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Awards of Excellence

The Annual Staff Awards of Excellence program was designed to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of non-academic employees for their achievements in consideration of the mission and vision of the university. The awards reinforce the importance of integrity, inclusion, partnership, engagement, resilience, ethics, innovation and belonging. 

The Annual Staff Awards of Excellence were developed by a committee with representation from across the university to recognize behaviours within the organization that positively impact the academic mission, our students and our community.

Individual and/or team accomplishments can be nominated for an award based on pre-defined criteria. 

The awards will be announced at an appreciation event in the spring.  

Hear from Former Nominees

Hear from Former Nominees

Check out testimonies from past Award of Excellence recipients.
Previous Awards of Excellence Participants

Previous Awards of Excellence Participants

Check out the nominees and award winners from prior years!

Recipients will receive:

  • Award of recognition.
  • Letter of recognition from the President.
  • Feature article celebrating their accomplishments/contributions included in various university publications, such as the Weekly Report, and on the Ontario Tech University website.
  • Copy of the nomination package.

Who can make a nomination?

  • Nominators must be employees or students of the university.  

Who can be nominated?

  • OPSEU employees
  • Non-union employees
  • Limited term employees
  • University works employees

Eligibility:

  • The nominee must be in a continuing full-time or limited-term (currently employed with the university) or part of the University Works Program in a staff position at Ontario Tech University for at least two consecutive years from the date of nomination.
  • Nominee must hold a position lower than the level of executive (President, Provost, Vice-President, or Associate or Assistant Vice-President).
  • The nominee may not have received this award within the previous two years.

Human Resources will receive nominations up to the due date. 

Human Resources reserves the right to suppress/or not suppress an award in a category where there are insufficient submissions received to constitute a competition.

For questions regarding the nomination process, contact Jennifer Topping in Human Resources.

Selection process

Each year, a Selection Committee (see Terms of Reference above) convenes to adjudicate the awards and select recipients who go above and beyond what is expected of their role. Awards are open to individuals; some awards are open to teams. When selecting recipients for the awards, the selection committee will consider nominees’ contributions within their particular contexts. For example, one employee’s role may allow more formal opportunities to meet the award criteria, whereas another person may need to reach above and beyond their formal role to achieve the same impact.

Selection for the awards will be based solely on the nomination package submitted and work completed within the award year. The selection committee will assess the nominees’ contributions as individuals or teams, based on the criteria identified for each award. The committee convenes to review nominations, and then submit their recommendations for final recipients to the President.

How to nominate a colleague or team

A call for nominations via various communications channels will commence in winter of the award year. Awards of Excellence will be presented at an event that will normally take place in May-June of the award year. A nominator must be an active university employee (faculty or staff); they must submit their nomination in writing using the nomination form.

Nominations that meet award criteria will be considered for the Awards of Excellence.

Accomplishments achieved last year will be considered.

NOMINATION FORM

 

Nomination deadline: February 10, 2025

Criteria and Categories

  • Rising Star Award

    Recognizes an emerging leader (tenure of two years or less) at the university who demonstrates a passion for their work and has made a significant impact in their short time at the university. One staff member will be honoured in this category on an annual basis.

    The recipient receives:

    • Award of recognition.
    • Letter of recognition from the President.
    • Feature article in the Weekly Report/on the Ontario Tech University website.
    • Copy of nomination package.Criteria:

    Nomination criteria may include but are not limited to:

    • Nominee demonstrates exemplary leadership by:
      • Searching for ways to help their co-workers and/or students.
      • Building relationships through collaboration.
      • Responding positively to requests for assistance.
      • Sharing information and ideas to help others achieve their goals.
      • Supporting team decisions and projects while being an active contributor to helping the team achieve its shared goal. 
    • The nominee has enhanced the student and/or client service experience by demonstrating a passion for their work and acting promptly and efficiently in a professional, courteous and positive manner.
    • The nominee’s contributions have contributed to advancing the mission of the university.
  • Ridgeback Award

    Recognizes a staff member who is a real team player and an excellent ambassador for the institution. They consistently demonstrate a sense of pride in being a part of the university community and contribute to making the university a great place to work and study. One staff member will be honoured in this category on an annual basis.

    The recipient receives:

    • Award of recognition.
    • Letter of recognition from the President.
    • Feature article in the Weekly Report/on the Ontario Tech University website.
    • Copy of nomination package.

    Criteria:

    Nomination criteria may include but are not limited to:

    • Nominee consistently demonstrates Ontario Tech University's spirit by actively supporting and promoting the university in their daily interactions with staff, faculty, students and/or community partners.
    • The nominee shows a commitment to solidifying and enhancing university traditions and regularly volunteers for campus initiatives that are outside the scope of their role.
    The nominee acts as an ambassador for Ontario Tech University as a great place to work, learn and grow and has a consistent spirit of teamwork and cooperation modelled by the respectful treatment of others.
  • Fiercely Ontario Tech University

    Recognizes a frontline staff member who consistently strives to support a culture of service excellence. Through their actions, this individual motivates and inspires the people around them to excel in service to students and/or staff and faculty at the university. One staff member will be honoured in this category on an annual basis.

    The recipient receives:

    • Award of recognition.
    • Letter of recognition from the President.
    • Feature article in the Weekly Report/on the Ontario Tech University website.
    • Copy of nomination package.

    Criteria:

    Nomination criteria may include but are not limited to:

    • Nominee consistently creates a service environment that is respectful, collegial and supportive, and demonstrates exceptional service by doing more than is asked, achieving outstanding results, and positively impacting university students, staff and/or faculty.
    • The nominee approaches each interaction as a new opportunity and provides equitable, inclusive and individualized service to meet the specific needs of the client and make them feel valued.
    • The nominee demonstrates a high level of emotional intelligence and resilience despite difficult circumstances and unforeseen problems, achieving outstanding success.
  • U Make a Mark

    Recognizes individuals or teams (two to 10 individuals) who have developed, revised and/or implemented a system, tool, process, initiative and/or program within their department, faculty or across the university which has positively impacted student success and/or the employee experience.

    The recipient receives:

    • Award of recognition.
    • Letter of recognition from the President.
    • Feature article in the Weekly Report/on the Ontario Tech University website.
    • Copy of nomination package.

    Team nominations:

    • Teams must have between two and 10 members. Please contact the award administrator if your team has more than 10 members.
    • To be nominated as a team member, the individual must be someone who has made significant contributions toward the project or initiative.
    • Submit the nomination under the team’s name. If a team name does not exist, submit the name of the team lead.

    Criteria:

    Nomination criteria may include but are not limited to:

    • Nominee challenges the status quo in a way that positively contributes to the university’s mission, and contributes inspiring, constructive and provocative ideas that enrich the university’s culture and build a legacy at Ontario Tech University.
    • Nominee’s actions and/or initiatives have significantly impacted students, staff, departments and faculties through the creation and/or implementation of innovative new processes, services or products.
    • Nominee contributes positively through stewardship, mentorship and/or supporting the professional/career development of others.
  • Community Collaborator Award

    Recognizes individuals or teams (two to 10 individuals) who help build rewarding relationships with individuals and groups in the university, local community and/or beyond.

    The recipient receives:

    • Award of recognition.
    • Letter of recognition from the President.
    • Feature article in the Weekly Report/on the Ontario Tech University website.
    • Copy of nomination package.

    Team Nominations:

    • Teams must have between two and 10 members. Please contact the award administrator if your team has more than 10 members.
    • To be nominated as a team member, the individual must be someone who has made significant contributions toward the project or initiative.
    • Submit the nomination under the team’s name. If a team name does not exist, submit the name of the team lead.

    Criteria:

    Nomination criteria may include but are not limited to:

    • The nominee demonstrates exceptional leadership, fostering collaboration and communication among colleagues, and bringing people together for a cause.
    • Nominee finds new and creative ways to engage the community in the mission and vision of the university and learn more about what we do, such as outreach programs and activities that invite and encourage the community to explore the campus, and connect with our programs and experience our extraordinary environment.
    • The nominee engages in community service activities such as volunteerism, university committee work, public speaking, school outreach, or other outstanding community involvement within or outside the university.

Selection Committee: Terms of Reference

  • Committee purpose
    The committee is established to review nominations, conduct a selection process, and recommend recipients of the annual Awards of Excellence, in alignment with the award intentions as outlined in the criteria for each of the individual awards. The awards process and event are intended to highlight and celebrate exemplary staff and the behaviours we want to promote and encourage as an organization.
  • Objectives and process
    The committee is charged with selecting recipients (individuals or teams) who most distinguish themselves from their peers in each award category. Committee members will review all submitted nomination packages according to a relative, rather than absolute, philosophy in adjudication, and arrive at a consensus as to recommended awards recipients. Members are expected to review and rate all nominees independently and confidentially in preparation for a decisive and collegial discussion with the committee in order to arrive at a consensus. Recommendations are then made to the President in writing via the committee chair.
  • Membership

    The composition will include at least one past committee member and one prior year recipient. Members are ineligible for nomination and are excluded from contributing to nominations while serving on the committee. The status, membership, and function of this committee will be reviewed annually as needed to ensure alignment with the intended purpose. The committee will be considered ongoing with rotating membership for as long as the recognition event is supported. The committee membership normally includes one representative from or on behalf of each of the following employee groups on campus. 

    • Faculty member (Tenured/Tenure-Track or Teaching Faculty).
    • A member of senior management (rank of AVP, Dean or Director).
    • Past-year committee member.
    • Past-year recipient.
    • Ontario Public Service Employees Union staff member.
    • Union-exempt staff member.

    Ex-officio members (do not vote or participate in the rating process)

    • Manager, Organization Development, Human Resources (Chair)
    • HR Assistant, Organizational Development, Human Resources (Committee Support)
  • Frequency of meetings

    The Committee will convene approximately twice per year with additional meetings scheduled as required.

    • Preparation: One hour is scheduled prior to nomination closure to receive instructions from the Chair and review the awards process and committee expectations.
    • Selection and recommendations: Two to four hours (or as needed) scheduled after nominations are distributed, to review independent selection and determine collective recommendations.