Principal's Staff Awards

Categories of Principal’s Staff Awards

Leadership
Emerging Leadership
Enhancing the UTM Experience (Karen Thiffault Award)
Creativity & Innovation
Community Engagement
Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Well-being
Sustainability

Winners of the Principal’s Staff Awards will receive a choice of funds for Professional Development or True Blue points redeemable for prizes on the True Blue platform.

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

Individuals may be nominated for all PSA categories.

Teams may be nominated for four categories of PSAs:

  • Enhancing the UTM Experience
  • Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Sustainability/Green Initiatives
  • Wellbeing

For team nominations, the nominator must select one team member as the lead, and this person must have a minimum of three years of continuous service at UTM.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Nomination Deadline: 2024 Nominations now closed

 

Principal’s Staff Award for Leadership
(individual)

 

three people walking together and talking

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Award Criteria

The nominee must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  • Demonstrated a high level of problem-solving skills
  • Provided a sense of purpose, vision and mission for their co-workers and/or team members
  • Positively influenced others to build consensus around departmental or organizational objectives
  • Displayed a commitment to people at the University and/or in the broader community that is above and beyond the requirements of their position
  • Led by example; positively influenced/engaged others to contribute and be respectful of each other
  • Demonstrated leadership by encouraging the advancement of others in their careers
  • Contributed to making UTM a better workplace beyond their own unit/department
  • Contributed to developing the leadership capacity and strengths of those around them
  • Led a team to go above and beyond expectations

 

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Principal’s Staff Award for Emerging Leadership
(individual)

 

people chatting in an office hallway

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Note: This award category differs from the Leadership category in that nominees either demonstrate significant potential to assume more senior leadership within the organization, or show leadership potential, while perhaps not being in formal leadership roles (e.g., the person steps up to exercise leadership as the opportunity arises in order to effect change, etc.)

Award Criteria

The nominee must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  • Displayed a commitment to people at the University and/or in the broader community that is above and beyond the requirements of their position
  • Led by example; positively influenced/engaged others to contribute and be respectful of each other
  • Actively sought opportunities for learning and developing knowledge of leadership principles and practice
  • Displayed significant potential to advance their career and achieve positions of greater responsibility
  • Contributed to making UTM a better workplace in their own unit/department or more broadly
  • Contributed to developing the leadership capacity and strengths of those around them

 

Blue button with text in white reading "Nominate"

Karen Thiffault Award for Enhancing the UTM Experience 
(individual or team)

 

two women speaking at a service desk

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

For team nominations, the nominator must select one team member as the lead, and this person must have a minimum of three years of continuous service at UTM.

Team nominations can be made up of any group of two (2) to ten (10) individuals. All team members must be in good standing.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Award Criteria

The nominee/team must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  • Provided a high level of customer service over and above their job description
  • Maintained a consistently high quality of service to their clients (students, faculty, etc.)
  • Created innovative programs and opportunities for clients
  • Anticipated clients' needs and potential problems
  • Improved the value, efficiency and sustainability of the services they provide
  • Served as a role model through positive interactions

 

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Principal’s Staff Award for Creativity & Innovation
(individual)

 

three women sitting at conference table

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Award Criteria

The nominee must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  • Made innovative contributions within their field of work
  • Contributed to a project or initiative that enabled a more effective environment in which to work or learn (within three years prior to the nomination)
  • Created new, cost-effective, sustainable and/or innovative work methods that align with the mandate of the unit
  • Developed a new approach, technology, or implementation that helped solve an organizational goal or challenge
  • Demonstrated a high level of problem-solving skills
  • Introduced new and meaningful ways of approaching a project, process, or service

 

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Principal’s Staff Award for Community Engagement
(individual)

 

three people sitting with a laptop

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Award Criteria

The nominee must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  • Displayed commitment to community enhancement in either the UTM community or service to another community
  • Exemplified good citizenship through personal volunteerism or by helping to position UTM as a good citizen in the wider world
  • Served as a mentor and/or model citizen to students, faculty, staff, or community members outside of UTM

 

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Principal’s Staff Award for Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
(individual or team)

 

three women at a conference table

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

For team nominations, the nominator must select one team member as the lead, and this person must have a minimum of three years of continuous service at UTM.

Team nominations can be made up of any group of two (2) to ten (10) individuals. All team members must be in good standing.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Award Criteria

The nominee/team must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  1. Showed leadership in promoting intercultural understanding and inclusion at UTM by:
    • encouraging professional development to build intercultural understanding
    • building respectful environments to enhance inclusion; and/or
    • actively seeking opportunities for learning and development of intercultural understanding and inclusion principles and practice

OR

  1. Advanced equity, diversity and inclusion at UTM by:
    • removing barriers to full and active participation in university life
    • enhancing the accessibility of the physical environment
    • working to embed equity and diversity in their area of influence
    • leading by example to positively influence and engage others in equity and diversity initiatives and the creation of a positive, respectful environment; and/or applying an equity lens to projects and initiatives within their area of influence

 

Blue button with text in white reading "Nominate"

Principal’s Staff Award for Well-being
(individual or team)

 

four people at table

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

For team nominations, the nominator must select one team member as the lead, and this person must have a minimum of three years of continuous service at UTM.

Team nominations can be made up of any group of two (2) to ten (10) individuals. All team members must be in good standing.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Award Criteria

The nominee/team must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  • Created opportunities for others to increase their knowledge, skills and awareness of individual and organizational well-being and resilience
  • Led activities and initiatives that promote social, physical, and/or mental health and well-being
  • Inspired community members to care for themselves and each other
  • Worked to embed well-being in projects and initiatives within their unit/department/faculty
  • Promoted and enhanced the well-being of students, faculty and/or staff

 

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Principal’s Staff Award for Sustainability
(individual or team)

 

group of people sitting out couches overlooking green space

Eligibility

All staff and librarians with a minimum of three years of continuous service at the university and who are actively employed at UTM at the time of the award presentation are eligible for this award, with the exception of members of the executive committee.

For team nominations, the nominator must select one team member as the lead, and this person must have a minimum of three years of continuous service at UTM.

Team nominations can be made up of any group of two (2) to ten (10) individuals. All team members must be in good standing.

Nominations may be submitted by UTM faculty, staff and students. Students wishing to submit a nomination should contact Oti Igbinosun.

Award Criteria

The nominee/team must have accomplished some or all of the following:

  • Made a direct and positive contribution to the sustainability of the UTM campus
  • Actively conserved natural resources or influenced the conservation of resources
  • Promoted biodiversity
  • Increased awareness of the need for sustainable behaviour
  • Encouraged and assisted members of the UTM community to adopt more sustainable behaviours or helped establish a campus culture allowing this to happen

 

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