Dear Penn Faculty and Staff:

We are pleased to announce the introduction of a Models of Excellence program for University of Pennsylvania staff. This program provides a format for recognizing outstanding individual and team contributions to the University's teaching, research, and community service mission, through:

Development and implementation of practices, procedures and policies that substantially support the University's mission,
Innovative and proactive leadership,
Extraordinary customer service,
Substantial cost-effectiveness,
Exemplary relationship building within and/or outside of the immediate organization.

This program supports the values of the University; provides models of outstanding practices and accomplishments for us to emulate; and offers an opportunity for us to honor, award, and celebrate these outstanding contributions through an awards ceremony and special gifts for those who are selected.

--Judith Rodin, President

--Robert Barchi, Provost

--John Fry, Executive Vice President

Models of Excellence Program for University of Pennsylvania Staff

MODELS OF EXCELLENCE | NOMINATIONS GUIDELINES | REFERENCE GUIDELINES

Awards

Individuals identified as Models of Excellence will receive a cash prize of $500 each and a Models of Excellence award. Individuals receiving Honorable Mention recognition will receive a cash prize of $250 and an Honorable Mention award.

Award Selection Criteria

The following selection criteria will be used to identify outstanding staff contribution to the University's mission. Extremely noteworthy contributions will receive Honorable Mention.

Supportive Practices, Procedures, and Policies

Bringing about significant positive change for the University's mission,
Eliminating significant obstacles to achieving the University's mission,
Resolving, in unique/novel ways, problems that impede progress.

Innovative and Proactive Leadership

Utilizing highly effective and/or novel practices to inspire and lead others to contribute constructively to the University's mission, and/or
Proactively identifying and resolving challenges that interfere with team/unit/school/center activities to further the University's mission, and/or
Encouraging a coordinated effort by a complex group and facilitating the group's ability to meet complicated goals.

Extraordinary Customer Service

Supporting internal and/or external constituencies in ways that exceed expectations and result in unexpected and very positive outcomes that support the University's mission.

Substantial Cost-Effectiveness Achievements

Identifying improvements to University practices, policies and/or program designs that result in substantial cost savings or financial gain to the University while enhancing the organization's ability to support the University's mission.

Exemplary Relationship Building Within and/or Outside of the Immediate Organization

Developing and utilizing strong, constructive and productive relationships that enable goals to be met that would be impossible otherwise.

Nomination Process

Nominations are welcome from any full- or part-time faculty or staff member of the University of Pennsylvania, including self-nominations. Nominations should apply to achievements which occurred between July 1, 1998 and November 22, 1999.

All nominations must include:

1) A description of the individual/team's outstanding contribution to the University reflective of the excellence described below. As many of the excellence criteria categories as possible will be addressed. This information should be type-written on no more than two pages, in the format of the Nomination Guideline provided below.

2) Two other University references in labeled, sealed envelopes from individuals familiar with the work cited. No more or less than two references should be provided.

One of the references must be from the nominee's supervisor or the nominated team's manager. References should confirm and expound on the described achievements and outcomes in the format of the Reference Guideline provided here.

References should be type-written and limited to one page each. No more or less than two references should be provided.

Nominators should request that references be returned to them in sealed envelopes labeled with the name of the individual(s) being nominated. These references should be forwarded to the submission addresss listed below, along with the rest of the nomination materials.

Timing: All nominations are due by November 23, 1999. Nominations should apply to staff contributions occurring from July 1, 1998 through November 22, 1999.

Submission: via intramural mail to: Models--Human Resources, 527-A, 3401 Walnut Street/6228.

Selection

Individuals and/or teams will be selected as Models of Excellence based on the outstanding nature of their contribution to the University. Extremely noteworthy contributions will receive Honorable Mention. The number of awards given annually will be a reflection of the very high standards associated with these awards.

Individuals selected for these honors will be notified during February and this information will be publicized broadly to the University community.

A celebration in honor of the Models of Excellence and those accorded Honorary Mention will be held soon after announcement of the selections.

Selection Committee

The committee will consist of the following:

Provost
Executive Vice President
Secretary of the University
Vice President for Human Resources
Chair, Faculty Senate
Chair, Management Department, The Wharton School
Two Deans or Senior Administrators from the Schools
Member, Student Committee for Undergraduate Education
Member, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
Manager, Quality of Worklife Programs

After the first year of the program, two staff members recognized as Models of Excellence during the previous year will join the Selection Committee.

Questions

For more information about this program, see www.hr.upenn.edu/quality or contact Marilyn Kraut, Manager, QOWL Programs, models@hr.upenn.edu or (215) 898-0380.

MODELS OF EXCELLENCE | NOMINATIONS GUIDELINES | REFERENCE GUIDELINES

Models of Excellence Nomination Guidelines

For easy completion, this outline also is provided on the Quality of Worklife web site at www.hr.upenn.edu/quality.

Please include in the nomination, the following information about you:

Your name and Title

Office telephone number and E-mail address

Campus address and mail code

Your relationship to the individual/team being nominated

Please provide the following information about the individual(s) you would like to nominate for a Model of Excellence award, in the order indicated below. Be sure to provide this information on all individuals who contributed to the excellent achievement or accomplishment upon which this nomination is based.

Name and Title

Office telephone number and E-mail address

Campus address and mail code

Please indicate in the nomination the excellence criteria reflective of the individual/team's contribution to the University's mission. As many of the excellence criteria categories as possible should be addressed.

Supportive practices, procedures, and policies

Bringing about significant positive change for the University's mission,
Eliminating significant obstacles to achieving the University's mission,
Resolving in unique/novel ways problems that impede progress.

Innovative and proactive leadership

Utilizing highly effective and/or novel practices to inspire and lead others to contribute constructively to the University mission,
Proactively identifying and resolving challenges that interfere with team/unit/school/center activities to further the University's mission,
Encouraging a coordinated effort by a complex group and facilitating the group's ability to meet complicated goals.

Extraordinary customer service

Supporting internal and/or external constituencies in ways that exceed expectations and result in unexpected and very positive outcomes supportive to the University mission.

Substantial cost effectiveness achievements

Identifying improvements to University practices, policies and/or program designs that result in substantial cost savings or financial gain to the University while enhancing the organization's ability to support the University mission.

Exemplary relationship building within and/or outside of the immediate organization

Developing and utilizing strong, constructive and productive relationships that enable goals to be met that would otherwise be impossible.

Please provide a brief description (500-600 words) of the individual/team's outstanding contribution to the University between July 1, 1998 and November 22, 1999. This description should respond to the following questions in the order indicated below.

What was the accomplishment/achievement?
How does this reflect the standards of excellence checked above and why?
What special challenges had to be met or overcome or what special creativeness was required to achieve this?
Why is this particularly worthy of recognition?
What role did each individual have in the accomplishment/achievement?

Nominations may be submitted for consideration by the Selection Committee via intramural mail to: Models--Human Resources, 527-A, 3401 Walnut/6228.

All nominations are due November 23, 1999. Please remember to include two references in labeled and sealed envelopes, at the same time you submit the above information.

MODELS OF EXCELLENCE | NOMINATIONS GUIDELINES | REFERENCE GUIDELINES

Models of Excellence Reference Guidelines

(No more or less than two references are required for each nomination achievement.)

Please provide the following information as reference for the achievement described in the Models of Excellence Nomination. Please provide this information in a labeled and sealed envelope to the nominator to include with other nomination materials.

For easy completion, this outline also is provided on the Quality of Worklife web site at www.hr.upenn.edu/quality.

Please include in the reference the following information about you:

Your name and Title

Office telephone number

E-mail address

Campus address and mail code

Your relationship to the individual(s) being nominated

Please indicate:

Name of the nominee(s)

Brief description of the achievement

Please provide a brief description (no more than 300 words) of your knowledge of the achievement for which the individual/team is being nominated. This description should include the following information, in the order indicated below.

What is your working relationship to the nominee(s) and how long have you known him/her/them?
What is your knowledge of this specific achievement/accomplishment and the role of the nominee(s) in this outcome?
Do you feel this achievement/accomplishment is worthy of recognition for the Models of Excellence Program? Please explain and highlight obstacles, resource constraints, creative solutions, etc., that made this a noteworthy achievement/accomplishment.
Are there others who were involved in this achievement/accomplishment that you feel should be included in this nomination? Please explain.
Are there other factors, considerations that the Selection Committee should take into consideration when assessing this nomination? Please explain.

For easy completion, this outline also is provided on the Quality of Worklife web site at www.hr.upenn.edu/quality.

Please return the reference to the nominator in a labeled, sealed envelope.

Labeling should include:

Name of the individual(s) being nominated

Name of the nominator

Date of the reference

MODELS OF EXCELLENCE | NOMINATIONS GUIDELINES | REFERENCE GUIDELINES

Almanac, Vol. 46, No. 7, October 12, 1999

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