PSO Staff Award for Excellence

NOMINATION GUIDELINES

PURPOSE

The Public Service and Outreach Staff Award for Excellence recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a strong work ethic, commitment to service, and exceptional job performance. Theaward honors outstanding efforts, encourages workplace creativity and innovation, and celebrates the achievements of Public Service and Outreach (PSO) staff. The Public Service and Outreach Staff Award for Excellence is the most prestigious award offered for staff members, similar to the Walter Barnard Hill Awards for Public Service faculty members.

AWARD

A maximum of three awards may be presented each year. In order to maintain the significance of the Staff Award for Excellence, the PSO selection committee will have discretion to determine how many, if any, awards will be presented in a given year. Each award winner will receive (1) a monetary award; and (2) an engraved award and a framed certificate to be presented at the Annual Public Service and Outreach Meeting and Awards Luncheon.

Funds for this award will come from the recipient’s college/unit.

ELIGIBILITY

Benefit eligible staff members employed for a minimum of two continuous years in a major public service and outreach unit of the University that reports directly to the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach as well as staff members in the University of Georgia colleges and schools who are assigned to an outreach function with a minimum of 51% of their respective duties in outreach. Past award winners are not eligible to be nominated again for a period of five years.

PROCESS

Each of the major Public Service and Outreach units may submit one nomination with the exception that Cooperative Extension, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the Small Business Development Center, and the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Hotel and Conference Center, may submit up to two. The colleges, schools, and other institutional units may submit one nomination each. Any college or school wishing to submit more than one nomination should contact the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach to determine if an exception may be granted.

The dean or director of the respective unit, in consultation with unit faculty, will determine the mechanism by which unit staff members are selected for nomination. All faculty and staff members are encouraged to nominate staff members from PSO units, as well as, staff based in University of Georgia colleges and schools whose budgeted positions are a minimum of 51% outreach. The process for selection should be widely shared throughout the college, school, or unit.

A standard nomination form will be used. In addition to the standard nomination form, each nomination should include a letter of support from the respective dean, unit director, or department head, and a copy of the nominee’s job description. Units may have as many pre-nominees as they wish. The dean, unit director, or department head of each unit will appoint a college, school, or unit - level review committee to determine which nomination(s) will be forwarded to the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach. A standard rating sheet will be used by each college, school, or unit-level review committee.

SELECTION COMMITTEE

The Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach will form a selection committee of Public Service and Outreach faculty members and past award winner(s), chaired by a non-voting member of the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach. The selection committee will review the nominations, using a standard rating sheet, and recommend up to three award winners to the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.

TIMELINE

A call for nominations will be issued in July of each year. Each unit should set their own internal nomination/review process. Unit nomination(s) will be forwarded to the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach for review by the selection committee by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017.

CEREMONY

The Public Service and Outreach Staff Award for Excellence will be presented during the Annual Public Service and Outreach Meeting and Awards Luncheon, along with the Walter Barnard Hill Awards and the Engaged Scholar Award.

Units submitting nominations should be prepared to provide additional documentation upon request of the selection committee.