination form should be completed and returned by February 9, 2024.  If your nominee is selected to receive an award, the nominator is responsible for notifying the other letter writers that endorsed the nomination.

Selection Committee

The Selection Committee is comprised of five staff members selected from a broad range of careers, and the Managing Director for Academic Affairs. The Committee will submit its recommendation to the Dean and the Sr. Executive Director of Resource Planning and Management for final approval. Members of the Committee, the Dean and the RPM Sr. Executive Director are precluded from submitting nominations or letters of support.

Award Nomination Guidelines

The nominator must submit a letter/memo of support. In addition, each nomination must be supported by a minimum of three with a maximum of five other endorsement letters, with the majority being from staff members. The nominator should gather letters/memos or emails of support and submit them with his or her nomination. Each letter must be no more than one page in length. 

Tips on Nominating Candidates

In preparing nomination materials, please:

Be specific, giving examples of how the faculty recognizes staff and demonstrates the special attributes and qualities listed in the above criteria. Detail is appreciated, while generalizations are not helpful in demonstrating the staff-faculty partnership.

Submitting a Nomination

To submit a nomination electronically, please submit via the Submission Form the left of this page.

For questions about an individual’s eligibility or what is required to complete a nomination, contact Dawn Kapalla at [email protected].