The President’s Staff Recognition Program recognizes excellence and extraordinary effort demonstrated by full-time and part-time non-temporary Ramapo College employees (non-faculty).

• Nominations may be made by students, staff or faculty members. Employees may nominate themselves.
• Nominations may be submitted electronically via the web forms below or via hardcopy forms. Hardcopy forms are available for pick-up from Public Safety, Facilities, Student Affairs Office (C-212), the Learning Commons Circulation Desk, HR (D-111) and the Office of the President (M-207).
• The application process will remain open through Friday, April 15, 2022.
• Would you like to nominate someone for an award but would like some support in authoring or submitting the nomination form? No problem, contact any Committee member (see below) and we will provide you with assistance!

The President’s Staff Recognition Program Committee will review the eligibility of nominees in accord with the following criteria. Nominees must:

1. be full-time permanent staff or part-time non-temporary staff (non-faculty)
2. be employed in current position for at least one full year at the time of nomination

Once an employee is recognized for a President’s award, the employee is ineligible to be awarded for five years.

**Within the five years, individual award recipients shall not be excluded from being recognized as a member of a group or team (Staff Excellence in Service and the Staff Team Award). Also, members of the Staff Team Award are eligible for individuals awards within the five-year time period.

Staff Leadership Award

(up to three recipients – two union awardees and one manager)

Awarded to a Ramapo College staff member who, in that year, assumed a leadership role and successfully effected positive change.

The Staff Leadership category recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership while contributing to building an effective and positive work environment and/or strengthening an aspect of the student experience. Individuals nominated should demonstrate at least three of the following qualities:

• Successfully leading a team to complete a significant institutional project
• Motivating others to perform at an exceptional level through morale building exercises or exemplary work
• Identifying a specific recurring issue on campus and implementing practices to resolve the issue or leading the effort to develop a response
• Assuming additional assignments and challenging projects to advance the goals of the unit/division/College
• Going above and beyond to foster a healthy and safe environment for employees to work and students to learn
• Others as appropriate

* Please describe three specific examples that illustrate how the nominee demonstrates the qualities listed above *

Staff Leadership Award Form

This form is currently closed for submissions.

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Staff Excellence in Service Award

(up to three individual/group recipients)

Awarded to an individual or recognized group that, in that year, provided exemplary service to College constituents and our physical campus.

The Staff Excellence in Service category recognizes individuals, units/departments or other recognized groups who foster cooperation, collaboration and open communication. Individuals or recognized groups nominated should demonstrate at least three of the following qualities:

• Excellent constituent service which met a special need of a student, visitor, colleague or faculty member evidenced by feedback from the community
• Sincere cooperation, positive attitude and exceptional willingness to assist others
• Willingness to go beyond the explicit parameters of a job description to better serve the College
• A commitment to the spirit of diversity and behavior which demonstrates inclusion of persons who are members of traditionally underrepresented groups
• Empathy and humility as a colleague, a mentor and/or educator
• Outstanding acts of public service above and beyond the duties and responsibilities of the employee’s position which reflect credit upon Ramapo College of New Jersey
• Others as appropriate

*Please describe three specific examples that illustrate how the nominee demonstrates the qualities listed above *

Staff Excellence in Service Award Form

This form is currently closed for submissions.

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Staff Team Project Award

(one cross-division group recipient)

Awarded to a group of three or more staff members from at least two College divisions who achieved a significant outcome or completed a significant project.

The Team Project Award is focused on recognizing collaboration across units/departments. In that spirit, staff members from at least two divisions must contribute to the team project. The Divisions of the College are: Academic Affairs, Administration & Finance, Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, and Institutional Advancement.

Nominated teams must demonstrate the following:

• Completion of a significant outcome or project in support of one of the four strategic plan goals: (a) Advance Academic Excellence & Engagement, (b) Enhance Financial Strength & Institutional Sustainability, (c) Improve Internal & External Relations and Communications, and (d) Cultivate & Support Diversity & Inclusiveness.
• Advancement of a minimum of three of the six priorities for Academic Year 2021-2022:
  • Foster a healthy, well, and safe environment for work and study.
  • Deliver a high-quality, vibrant student experience.
  • Be equitable in practices to assess the fairness and effectiveness of decisions.
  • Be creative and reflective—empowered to apply what is learned and willing to grow from those lessons.
  • Be gentle with one another—demonstrating empathy and humility as colleagues, as mentors, and as educators in order to be stronger partners.
  • Be adaptable and resilient—recognize that conditions are impermanent and new challenges are inevitable.
• Collaboration: The team will have demonstrated strong collaboration skills, balanced ownership across all the team members to achieve the outcome or project, and exemplified what it means to be “good teammates”
• Team composition and talent: The team will have reflected the diversity of the College.

Project Award Example: A project completed by staff from Human Resources, ITS, and Events & Conferences would qualify because the units represent the three divisions. A project completed by Admissions, Residence Life, and Student Conduct would not qualify because all of the units are within the Enrollment Management & Student Affairs Division.

Staff Team Project Award Form

This form is currently closed for submissions.

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• All nominations are reviewed by the President’s Staff Recognition Program Committee.
• The 2022 Committee includes:
  • 2020 & 2021 Award Winners: Michael Bauer (on behalf of the Course Mod App Team), Rick Brown, Diane Couzens, Robert Doster (on behalf of ITS), Kathleen Farina, Gurvinder Khaneja, Jan Koslowsky, Debra Lukacsko, Gina Mayer-Costa, Juan Carlos Merello, David Nast (on behalf of MSCHE Self-Study Steering Committee), and Melissa Van Der Wall
  • College Representatives: Virginia Galdieri (Co-chair, Human Resources), Nicole Morgan Agard (Co-chair, E.D.I.C.), Stephanie Scheeler (Co-chair, Office of the President), Tim Babasade (RSA), Virginia Bonnett (CWA), Susan Petro (AFT), Rep. TBA (IFPTE)
• The Committee is appointed by the President.
• Nominations are confirmed confidentially and as needed with unit supervisors/division heads.
• The Committee makes recommendations to the President, who then makes the final selection.
• Committee members are not permitted to submit nominations for awards.
• Committee members shall maintain the confidentiality of all nominations.
• Committee members are not eligible for individual awards.
• Committee members nominated as part of a Staff Team Project Award shall recuse themselves from voting on Team Award nominations.
• Award recipients are invited to serve on the Program Committee the following year.

• Individual recipients will be presented with a personalized inscribed plaque.
• Recipients will be announced with formal presentation at the June Board of Trustees meeting.
• Individual and group recipients shall receive a summary of their nominations/noted contributions in the form of a letter from the President copied to their personnel file.
• Recipient names and photos (when available) will be included on the web.
• Individual and group nominees shall be notified of their nomination after the award recipients are announced.

The program is reviewed annually based on the availability of resources and the merit of the nominations.

Click here for a list of previous award winners.