E12.4 Staff Recognition Awards

This policy applies to all staff who are regular employees of the university (see Policy E1.0) excluding divisional vice presidents and chief officers. Regular staff employees of RIT are designated by the Oracle classification “staff.exe” and are represented by one of the six Staff Council voting blocks.

1. Team. A team is defined as two or more individuals either 1) working together on a single innovative, impactful project; or 2) demonstrating ongoing innovation and/or creating best practices that have notable impact; and 3) cannot be an entire department or division – it is recommended that teams consist of no more than 15 members.

2. Award Selection Committee. An award selection committee, selected on a rotating basis by the Staff Council Executive Committee, is comprised of one (1) representative from each of the six (6) Staff Council voting blocks, one (1) active Staff Council representative, the Staff Council coordinator, the Staff Council Vice Chair and an RIT Human Resources liaison. The Staff Council voting block representatives and Staff Council representative are voting members of the selection committee. The coordinator, vice chair and HR liaison are non-voting members and act to provide guidance and instruction on the process. The decisions of the Award Selection Committee are final.

1. Purpose. 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 outstanding co-workers. The university-wide Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff recognizes the contributions of individual staff members and/or teams of co-workers whose work has a major impact on the university, who excel in the performance of their duties, promote team work, and inspire excellence in other members of the RIT community. The Isaac L. Jordan, Sr. Staff Pluralism Awards (policy E12.5) are part of the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff,

2. Sponsorship. This award program is sponsored and funded by the Office of the President and administered by Staff Council.

These awards recognize staff members who have integrated RIT’s Core Values into their daily performance. Seven awards are given annually to individuals and/or teams as described below: one Rising Star award; four Excellence Awards; one Dancy Duffus Outstanding Citizenship award; and one Albert J. Simone Legacy Award. The monetary awards are distributed through the RIT Human Resources payroll process, therefore recipients must be employed as RIT Staff on the day of dissemination.

1. The Rising Star Award. This award recognizes a staff member with three years or less of service to the university, as of the date nominations close. This award is given at the discretion of the Selection Committee to one individual who has not previously received the award.
   
   Criteria: The recipient:

   1. Embraces the RIT Core Values and has made a unique departmental contribution.

   2. Presents progressive examples of high quality of service.

   3. Shows imagination, creativity and innovation which embody the RIT Core Values.

   4. Has demonstrated willingness to work collaboratively with colleagues and university constituents.

   5. In addition, awardees may demonstrate one or more of the following:

      1. A significant contribution to advance diversity, equity and inclusion that has resulted in a positive outcome.

      2. An exceptional contribution to their department’s level of service satisfaction.

      3. A significant contribution to the efficiency of an operation or unit.

      4. A significant contribution to student success, directly or indirectly.

2. The Staff Excellence Award. This award recognizes staff members who have excelled in the performance of their duties as well as promoted team work and inspired excellence in others. Four awards are given annually to any combination of individuals and/or teams.

   Individual Excellence Award

   Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT by:

   1. Consistently performing job responsibilities at a level above and beyond normal expectations and/or demonstrating an innovative approach to their job.

   2. Exhibiting an extraordinary ability to foster collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues and university constituents.

   3. Clearly demonstrating respect for and earning the respect of colleagues, students and administrators.

   4. In addition, awardees may demonstrate one or more of the following:

      1. A significant contribution to advance diversity, equity and inclusion that has resulted in a positive outcome.

      2. An exceptional contribution to their department’s level of service satisfaction.

      3. A significant contribution to the efficiency of an operation or unit.

      4. A significant contribution to student success, directly or indirectly.

3. Prior recipients in any category will be eligible for an Excellent Award after a three-year waiting period. For example, a recipient of a 2020 award is ineligible until the 2024 awards cycle. The waiting period is waived for an individual recipient nominated as a member of a team and for team awardees nominated individually.

   Team Excellence Award

   Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT by:

   1. Producing a measurable, positive impact on the advancement of the University’s strategic goals and/or department goals. Building effective collaborative relationships across different work units, groups or departments within the university.

   2. Clearly demonstrating that all team members are active, essential contributors to the team’s exemplary service, ongoing innovation and/or creation of best practices.Clearly demonstrating that all team members are active, essential contributors to the team’s success

   3. In addition, awardees may demonstrate one or more of the following:

      1. A significant contribution to advance diversity, equity and inclusion that has resulted in a positive outcome.

      2. An exceptional contribution to their department’s level of service satisfaction.

      3. A significant contribution to the efficiency of an operation or unit.

      4. A significant contribution to student success, directly or indirectly.

   4. Prior recipients in any category will be eligible for an Excellence Award after a three-year waiting period. For example, a recipient of a 2020 award in ineligible until the 2024 awards cycle. The waiting period is waived for an individual recipient nominated as a member of a team and for team awardees nominated individually.

4. The Dancy Duffus Award for Outstanding Citizenship within the RIT Community. 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 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.
   
   Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT by: 

   1. Demonstrates exceptional service to university constituents.

   2. Exhibits outstanding leadership qualities.

   3. Serves as a model of service to the RIT community.

   4. Shows imagination, creativity and innovation which embody the RIT Core Values.

   5. In addition, awardees may demonstrate one or more of the following:

      1. A significant contribution to advance diversity, equity and inclusion that has resulted in a positive outcome.

      2. An exceptional contribution to their department’s level of service satisfaction.

      3. A significant contribution to the efficiency of an operation or unit.

      4. A significant contribution to student success, directly or indirectly.

   6. This award is given at the discretion of the Selection Committee to one individual who has not previously received the Dancy Duffus Award.

5. The Albert J. Simone Legacy Award. This award recognizes an individual with at least 25 years of service as an RIT Staff member as of the date nominations close. The award was created in 2018 and named to honor Dr. Albert J. Simone, RIT President Emeritus, on the 25th anniversary of the creation of RIT Staff Council. His visionary inclusion of the staff in the university’s shared governance process is part of the legacy of Dr. Simone’s fifteen years as president of RIT (1992–2007).
   
   Criteria: Awardees will have made outstanding contribution(s) to RIT by:

   1. Has had a lasting impact by improving or creating a process/procedure/service that has become standard across multiple areas of the university.

   2. Has performed meritoriously over the course of their entire RIT career.

   3. Has been a catalyst for positive change within the university.

   4. In addition, awardees may demonstrate one or more of the following:

      1. A significant contribution to advance diversity, equity and inclusion that has resulted in a positive outcome.

      2. An exceptional contribution to their department’s level of service satisfaction.

      3. A significant contribution to the efficiency of an operation or unit.

      4. A significant contribution to student success, directly or indirectly.

   5. This award is given to an individual who has not previously received the Albert J. Simone Legacy Award.

All nominees and recipients will be recognized during the annual Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff ceremony. Each award recipient will receive a framed certificate, a personal memento, and a monetary award. Monetary awards will be made through Payroll:

1. Rising Star Award: $900.00 (gross pay)

2. Staff Excellence Award

   • Individual: $1700.00 (gross pay)

   • Team: $1700 (gross pay) divided evenly among team members with a minimum of $500.00 (gross pay) per team member

3. Dancy Duffus Award for Outstanding Citizenship Within the RIT Community: $2,500.00 (gross pay) to the recipient and $500 (net) donated in the recipient’s name to a campus organization or charity of their choice

4. Albert J. Simone Legacy Award: $3000.00 (gross pay)

Responsible Office:
Staff Council.

Policy History:
Approved 7/16/1996
Revised April 13, 2006
Revised March 29, 2007
Revised September 29, 2011
Revised March 10, 2014
Revised October 1, 2015
Revised October 3, 2018
Revised June 15, 2019 - sections III (last sentence added) and III.D (first sentence revised to clarify eligibility for the award)
Revised May 20, 2021