CSE employee reward and recognition programs FAQ

Outstanding Service Awards are presented annually by the College of Science and Engineering (CSE) to recognize and reward exceptional performance and contributions by academic professional and administrative staff, civil service employees, labor-represented staff, and student workers, as well as work groups.

Each award will consist of a one-time monetary award (paid to the recipients as non-recurring salary subject to appropriate taxes) and a certificate of recognition. Individual award winners receive a $1,000 award, and each member of a work group receives $500.

Awards will only be distributed to eligible employees currently on payroll at the time of the award ceremony.

Every effort will be made to present an Outstanding Service Award to one employee in each of the following classifications: academic professional and administrative staff, civil service employees, labor-represented staff, and student workers. In addition, one work group may also be recognized. 

The distribution of awards may vary depending on the nominations that are evaluated and approved by the Selection Committee.

Academic professional and administrative staff, civil service employees, labor-represented staff, and student workers in the College of Science and Engineering are eligible. Civil service and labor-represented employees must have passed probation in their current position to be eligible. 

Work groups consist of two or more (no more than six) academic professional and administrative staff, civil service employees, labor-represented staff, and student workers in the College of Science and Engineering. Civil service and labor-represented employees must have passed probation in their current position.

• Academic professional and administrative staff, civil service employees, labor-represented staff, and student workers in the College of Science and Engineering who have previously received an Outstanding Service Award within the last three years are not eligible.
• Staff who report directly to the Dean of the College of Science and Engineering are not eligible. 

There are several college faculty recognition awards for teaching and research including honorary and endowed professorships, Taylor Professor awards, Bowers teaching award, and the Borja award for research and scholarly accomplishments. There are no similar awards at the college level for staff.

Nominations for the 2023 Outstanding Service Awards will be accepted in fall 2023. Watch for more information in August 2023.

To nominate an eligible College of Science and Engineering employee, you will need to complete the Outstanding Service Award - Individual Employees Nomination Form and upload the following:

• Letter of support from the person(s) nominating an eligible College of Science and Engineering employee.
• Letter of support from the chair/director or supervisor to whom the employee reports. (If the supervisor is different from the unit chair/director, the letter must reflect the support of the unit chair/director.) 
• The letters of support need to include sufficient information that establishes the employee’s candidacy for the award, including specific descriptions of activities, accomplishments, and ensuing results during the 2021-22 academic year. The letters should highlight the outstanding contributions and achievements of the nominee.

Please limit the entire nomination file to no more than four pages total and upload as one PDF file.

Yes, but this person can only win one individual award. If an employee is nominated more than once, separate nominations should be submitted.

To nominate an eligible College of Science and Engineering work group, you will need to complete the Outstanding Service Award - Work Group Nomination Form and upload the following:

• Letter of support from the person nominating the work group.
• Letter of support from the chair/director or supervisor to whom the work group reports. (If the supervisor is different from the unit chair/director, the letter must reflect the support of the unit chair/director.) The letter should include sufficient information that establishes the group’s candidacy for the award, including specific descriptions of activities, accomplishments, and ensuing results during the 2021-22 academic year. The letter should highlight the outstanding contributions and achievements of the nominees.
• Description of the group's project or work that is deserving of the Outstanding Achievement Award.
• Information about each employee's role in the work group. 

Please limit the entire nomination file to no more than eight pages total and upload as one PDF file.

Recipients will be honored at a special recognition reception to be held in December of each academic year.

A committee will evaluate all nomination forms and required letters of recommendation. Then the committee will make recommendations to the Dean for final selection.

Nominees will be evaluated on the basis of the nomination. Outstanding contributions may include significant contribution to a unit’s project or operations; special service to the unit, the college, and/or the University; and sustained excellent job performance, especially when it resulted in increased efficiency, improved quality of service, or cost savings. Those being nominated also must have demonstrated positive, collaborative, and exceptional working relationships with faculty, staff, and/or students.

The Outstanding Service Award Selection Committee typically consists of two or three civil service or labor-represented staff members, two or three academic professional and administrative employees, and one representative of the Dean. The CSE HR Director will work with department heads/chairs to appoint members to serve on the selection committee. Members will serve for two years with staggered terms when possible.

If you are interested in serving on the award selection committee, contact Erik Mundahl at emundahl@umn.edu.

If you have any questions about employee rewards or recognition, please contact:

Erik Mundahl
Director of Human Resources
emundahl@umn.edu
612-301-1070