Staff Excellence Awards Nominations

Award Categories, Criteria, and Timeline

Each year the Chancellor recognizes outstanding UMSL staff members in three categories - Positive Influencer, Creator and Trailblazer. There are two award winners per category.

Positive Influencer:
The awardees show integrity through respectful interactions, serving others, building goodwill, transparency and accountability. They influence by inspiring and empowering others to break through barriers, achieve their goals and succeed.

Creator:
The awardees intentionally create an inclusive and equitable community. They create access throughout campus by removing barriers for individuals to make the environment welcoming for everyone.

Trailblazer:
The awardees foster engagement with open-minded, inviting and solution-oriented partnerships on campus and in the community. They drive change for the purpose of the greater good.

A committee of members from the UMSL Staff Council will review nominations and recommend individuals to the Chancellor for the final decision. All staff members who meet the criteria, complete the application process and who are not directly involved in the review and selection process are eligible.

Nominations will be reviewed based on information provided on these forms as well as their overall records at UMSL. It is highly encouraged to give as many examples or details as possible should a committee member not know the person directly.

These winners will be awarded $1,000.

Criteria for Nomination and Selection

Employees will be chosen who consistently demonstrate professionalism and reflect our core values:

Integrity: Respectful interactions, serving others, building goodwill, transparency, and accountability.
Inclusion: Intentionally creates an inclusive, equitable community.
Innovation: Drives change for the purpose of the greater good.
Access: Keeps our campus accessible and removes barriers for individuals to make the environment welcoming for all of us.
Success: Inspires and empowers others to reach their goals and break through barriers.
Engagement: Open-minded, inviting and solution-oriented. Forges collaborative partnerships on campus and in the community.

Nominees must:

  1. Be non-academic, benefit-eligible employees employed with UMSL for at least one year at the time of nomination submission.
  2. Be in a staff position at the level of "Director" or below.
  3. Have no disciplinary actions within the last two years.
  4. Have a "successful" rating or higher on most recent performance appraisals.
  5. Not have won a Chancellor’s Excellence Award within the past three years.

 

How to Nominate an UMSL Staff Member

The award process will have two distinct steps.

Nomination: Faculty, Staff, and Students can nominate staff during the nomination period, which runs from May 1 - May 30, 2025.

Self-Endorsement: Nominees will be given the opportunity to explain why they should receive this award by answering the same questions as the nominator. The self-endorsement period runs from June 9-20, 2025.

If you have any questions, please reach out to staffassoc@umsl.edu for assistance.