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Cooperative Extension Service
Departments
Administration
Extension Excellence Awards Program
The Committee
The Extension Excellence Awards Committee will be responsible for securing
nominations and selecting recipients. The Associate Vice-President for
Agriculture-Extension will appoint a ten (10) member committee, with
representation from among the following groups: classified employees;
non-classified Ag, FCS/4-H and Support Services employees; LRSO; county; and
past award winners. The Associate Vice-President for Agriculture-Extension will
also designate the committee chair. Committee members will be on staggered
4-year appointments. In addition to the ten voting members, there will be an ex
officio member who will remain on the committee over time to coordinate and
provide administrative continuity and stability.
The Recommendation, Nomination, & Selection Process
The Associate Vice-President for Agriculture-Extension will issue the call
for recommendations for the Extension Excellence Awards. The committee will
notify those who have been suggested as possible nominees for Extension
Excellence Awards and request that they submit a documentation package for
committee consideration.
The committee will review the documentation packages submitted by employees
and be empowered to search, as needed, for additional employees who merit
recognition but were not suggested. Documentation from these additional
employees will also be requested for committee consideration.
Nominations for the Extension Excellence Awards will be announced to all
employees in advance of the presentation ceremony. All nominees will attend the
awards event where the winners will be announced and the awards presented.
Extension Excellence Awards Recommendation Form
The Awards
Six major new awards have been established, with recipients receiving
substantial dollars for program enhancement, professional development, or
personal use. The awards are intended to foster teamwork, professional
development, and innovation and creativity. Program enhancement fund awards will
have some stipulations on how the money can be spent (e.g., compliance with all
State requirements), and expenses from the fund will be sent through the regular
approval chain. Teams may only be nominated for one team award (e.g., Issue,
County, Unit, Diversity, or Innovation) per biennium. Employees may be nominated
for an individual award and also nominated as member of a team competing for a
different award. Award winners may not be nominated for subsequent biennial
awards on the basis of the same award-winning project, program, or achievement.
Examples of selection criteria for the awards are attached.
• Diversity Award [1]…..classified and non-classified employees are
eligible; teams and individuals may both compete; recognizes efforts toward
the promotion of an Extension culture that values and respects employee and
clientele differences; winner receives $5,000 in program enhancement funds.
• Issue Team Award [1]…..classified and non-classified employees are
eligible; only teams convened for a project or issue may compete -
individual employees are not eligible; program enhancement funds of $5,000
will be awarded to the winning team; team members will determine a plan for
spending the award dollars, subject to approval by the Associate Vice
President for Agriculture – Extension.
• County Team Award [1]…..classified and non-classified employees
are eligible; only teams consisting of an entire county office may compete;
the county office receives $2,500 in program enhancement funds.
• Unit Team Award [1]….. classified and non-classified employees are
eligible; only teams consisting of an entire unit (department or section)
may compete; the unit receives $2,500 in program enhancement funds.
• Early Career Awards [3]…..individual classified and non-classified
employees are eligible; candidates have 0-5 years service with ACES; the
recipient in each of the three categories below receives a bonus check of
$1,000 (gross) to use at the employee’s discretion.
-Specialist/Extension Associate (from program or support areas)
-County Extension Agent
-Classified
• Innovation Award [1]….. classified and non-classified employees
are eligible; teams and individuals may both compete; the Innovation Award
is not necessarily conferred each biennium; the award does not recognize
best practices but rather dynamic new thinking or processes which enhance
CES mission and/or operations; an individual recipient receives $2,000
(gross), whereas a winning team divides the $2,000 award among the team
members.
Examples of Selection Criteria
Diversity Award:
Diversity here refers to the creation of an organizational climate and
culture that incorporates mutual respect and acceptance and enables people who
are different with regard to national origin, race, color, age, disability,
gender, socio-economic class, urban/rural location, or religion to work well
together to realize employee potential and achieve Extension’s goals. Diverse
employees must be appreciated as a resource that enriches Extension. Individuals
must adapt to Extension, but Extension must also adapt to accommodate the
diversity of its employee population and clientele.
- Purpose of effort and activities involved
- Reasons this effort deserves recognition as an outstanding accomplishment
- Obstacles overcome (e.g., economic stratification, language barriers)
- Innovations
- Usefulness as model for others
- Money saved or resources gained for Extension
- Attraction of diverse audiences
- Efforts to improve cultural awareness
- Establishment of new coalitions and partnerships
- Organizational changes resulting from this effort
- Creativity (thinking outside the box)
- Improved educational materials or delivery methods
- Demonstrated impact
- Integration of different advisory groups
- Connection of the initiative to other Extension goals
- Organizational commitment demonstrated by the individual or by team
members
Issue Team Award:
- Purpose of effort and activities involved
- Reasons this effort deserves recognition as an outstanding
accomplishment
- Obstacles overcome
- Innovations
- Usefulness as model for others
- Money saved or resources gained for Extension
- Establishment of new coalitions and partnerships
- Organizational changes resulting from this effort
- Creativity (thinking outside the box)
- Improved educational materials or delivery methods
- Demonstrated impact
- Integration of partners
- Connection of the initiative to other Extension goals
- Organizational commitment demonstrated by the team members
County and Unit Team Awards:
- Demonstration of team achievement, citing examples of the various
accomplishments with supportive materials
- Evidence of the cohesiveness of the team
- Communication…..indicate the extent to which an effective, systematic
approach to communication is achieved within the unit
- Decision-making process in regards to resources, money, time
- Diversity…..how addressed and insured
- New team members…..how welcomed, oriented, and integrated into the
team
- Marketing/public relations…..what and how
- Team hierarchy…..is administrator/staff interaction in the traditional
hierarchy or is it flattened or in some other pattern
- Established forms of internal and external recognition
- To what extent are classified employees involved in planning and
carrying out programs/departmental goals, how are they incorporated into the
team, how are their ideas are solicited, and what evidence demonstrates that
their contribution is valued
- Evidence that teamwork is an on-going, rather than an occasional,
approach to county office programs and departmental operations.
Early Career Awards:
- Demonstrates career initiative by already taking advantage of
available professional development opportunities (e.g., in-service training)
- Evidence of involvement in professional organizations or civic
activities
- Active and on-going involvement in CES processes (e.g., committee
service)
- Demonstration of excellence in assigned duties
- Peer recognition of leadership ability
- Innovations/creativity
- Examples of service orientation toward internal and external customers
- Evidence of the application of new skills not required by the job but
pursued on own
- Personifies the mission and goal of Extension
Innovation Award:
It is important not to provide limitations or constraints for this award as
it gives recognition to entirely new and different ways to approach a problem.
It represents departures, previously unimagined projects or technologies.
Although a new approach may have been initiated, the completed product is not
required for consideration for this award. It recognizes new applications for
existing technology, the use of new methods of programming or program delivery,
or new ways to engage Extension partners.
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