LSA Annual Staff Achievement Awards Program

The Robin Sarris Outstanding Employee Award highlights an outstanding supervisory employee in the college, and in 2017 was renamed the Robin Sarris Outstanding Supervisor Award. The winner of this award receives a framed certificate, recognition at the LSA Staff Achievement Awards and Spring Fling Event, and a monetary prize of $2,500.

Robin Sarris retired from the LSA Dean’s Office in 2015, after over 30 years of service to the University. This award was renamed after Robin Sarris to recognize her significant contributions to the University, and to the College. The award is presented to a staff member with supervisory responsibility, with at least one year of LSA service, involved in any area of staff work who has made outstanding contributions that go beyond the ordinary fulfillment of the position’s duties.

Presented to two or more staff members who function as a team and who have taken on time-limited projects that positively impact LSA. The team award is intended for a time-limited project or program (rather than an ongoing and recognized department within LSA) that can include colleagues in a single department or across multiple departments.

Winners of this award receive a framed certificate, recognition at the LSA Staff Achievement Awards and Spring Fling Event. The Outstanding Team Award varies based on team size.

The Individual Staff Award for Contributions to LSA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging was introduced in 2022. This award was added to celebrate LSA staff contributions in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

This award recognizes sustained and/or particularly meaningful commitment to DEI work; for contributions that are focused on or substantially benefit the LSA community; for activities that align with and advance the Mission, Vision, and Values of LSA; and for work that extends beyond (or is outside of) the nominee’s fundamental job description (i.e., for individuals whose primary role at LSA is not 50% or more effort certification in DEI or DEI-related activities). This award does not recognize excellence in the performance of the nominee’s primary role, but values and recognizes invisible labor and service in the area of DEI that extends beyond the scope of the nominee’s primary job responsibilities. Inclusive Culture Liaisons are eligible for this award because DEI work is not their primary job responsibility.

Recipient of this award receives a framed certificate as well as recognition at the LSA Staff Achievement Awards and Spring Fling Event. In addition, a monetary prize of $2,500 is distributed to the winner of the Individual Staff Award for Contributions to LSA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging award.

The Staff Team Award for Contributions to LSA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging was introduced in 2022. This award was added to celebrate LSA staff contributions in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

This award recognizes sustained and/or particularly meaningful commitment to DEI work by a group or team for contributions that are focused on or substantially benefit the LSA community; for activities that align with and advance the Mission, Vision, and Values of LSA; and for work that extends beyond (or is outside of) the nominees’ fundamental job descriptions (i.e., for individuals whose primary role at LSA is not 50% or more Effort Certification in DEI or DEI-related activities). This award does not recognize excellence in the performance of any individual’s primary role, but values and recognizes invisible labor and service in the area of DEI that extends beyond the scope of the team’s primary job responsibilities. 

Recipients of this award receive a framed certificate as well as recognition at the LSA Staff Achievement Awards and Spring Fling Event. The monetary prize for the Staff Team Award for Contributions to LSA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging varies based on team size and scope of the activities.

In 2020, the Kay Beattie Award was combined with the Outstanding Individual Employee Award and has been renamed the Kay Beattie Outstanding Individual Award. The new award focuses on recognizing exceptional contributions with sustained performance by a non-supervisory staff member with greater than three years of service. 

Kay Beattie retired from the LSA Dean’s Office in 2007, after 40 years of service to the University. This award was established in her honor by former Dean Terry McDonald. Presented to an outstanding employee with more than 3 years of service at the University who has been contributing beyond the ordinary fulfillment of duties and taking on increasing levels of responsibility with a significant portion of their career in LSA.

Recipients of this award receives a framed certificate as well as recognition at the LSA Staff Achievement Awards and Spring Fling Event. In addition, a monetary prize of $1,000 is distributed to each individual winner.

The Rising Star Award is designed to reward an up and coming LSA employee with up to three years of service in the College.

The award is presented to an individual staff member (with no more than 3 years of service in LSA) involved in any area of staff work who has made outstanding contributions that go beyond the ordinary fulfillment of the position’s duties.

Recipients of this award receives a framed certificate as well as recognition at the LSA Staff Achievement Awards and Spring Fling Event. In addition, a monetary prize of $2,500 is distributed to each individual winner.

If you know staff members who perform their jobs in an exemplary manner or workgroups/teams that are highly productive and effective, please nominate them for an award. In completing the nomination questionnaire, please:

• Be specific–give examples and the details of what your candidate or team/workgroup has done that meet the selection criteria. While every candidate will not possess all of the award criteria, certain characteristics or experiences could fulfill more than one criterion.  The more complete a nomination form is, the more information the Selection Committee has to evaluate the nominee’s candidacy.
• Avoid general statements such as: “the nominee has a pleasant personality,” “the nominee is a seasoned professional,” or “the nominee is always helpful.”
• Include as much qualitative and quantitative information as you can about the nominee’s work and contributions on behalf of the unit/College:  “the nominee revised a work process that cut response time in half, and improved service to students and faculty”, or “the nominee’s willingness to listen allowed her to successfully resolve conflict.”
• If you are nominating a team or workgroup, be sure to list all members and describe how they work collaboratively for the benefit of the unit/LSA. The nomination statement should explain the importance of team effort to the group’s overall success.