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President's Excellence Award Recognizes Employees as 'Points of Yes'

Return to Issue of Nov. 2, 2009

Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton

Kent State President Lester A. Lefton is pleased to announce a recognition program designed to reward staff members who demonstrate their daily commitment to carrying out the university’s excellence agenda.

The President’s Excellence Award will recognize Kent State University staff members who have demonstrated exceptional performance in advancing one or more of the goals of the university’s excellence agenda during the previous fiscal year (July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009).

“We all can be proud of what we have accomplished in carrying out the excellence agenda,” says Lefton. “This program carries further my designation of this year as the ‘Year of Yes’ across all our campuses by establishing, in concrete terms, my commitment to celebrating those of you who say ‘yes’ for the benefit of our students on a daily basis.”

This award offers a broad range of categories for recognition and a cash prize of $1,000 after taxes. A prior universitywide program to recognize staff for outstanding performance was last held in 2006.

Full-time classified and unclassified employees at all campuses who have been employed by the university for a minimum of one year and are in good standing with the university may be nominated for this honor. A nominee must demonstrate exceptional performance in advancing one or more of the goals of the university’s Excellence Agenda. This includes actions, initiatives or projects related to the following:

• Recruitment
• Retention
• Student success
• Diversity and inclusion
• Sustainability
• Effectiveness and efficiency
• Quality customer service
• Collaboration
• Innovation
• Serving as an ambassador for the university.

Nominations may come from peers, supervisors or other divisional leaders, or from faculty members.

Each nominator must complete a form that will require a selection from one of the above categories and must explain in 350 words or less why the nominee demonstrates excellence. Supporting materials will be accepted but are not required; supporting information must be received by the close of the nomination period.

The nomination period runs through Nov. 23. Nominations will be reviewed, and a final list will be submitted to the Office of the President. The final decision resides with the president; award recipients will be announced in January.

Nomination forms for the President’s Excellence Award are available online . The forms may be printed, completed and sent in, or completed electronically. If you have questions, contact Carla Wyckoff, HR communications and events manager, at 330-672-5857 or cwyckof1@kent.edu.

Return to Issue of Nov. 2, 2009