Staff excellence award

Purpose:

To recognize exemplary performance by staff members who consistently excel in their positions and demonstrate integrity and a strong commitment to the mission and values of Luther College.  A secondary purpose is to enable members of the staff to more fully experience the educational mission the college provides its students.

Eligibility:

Nominees must be employed 75% time or greater and have been a Luther employee for a minimum of three years.

Criteria:

The following criteria will be considered in the review of nominations:

• Outstanding Achievement and Performance:  consistently and substantially exceeds the expectations of the position, performing at a level above and beyond normal job requirements; has made important and significant contributions in their area; has furthered the mission of the college.

• Personal Interaction:  consistently and substantially demonstrates an ability and willingness to work positively, respectfully, and effectively with others; has significantly improved “customer service” or has increased student satisfaction in their area; demonstrates ability and willingness to manage changes in work priorities, procedures, and organization.

• Initiative and Creativity:  has significantly improved a work process or system, or has significantly increased the efficiency of an operation or department;  consistently seeks to improve the quality of work assigned; demonstrates efforts to expand work responsibilities.

The Award:

Two staff members will be selected each year, normally one exempt and one non-exempt employee.  The winners will be announced at the annual Luther Staff Day and the Service of Dedication in late August.  Winners will be awarded an educational opportunity that the college will fund.  The staff member’s participation will be counted as work time. Participation in a J-term abroad, a spring break service trip, a summer course off campus (such as to Rock Point, Arizona), accompanying a Luther ensemble on tour, participating in a unique professional development opportunity, or taking a semester-long course on campus during work time are all options to be explored.  The college will work with each winner to determine what works best and is of most interest to the employee.

The Nomination Process:

Letters of nomination should address one or more of the criteria listed above and sent to the Director of Human Resources by May 1 of each year.  Any current member of the staff or faculty can submit a nomination. No self-nominations will be accepted and all nominations will be confidential.  Nominations will be forwarded to the Staff Excellence Awards Committee, made up initially of representatives from the administrative and support staff meeting agenda committees.*  This group will send their recommendations to the President’s Cabinet by

July 1.  The Cabinet will make the final decision. 

(*Past winners will be asked to serve on the Awards Committee for three years following their year of honor).