Award Description: Recognizes staff, faculty, or a team of employees who go to exceptional lengths to remove barriers and provide access to those pursuing a Rutgers education. The recipient(s) recognize(s) the value of a diverse student body and the challenges students often face and seek(s) to make education more accessible and attainable.

This award is presented to those who initiated innovative solutions and/or provided extraordinary value or service that led to exceptional outcomes for our students and the Rutgers community.

Eligibility Criteria: Individuals and/or unit, departmental, interdepartmental, or campus teams can be nominated for this award. Only current full-time faculty and staff are eligible. Nominations for faculty and/or staff teams that include student participants or part-time faculty or staff participants will also be accepted. Nominated effort must be within the last 12 months and show lasting positive results in at least one of these areas:

• Student and/or parent satisfaction
• Enhancing the student experience
• Providing access
• Creating a supportive and inclusive environment
• Improving processes for students
• Augmenting safety
• Stewardship of university resources

Individuals or teams selected for this award may be determined ineligible for other Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in the same calendar year. Nominations are encouraged in more than one category, if applicable.

Required Documentation: Before submitting your nomination, please view this sample nomination form to understand all of the elements required in order to submit your nomination. Incomplete submissions will not be considered by the committee. To complete the nomination form, you must include the following required documentation:

• Evidence showing qualitative and/or quantitative impact on a population of students
• Letter(s) of support documenting the individual’s or team’s achievements
• Nomination letter(s) from a student or group of students highlighting an exceptional impact is strongly encouraged as supporting documentation for this nomination
• A thoughtful and substantive summary outlining the regular duties of the individual or team and the extraordinary effort and accomplishment serving as the basis for nomination

Nominate a Colleague: Go to the nomination form

Award Description: Recognizes staff, faculty, or a team of employees who go to exceptional lengths to remove barriers to build a more positive work environment, improve employee engagement and morale, and create operational efficiencies through forward-thinking process improvements. The recipient(s) recognize(s) the value of a diverse workforce and encourage(s) cross-departmental teamwork to address shared challenges and improve workplace culture. This recognition spotlights complex initiatives or practices that highlight how to enact change, innovate, and navigate institutional barriers to improve everyday work for employees and the Rutgers community. These may include collaborations, cross-unit improvements to systems or processes, clarifying roles and structures, or bringing about broad cultural change to showcase what Rutgers can accomplish when we collaborate to function at our best. This award is presented to those who initiated innovative solutions and/or provided extraordinary value or service that led to exceptional outcomes for our employees and the Rutgers community.

Eligibility Criteria: Individuals and/or unit, departmental, interdepartmental, or campus teams can be nominated for this award. Only current full-time faculty and staff are eligible. Nominations for faculty and/or staff teams that include student participants or part-time faculty or staff participants will also be accepted. Nominations are encouraged in more than one category, if applicable. Nominated effort must be within the last 12 months and show lasting positive results in at least one of these areas:

• Prospective and/or current employee satisfaction
• Enhancing workplace culture of the patient experience
• Promoting healthy working relationships and a supportive work environment
• Improving processes that result in significantly more effective and efficient department or university operations
• Augmenting safety
• Stewardship of university resources

Individuals or teams selected for this award may be determined ineligible for other Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in the same calendar year. Nominations are encouraged in more than one category, if applicable.

Required Documentation: Before submitting your nomination, please view this sample nomination form to understand all of the elements required in order to submit your nomination. Incomplete submissions will not be considered by the committee. To complete the nomination form, you must include the following required documentation:

• Evidence showing qualitative and/or quantitative impact on Rutgers employees and workplace culture
• Letter(s) of support documenting the individual’s or team’s achievements
• Nomination letter(s) from an employee or group of employees highlighting an exceptional impact is strongly encouraged as supporting documentation for this nomination
• A thoughtful and substantive summary outlining the regular duties of the individual or team and the extraordinary effort and accomplishment serving as the basis for nomination

Nominate a Colleague: Go to the nomination form

Award Description: This award celebrates differences and recognizes significant contributions to cultivating a beloved community—one in which all members work together and are heard—at Rutgers University. This individual or team exemplifies this commitment by promoting and advancing dialogue, mutual respect, and a spirit of belonging to create a healthy Rutgers ecosystem. The recipient(s) of this award embody the principles of a beloved community and model an exceptional commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Eligibility Criteria: Individuals and/or unit, departmental, interdepartmental, or campus teams can be nominated for this award. Only current full-time faculty and staff are eligible. Nominations for faculty and/or staff teams that include student participants or part-time faculty or staff participants will also be accepted. Nominated effort must be within the last 12 months and show lasting positive results in at least one of these areas:

• Community building and collaboration
• Enhancing workplace culture in line with the spirit of this award
• Advancing Rutgers University’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Individuals or teams selected for this award may be determined ineligible for other Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in the same calendar year. Nominations are encouraged in more than one category, if applicable.

Required Documentation: Before submitting your nomination, please view this sample nomination form to understand all of the elements required in order to submit your nomination. Incomplete submissions will not be considered by the committee. To complete the nomination form, you must include the following required documentation:

• Evidence showing qualitative and/or quantitative impact
• Letter(s) of support documenting the individual’s or team’s achievements
• A thoughtful and substantive summary outlining the regular duties of the individual or team and the extraordinary effort and accomplishment serving as the basis for nomination

Nominate a Colleague: Go to the nomination form

Award Description: Rutgers is committed to serving the common good and to making a difference in the worlds of ideas, politics, social justice, innovation, invention, business, health, local need, national discourse, and global priorities. This award recognizes faculty, staff, and/or a team that demonstrates a relentless determination to make a lasting difference beyond the university’s borders. The recipient(s) display(s) a demonstrated commitment to moving society toward a greater common good and encourage(s) constructive collaboration in service to our local and global communities.

Eligibility Criteria: Individuals and/or unit, departmental, interdepartmental, or campus teams can be nominated for this award. Only current full-time faculty and staff are eligible. Nominations for faculty and/or staff teams that include student participants or part-time faculty or staff participants will also be accepted. Nominated effort must be within the last 12 months and show lasting positive results in at least one of these areas:

• Work outcome results in a meaningful positive impact in communities in New Jersey and/or beyond
• Demonstrate constructive collaboration with internal and/or external communities
• Achievement of environmental, health, and/or well-being goals

Individuals or teams selected for this award may be determined ineligible for other Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in the same calendar year. Nominations are encouraged in more than one category, if applicable.

Required Documentation: Before submitting your nomination, please view this sample nomination form to understand all of the elements required in order to submit your nomination. Incomplete submissions will not be considered by the committee. To complete the nomination form, you must include the following required documentation:

• Evidence showing qualitative and/or quantitative impacts
• Letter(s) of support documenting the individual’s or team’s achievements
• A thoughtful and substantive summary outlining the regular duties of the individual or team and the extraordinary effort and accomplishment serving as the basis for nomination

Nominate a Colleague: Go to the nomination form

Award Description: The Pride of Rutgers Award is given to those who exemplify the university’s value propositions through their day-to-day actions. This award recognizes university staff members who:

• exceed the expectations of their day-to-day tasks;
• provide exceptional customer service taking the time to understand the needs of our students, staff, patients, and/or visitors to meet their needs consistently and effectively;
• serve as problem solvers and find innovative ways to save time, money, or other resources; and
• demonstrate consistency in getting the job done right and on time.

Eligibility Criteria: Individuals and/or unit, departmental, interdepartmental, or campus teams can be nominated for this award. Full-time staff are eligible. Nominations for staff teams that include student or part-time staff participants will also be accepted. Nominated effort must be within the last 12 months and show a true alignment to one of the following categories:

• Exceed Expectations
• Customer Service
• Initiative
• Reliability

Individuals selected for this award may be determined ineligible for other Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in the same calendar year. Nominations are encouraged in more than one category, if applicable.

Required Documentation: Before submitting your nomination, please view this sample nomination form to understand all of the elements required in order to submit your nomination. Incomplete submissions will not be considered by the committee. To complete the nomination form, you must include the following required documentation:

• Letter(s) of support documenting the individual’s or team’s achievements
• A thoughtful summary outlining the regular duties of the individual or team and the extraordinary effort and accomplishment serving as the basis for nomination

Nominate a Colleague: Go to the nomination form