Northern Michigan University
Distinguished Team Award Procedure

PURPOSE

This procedure supports the Northern Michigan University's Distinguished Team Award Policy.

APPLICABILITY

This procedure pertains to all faculty, staff and those students assigned to a committee in which the committee membership substantially consist of faculty and staff.

PROCEDURE

Who can be nominated:  Any team as defined in the policy definition may be nominated for recognition.  Teams may include students however, the team membership must consist of substantially more faculty and staff than students.

Who can nominate:  Any individual can nominate a work team for recognition provided that individual is not a member of the team being nominated.

When may Nominations be Submitted:  Applications for team recognition can be submitted online at anytime.  Applications must be received by the end of the first full week in February to be considered for that year’s recognition program by the University’s Distinguished Team Award Selection Committee.

Selection Criteria:  The Committee will evaluate all nominations based on the following criteria:

• Impact on the University’s mission/goals, (i.e.: gained significant positive community recognition, significantly improves resource utilization, substantially improved customer service).

• Exemplary effort, (i.e.: giving 110%, going beyond what is expected, exceeding the standards of acceptance).

• Innovation, (i.e.: novel approaches, demonstrates creativity, visionary).

• Team cohesiveness, (i.e.: unified commitment, positive cooperation within the group, consensus building).

Selection & Award  Dates:  Human Resources must receive the nominations by the end of the first full week of February.  All award recipients will be announced not later than the 3rd week in March.

Award Management:  The University’s Distinguished Team Award Selection Committee will manage the award process.  Human Resources will coordinate the award procedures.

Application Process:  Anyone interested in nominating a team for consideration can obtain a nomination form on-line (nomination form).  Information on the nomination form marked with an asterisk must be completed in order for the nomination to be considered.  When responding to the various questions on the application, please limit your response to two paragraphs per question.

Selection Process:  The University’s Distinguished Team Award Selection Committee will convene each February to consider all received nominations.  The Committee will evaluate each nomination based on the selection criteria stated above.  To assist in their decision process, the Committee may request the nominated team’s chairperson to provide additional clarifying information, either in written format or in person.  The number of teams to be recognized annually will be determined by the Committee based on the quality of the nominations.  The Committee will forward their recommendations for the University’s Distinguished Team Award to the President and Vice Presidents for concurrence.  After concurring with the recommendations, the University will announce the University’s Distinguished Team Award recipients not later than the 3rd week in March.  If a team being considered for the Distinguished Team Award includes a member of the University’s Distinguished Team Award Selection Committee, that Committee member must excuse themselves from the selection process when their nominated team is being considered.

Team Recognition:  Teams that are announced as recipients of the University’s Distinguished Team Award will be honored at the annual Retirement and Service Award Luncheon in April.  Each team will be awarded the following:

• A voucher for a team dinner at an location of their choice (equal to $40 per team member)
• A certificate for each team member identifying their accomplishment

Media Coverage:  Human Resources will coordinate with the Communications and Marketing Department to arrange press releases to announce the award winners.

REFERENCES

None.

INITIATING DEPARTMENT/DIVISION

Human Resources, ext. 2330.

For associated policy, please click here: Team Award Policy