All full-time faculty (to include 9-month, 10-month, and Associate Instructors) at Virginia Western are expected to adhere to high standards and expectations. This plan, however, is designed to honor faculty for exceptional performance. The Reward and Recognition Plan adheres to a culture of evidence, in the belief that a faculty member’s documentary record of exceptional performance should be sufficient to establish the nature and extent of the faculty member’s participation, effectiveness, and achievement for which the reward or recognition is bestowed. The following distinction is made between rewards and recognitions:
- Reward-a significant one-time monetary award.
- Recognition-non-monetary reward that provides acknowledgment for exceptional performance.
State funded salary increases are not considered a part of the reward and recognition plan. The monetary awards provided through this plan are funded on a fiscal year basis and contingent upon availability of resources. (Specific minimum amounts for each reward are outlined in the reward explanations below.)
The Faculty Rewards and Recognition Committee
This is a college committee, which will consist of five full-time non-probationary teaching faculty who received awards the previous year, as well as one ad-hoc representative from Human Resources. Faculty committee membership is limited to two years. If a faculty member wishes to apply for a reward or recognition while on this committee, he/she may recuse him/herself from that portion of the committee work.
This committee will send out an announcement regarding the application and nomination process and will meet as necessary to properly administer the Reward and Recognition Plan. Funding for the awards as stated below are subject to fiscal exigencies.
VCCS Policy states: 3.6.0.5.c: “Nominations for Recognition may come from the faculty member or their dean/supervisor or any other stakeholder. Nominations for Reward will come from a faculty member, dean/supervisor, or other employees of the college or VCCS. Reward and Recognition award recipients will be recommended by a committee comprised of a majority of full-time teaching faculty.”
The Faculty Reward and Recognition Committee should give due consideration to the potential for tax implications associated with certain types of awards. Recipients of the awards are responsible for any tax liabilities associated with acceptance of these awards. Recognition awards are to be of non-monetary or de minimis value. Specific information regarding de minimis benefits can be found on the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/Government-Entities/Federal,-State-&-Local-Governments/De-Minimis-Fringe-Benefits.
Eligibility
In order to eligible to receive a recognition, an individual must:
- Be a member of the full-time teaching faculty
- Have received an evaluative rating of “Meets Expectations” as of the most recently completed comprehensive faculty evaluation.
- Be current in the establishment and assessment of Annual Performance and Professional Development Objectives.
In order to be eligible to receive a reward, an individual must meet the above criteria as well as:
- Be a member of the full-time teaching faculty who is not in the first year of full-time employment as full-time teaching faculty at the college.
Faculty Reward Program
One way to acknowledge excellent performance is through a significant monetary reward. A minimum of 10% and a maximum of 25% of the full-time teaching faculty will receive monetary awards each academic year. In an attempt to both honor excellence of the faculty and honor the culture of Virginia Western, on an annual basis Virginia Western will offer the following awards.
The Virginia Western Teaching Excellence Award: This award will recognize full time teaching faculty who have excelled in one or more of the four teaching domains in the previous academic year. Faculty will be nominated for this award by fellow faculty members, supervisors, or through self-nomination. All nominations will be forwarded to the Rewards and Recognitions Committee by the deadline established by this committee. Selection of these faculty members will occur during the Fall semester for the work from the previous calendar year. The number and amount of the awards will be determined by the number of applications and the amount of available funds, but awards will be given as an honorarium of at least $500.
The J. Andrew Archer Teaching Award: Teaching at Virginia Western provides us with the opportunity to interact with many selfless and talented people whose principles and work we admire and respect. Unfortunately, we sometimes become so immersed in our daily responsibilities that we fail to take the time to show our colleagues just how much we appreciate the work they do and the contributions they make. To address this concern, the college initiated in 1998 an annual recognition and appreciation program that provides faculty and administrators with the opportunity to identify colleagues within their divisions whose contributions and service deserve special recognition and commendation. One award is given per academic school each year, as an honorarium of at least $500.
Faculty and/or deans within the respective school nominate faculty for this award from within their school. Nominations are forwarded to the Faculty Rewards and Recognition Committee. The faculty member who receives the most nominations will be honored along with the other award winners at the spring graduation ceremony. In addition to receiving a plaque and an honorarium, the recipients will have the singular satisfaction of knowing that their contributions have not gone unnoticed and unappreciated by their colleagues.
Robert H. Sandel College Service Award: This award recognizes full-time teaching faculty who have distinguished themselves by going above and beyond their assigned duties to benefit the faculty, their department, academic school, and/or the college during the preceding calendar year. All nominations will be forwarded to the Rewards and Recognitions Committee by the deadline established by the committee. One award is given per academic school each year, as an honorarium of at least $500.
Faculty Recognition Program
The Faculty Recognition Program recognizes exemplary achievement by faculty through the following recognition awards. Every effort shall be made to ensure that a minimum of 40% of full-time faculty shall receive a recognition award.
You Make a Difference Awards: “You Make the Difference” is a program to acknowledge and demonstrate immediate and spontaneous appreciation for the contribution of individuals to the college’s mission. This program provides continuous opportunities for fellow faculty members, administrators, staff, students, and members of the community to identify other staff, faculty (full time and adjunct) who make a difference at VWCC. A yearly catered event is held for all employees to attend with drawings of non-monetary awards for those employees who have received “You Make the Difference” cards throughout the year.
Learning Environment Awards: The Learning Environment Awards Program as a means of recognizing, on an ongoing basis, extraordinary and exemplary contributions to the learning environment by full-time teaching faculty in one or more of the following areas: Teaching, Scholarly and Creative Engagement, Institutional Responsibility, and Service. In order to acknowledge such behaviors and contributions by full-time teaching faculty, the Learning Environment Awards Program provides continuous opportunities for fellow faculty members, administrators, staff, students, and members of the community to identify full-time teaching faculty who should be considered for a Learning Environment Award.
Nomination Process (Learning Environment Awards). Those who wish to recommend a faculty member for a Learning Environment Award may do so at any time by submitting a completed Learning Environment Award Form (Appendix K) to the Faculty Reward and Recognition Committee.
Review and Selection (Learning Environment Awards). The Faculty Reward and Recognition Committee will review nominations for Learning Environment Awards in a timely manner, determine if the activity or contribution described is consistent with the intent and standards of the Learning Environment Awards Program, and notify nominees if they are to receive a Learning Environment Award. The committee shall also make award recipients aware of any further steps necessary to take delivery of the award.
Number, Nature, and Value of Recognition Awards. The number, nature, and value of faculty recognition awards will vary and are to be determined by the Faculty Reward and Recognition Committee. In general, however, faculty recognition awards should be more frequent and numerous than awards distributed through the Faculty Reward Program. Recognition awards are to be of non-monetary or de minimis value.
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