- What information do I need to make a nomination?
- Use this one-page PDF to guide you through the nomination process step by step:
DSA nomination step-by-step guide. - Who is eligible for the Distinguished Staff Award?
- Individual nominations are open to University of Washington staff in contract-covered, classified non-union, and professional staff positions with a 50% or greater regular appointment and employed at UW for a minimum of six months as of October 1, 2024 (start date prior to April 1, 2024).
Team nominations: The Distinguished Team Award is open to teams at the University of Washington primarily made up of staff (contract-covered, classified non-union, professional staff) but faculty, grad students and student workers may also be nominated as part of a team.
A team is defined as a group of people (ideally 2 – 10 individuals) who work together to achieve a common goal. While there is no team size maximum, nominating an extraordinarily large team or full department creates complexities for the DSA reception and the Awards of Excellence, should the team be selected for the award. Please contact uwdsa@uw.edu for a consultation in advance of submitting a larger team nomination.
- Who is not eligible?
- For individual nominations: Faculty (see next question), staff that fall outside the definition in the answer above, academic student employees, student workers and non-UW staff who work for affiliated organizations (Fred Hutchinson, SCCA, Seattle Children’s, Northwest Hospital, Valley Medical).
For team nominations: Since teams often cross employment types and UW affiliations, the Distinguished Team Award welcomes nominations that include the affiliations listed above as long the majority of the team are UW staff.
- Who can nominate a staff member?
- Anyone currently affiliated with the University of Washington—faculty, staff or student—may nominate a staff member. You do not have to work in the same unit as the nominee or have any particular work relationship/association with him/her.
- What is the award for Distinguished Staff Award recipients?
- Award recipients receive a cash award of $5,000. A team selected to receive the Distinguished Staff Award shares the award equally, and exclusively, among only the team members who have been nominated. For example, a four-member team would divide the award among the four people named in the nomination.
- How do I nominate a UW community member for another award outside of the Distinguished Staff Award program?
- Visit the Honors and Awards page to find all awards, including the Distinguished Teaching Award and Excellence in Teaching Award.
- I nominated a staff member in a previous year, but they didn’t receive the award. May that person be nominated again?
- Yes, the same individual can be nominated each year. There is no limit to the number of times a staff member can be nominated.
- Can I nominate someone for an individual award if they are also part of a team nomination?
- Yes, a team is considered a separate entity.
- What defines a team?
- A team is defined as a group of people (ideally 2 – 10 individuals) who work together to achieve a common goal. While there is no team size maximum, nominating an extraordinarily large team or full department creates complexities for the DSA reception and the Awards of Excellence, should the team be selected for the award. Please contact uwdsa@uw.edu for a consultation in advance of submitting a larger team nomination.
- Can I check with the committee to see if the person I am thinking of nominating has already been nominated by somebody else?
- No, as a practical matter, because most nominations are received in the last week of the nominating period. You should simply proceed with your nomination.
- How do I spell a name phonetically?
- To spell a name phonetically, break the parts of your names into syllables, capitalizing the letters one might emphasize when pronouncing the name. Include all letter sounds that might help a person say your nominee’s name, even if those same sounds are not present in the actual spelling of the name.
Examples:
John Barowski… John Ba-ROFF-skee
Emily Nguyen… Emily WIN
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart… VOOLF-gang Ahm-a-DAY-us MOT-sart
Renée Schmidt… Ruh-NAY Schmitt
Martina Tygielski… Mahr-TEEN-uh Ti-GALE-skee
Diego Shupla… Dee-AYE-go SHOOP-luh - Are extensions to the nomination deadline ever granted?
- We regret that extensions are not granted; nominations will not be accepted after the deadline.