The college recognizes Virginia Western’s loyal, efficient and friendly employees who provide valuable services to our students, customers and citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are extremely proud of our reputation, especially the talents and contributions of our dedicated, hard-working employees who provide these services.
Every employee is valuable and plays a very important role in helping to fulfill our mission. We fully support and encourage methods – both formal and informal – to recognize, praise and reward our employees for outstanding contributions, exemplary performance, and continuous service.
Our goal is to acknowledge and recognize our employees and to encourage excellence in service to the college and the citizens we serve. Thus, we have a variety of reward and recognition programs that include in part peer-to-peer, colleague, and supervisory nomination based awards. The Learning Environment Award allows employees, students and the community to nominate eligible 9-month teaching faculty for recognition.
Annual Teaching Faculty Awards
Teaching Excellence Award
This award recognizes full time teaching faculty who have excelled at creating a learning environment that facilitates students’ acquisition of knowledge and skills in a subject during the calendar year. To demonstrate teaching excellence, consider the ways in which this teaching faculty member has gone above and beyond to create an environment that promotes student learning and success.
Some examples include:
- creation of OER
- excels at office hours
- novel approaches to classroom instruction
- development of student-centered course materials
- advises or assists with a specific student organization
- works with students outside of the classroom, beyond minimum office hour expectations
- activities in or out of the classroom that support student engagement with the subject-matter
During the nomination period, fellow 9-month teaching faculty members and/or deans may nominate an eligible teaching faculty member. Self-nominations are accepted. Nominations should offer specific details about the area of excellence that is deserving of meritorious recognition. The recipient(s) of the reward will receive an honorarium of $500 and a plaque at the college’s annual Employee Awards Ceremony.
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.
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 this committee. One award is given per academic school each year, as an honorarium of at least $500.
Annual Faculty & Classified Staff Awards
Service Award
The college celebrates and honors employees for their length of service with the Commonwealth of Virginia. This program is for all full-time and certain part-time faculty and classified staff with five or more years of service, given at five-year milestones. Full-time employees may select an award offered up to their service milestone and will be presented their selected award along with a certificate of appreciation at the annual Employee Awards Ceremony.
Outstanding Classified Staff Achievement Award
The Outstanding Classified Achievement Award recognizes excellence and honors full-time classified and regular part-time wage employees for their outstanding dedication, enthusiasm, extraordinary accomplishments and contributions to the mission of the college. During the nomination period, any employee may nominate employees whose characteristics illustrate extraordinary contributions and outstanding achievements. Three recipients receive a trophy and a $500 monetary reward at the annual Employee Awards Ceremony. Full-time classified employees and regular part-time wage employees, having no active written notices, and with at least one year of service are eligible for this reward. Employees may receive the award only once in a two-year period.
Classified Employee of the Year Award
The Classified Employee of the Year Award recognizes full-time classified staff whose work and contributions to Virginia Western are exemplary, based on but not limited to job performance, job knowledge and skills, cooperation, dependability, loyalty, attitude, integrity, and relations with fellow employees, students and/or the community. During the nomination period, any employee may nominate a full-time classified employee for this award. In order for the employee to be eligible for the award, the recipient shall have received at least one Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution Form within their last performance cycle and one that has not received the award within the past two years. The recipient of this award will receive a plaque, $500 monetary reward, and a one-year special parking pass at the annual Employee Awards Ceremony.
STAR Award
The STAR award seeks to recognize full-time 12-month faculty, classified staff, and regular part-time wage employees for service, teamwork, achievement, and/or results demonstrating a commitment to the core values of Virginia Western. As a forward-thinking college, we place an emphasis on service that encompasses diversity, integrity, respect, teamwork and success. During the nomination period, any employee may nominate employees who exemplify the STAR Award and has not received the award within the past two years. The recipient receives a trophy and a $500 monetary reward at the annual Employee Awards Ceremony.
J. Andrew Archer Award for Administrative/Professional Leadership Excellence Award
The J. Andrew Archer Award for Administrative/Professional Leadership Excellence Award is a peer-to-peer award within the members of the Administrative Senate Committee. During the nomination period, members of the Administrative Senate Committee nominate a peer within this committee who demonstrates excellent leadership as reflected in part through action, motivation, integrity, team building, communication, as well as vision and goal setting. The award includes $500 and a plaque for excellent leadership at the annual Employee Awards Ceremony. Those eligible to receive this award shall have at least one year of Virginia Western administrative/professional service as of the date of the award and have not received the award in the prior four years.
Ongoing Faculty & Classified Staff Recognition
You Make the Difference
A You Make the Difference card is available for employees to recognize the noteworthy actions of other employees throughout the year providing immediate and spontaneous recognition. Eligible employees who have received You Make the Difference card(s) consistent within the intention of the program may receive recognition through monthly drawings from cards received during the current year. Recipients of this award may receive special monthly parking, movie tickets, a Virginia Western logo item, or a taxable gift card.
Immediate Recognition
Immediate recognition is available for supervisors to recognize their employees’ actions that go above-and-beyond normal work expectations. Immediate awards vary based on employee eligibility and may include gift cards, monetary awards, recognition leave, certificates of appreciation, movie tickets, VWCC logo items, and You Make the Difference cards. Recognition leave is only available to full-time classified employees. Supervisors may also recognize full-time classified staff by the completion of an Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution Form.
Learning Environment Award
The Learning Environment Award is recognition that is available throughout the year for extraordinary and exemplary contributions or a single act supporting the learning environment. Eligible employees include regular full-time 9-month teaching faculty who have excelled 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, the Learning Environment Award provides continuous opportunities for fellow faculty members, administrators, staff, students, and members of the community to identify regular full-time 9-month teaching faculty for consideration of this award. Recipients may choose their recognition from a variety of de minimus awards such as a set of movie passes, special parking, Virginia Western logo item; or may choose up to a $50 donation to the college student book fund, emergency fund, student scholarship fund, or other Foundation employee giving funds. Examples of an appropriate nomination might include exemplary performance organizing a successful campus event or going above-and-beyond expectations in one single action assisting a student or a member of the community.
Those who wish to recommend a faculty member for a Learning Environment Award may do so at any time during the year by submitting a completed Learning Environment Award Form to the Human Resources Office.
Students and community members wishing to nominate faculty may obtain the nomination form from either Human Resources or the division office within an academic school.
Employee Awards Ceremony
Being honored publicly is one of the highest honors the college bestows. Each year a formal event occurs to honor and recognize employees for service award milestones and select special awards.
Rewards and Recognition Work Group
The Rewards and Recognition Work Group is comprised of previous special award recipients and a Human Resources representative serving as the ex-officio. The work group is charged with reviewing nominations submitted for special awards including the Learning Environment Award. The work group will make a recommendation for the recipient(s) of the award(s) based on established criteria.
Click here for the Rewards and Recognition for Employees Policy. Additional information on 9-month teaching faculty rewards and recognition is located in the Faculty Evaluation and Development Plan.
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