University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 17, Jan. 23, 1997
Professional Merit Award guidelines announced

     Purpose: An annual program to identify and acknowledge
meritorious performance among designated elements of the
University's professional workforce. Recipients receive a one-
time cash bonus of $1000.
     Criteria: Eligible professional staff are nominated for
outstanding performance during the designated calendar year.
Performance must relate to (a) the introduction of new or
innovative procedures in the workplace; (b) the adoption of
demonstrable/significant cost saving mechanisms or techniques;
(c) significant personal contributions that contributed directly
to the achievement of approved departmental or University goals;
or (d) the provision of outstanding service to members of the
University or the citizens of Delaware.
     Eligibility: Program is open to full-time and part-time
professional staff with at least one year of University service.
Officers of administration, deans, chairs, directors of major
functions and other defined senior professionals are excluded.
     Nomination Process: Recommendations for recognition may be
initiated by the individual, peers or supervisor. Each nomination
may include up to three endorsements from other University
employees who do not report directly to the nominee but are
qualified to assess his/her performance.
     The provost or vice president will determine an appropriate
internal mechanism (such as a small screening panel) to review
nominations in units under his/her area of responsibility. This
process must be communicated to all professionals in the unit.
The panel, or other review mechanism, will screen all
nominations, verify that the criteria given above have been met,
and make recommendations of finalists to the provost or
appropriate vice president. Other sources to consider in
screening nominations can include annual performance evaluations,
letters of commendation or other comparable documents. The vice
president for administration, as account administrator, approves
the award recipients after consulting with the president.
     Acknowledgment Letter: At the completion of the merit award
selection process, an acknowledgment letter should be issued by
the provost or the appropriate vice president to inform
professional staff of the award recipient(s) and to recognize
publicly their outstanding performance. The provost or
appropriate vice presidents should also include the names of
other nominees and the reason(s) for their nomination.
     Number of Awards: Awards will be allocated in a manner
roughly proportional to the number of eligible professionals
within each vice president's area of responsibility.