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Employee Recognition Program

The recently updated program offers three awards – Horizon Award, Impact Award, and Quality Service Award – to recognize staff members who clearly go beyond their normal job duties and demonstrate behavior described in award criteria listed on the following page. Staff, faculty and students may nominate a staff member.

A standing university Staff Employee Award Selection Committee will review the nominations.

Committee members will be:

  • One representative from each vice president area (Academic Affairs, Enrollment and Information Management, Finance and Administration, Institutional Advancement and Student Life) plus Athletics. The vice presidents and the Athletic director will appoint their representatives.
  • Award recipients from the previous year.
  • An ex officio Human Resources person to determine whether the nominee meets eligibility criteria.
  • Additional members as deemed appropriate by the chairman.

Selection Committee recommendations for the top three nominees for each award will be forwarded to the President’s Executive Leadership Cabinet for final review. The Cabinet will recommend a finalist for each award to President Dottavio for his approval. The Staff Council Employee Recognition Committee will be responsible for announcing and celebrating the awards.

The Employee Recognition Task Force is continuing to work on a campus-wide immediate recognition program and a teamwork award.

Horizon Award Impact Award Quality Service Award
  • Volunteers time or resources to work on improvement projects on the Tarleton campus or outside the university community
  • Serves as an active member of an organization that gives Tarleton students opportunities to become active in community service
  • Volunteers time or resources to help with Tarleton events outside his/her normal job duties (for example, taking tickets at the rodeo, accompanying students on a school related trip)
  • Volunteers to serve on a task force or committee within the University
  • Contributes to student success
  • Serves as a role model, coach, friend or advisor whom people ask for help and support
  • Helps others succeed in their careers.
  • Problem solving/resourceful
    • Uses alternate methods or comes up with a creative solution to a problem
    • Takes initiative in absence of supervision
    • Overcomes obstacles and works well under unusual circumstances
  • Cost savings
    • Identifies innovative ways to save finances
    • Initiates preventative measures or ways to save resources
    • Performs job in a way that saves the university money, time and/or materials
  • Safety
    • Identifies and corrects potential safety issues in the work area and across the University
    • Takes actions to prevent injury to employees
    • Makes recommendations for improving safe work practices
  • Goes the extra mile
    • Takes actions beyond normal job responsibilities to fully meet customers’ needs
    • Creates a positive impression and experience
    • Resolves conflicts or problems and demonstrates concern for customers
    • Anticipates potential problems and acts to prevent or mitigate them
    • Creates an atmosphere of openness encouraging others to feel their concerns will be heard and acted upon
  • Dedication
    • Exhibits passion for his/her job
    • Represents the whole university, not just his/her department
    • Voluntarily seeks opportunities to support university activities
  • Positive attitude
    • Maintains an open, genuine and helpful attitude even when faced with conflict
    • Encourages others to perform at their highest level
    • Maintains a spirit of helpfulness recognized by people from both inside and outside Tarleton
    • Personalizes service by caring for customers as individuals
  • Civility and integrity
    • Respects others
    • Makes others feel valued
    • o Contributes to mutual respect, effective communication and team collaboration
    • Treats others fairly and truthfully
  • Tarleton spirit
    • Demonstrates pride in being part of Tarleton by, for example, ensuring the campus provides a positive experience for anyone entering it or representing Tarleton in a professional and positive manner when interacting with people outside the University
    • Actively supports Tarleton activities outside normal job duties
    • Displays Tarleton pride on and off campus

To be nominated, an employee:

  • Must be a Tarleton State University employed in a full-time budgeted position. (Employees who retired during the 2009- 2010 academic year are eligible for nomination.)
  • Must be in good standing with their department and the University as evidenced by a current satisfactory performance appraisal.
  • Must be clearly exceeding his/her normal job duties.
  • Must not be at or above the vice president or equivalent level. However staff who are associate or assistant vice-presidents are eligible.

To nominate someone:

  1. Complete the nomination form emailed with this bulletin or available from the Human Resources Department (Administration Annex) or on here.
  2. With the nomination form, provide a detailed description with examples showing how your nominee has demonstrated some or all of the criteria listed for one of the awards.
  3. Attach at least one – and as many as three – letters from other people supporting the nomination.