Eastern Michigan University: Institutional Values Awards

Eastern Michigan University has had a rich history of divisional reward and recognition programs for staff and faculty at all levels of the institution. However, until 2003, no University-wide award existed.

The purpose of this program is to provide institution-wide employee awards and encourage the continuation as well as expansion of divisional reward and recognition programs that focus, align and reinforce individual and team performance with the values and strategic directions of Eastern Michigan University. These program components are included in the Reward and Recognition Program:

Up to six Institutional Values Awards in the following areas will be annually conferred for full-time faculty or staff in all employee groups and will carry a monetary stipend of $3,500 provided by the EMU Foundation:

Continuous Improvement, Innovation and/or Customer Service: Individual award for contributions in developing new approaches to service delivery; increasing effectiveness and efficiency; providing greater customer satisfaction; using creativity to improve services to EMU’s students, faculty, staff and external constituencies.
Contributions to the Quality of Student Learning Experiences: Individual award for contributions in providing a positive, supportive environment for student success at EMU (e.g., service as an adviser, plant maintenance, on-campus curricular and co-curricular experiences, involvement in residence hall activities, working with commuter students, mentoring programs, etc.).
Diversity, Human Dignity, Multicultural/International Involvement: Individual award for contributions in enhancing understanding, respect and inclusion of diversity among members of the EMU community and all of its constituencies.
Public Engagement and Community Service: Individual award for contributions in completing exemplary community service activities and building EMU linkages/partnerships with the local community, the Detroit metropolitan area, southeast Michigan, the State of Michigan and the nation.
Support Role in Teaching, Learning, Scholarship, Research and/or Creative Activity: Individual award for contributions in enhancing the content and delivery of undergraduate and graduate programs (e.g., support for increased online offerings, grant-writing to secure external funding, proposals for new courses/programs, mentoring programs, etc.).
Team Excellence: Employee team or group award for contributions in furthering the mission of EMU in the areas of instruction, institutional support or service, cooperation among units, customer service and/or student support, for results achieved in the previous calendar/academic year.

Fall Convocation, during which the President will deliver a State of the University address and winners of the Institutional Values Awards will be recognized.

Each year the President will appoint a campus-wide committee including past award recipients and representing all employee groups to review nominations and recommend winners for the Institutional Values Awards. Recommendations will be made to the President and endorsed by the Cabinet. Members of the screening committee will be ineligible to receive an award during their term of service. Nominators must be employed full time by EMU and will be responsible for assembling a nomination packet (not to exceed 10 pages) that will include the application, the 6-page nomination narrative, and three 1-page letters of support. Extensive portfolios will not be required or accepted. The Divisional manager/Dean and Vice President or senior administrator reporting to the President must concur with the nomination prior to submission.

While full-time EMU employees may be nominated in more than one category, nominees may not receive more than one award in a given year. No employee may receive an award in the same category more than once (i.e., as an individual or member of a team) while employed at EMU. Although six awards annually are preferred, there may be occasions when an award is not given in a particular year.