March 26, 2021

Invite your colleagues to collaborate on a U Make a Difference award nomination

Now's the time to formally recognize individuals and teams whose outstanding contributions make UCalgary a great place to learn and work; nominations close April 7

Whether working from home or on campuses, employees have worked hard during COVID-19 Photo by Maxime on Unsplash

The U Make a Difference award program recognizes individuals and teams who exemplify excellence and the ability to reach above and beyond the expected to "Make a Difference" in our university community, those who through their performance, commitment and service make the university a great place to learn and work.

Want to nominate a team or individual for the U Make a Difference award? Peers and colleagues are a great source of information when putting together your nomination letter. Recruiting co-nominators outside of your team environment can help you create a well-rounded picture of your nominee and spotlight the talents your team may not be aware of.

A discussion with your co-nominators will help find examples linked to the specific award criteria and focus on the unique attributes that show how the nominee made all the difference. Try to avoid generalities or non-specific statements about the individual.

Think about concrete examples and extracurricular activities which are not a part of regular work duties. Highlight the nominee's personal impact on various programs and projects. Collaboration with other managers and peers will help you capture details, anecdotes, and important stories to ensure your nomination letters stand out.

Read through the assessment rubrics to decide which category aligns best with your nominee’s contributions. Submitting one nomination package for more than one category is not the best practice: it makes the nomination vague and reduces the alignment between the examples and specific criteria.

Check the nomination letter templates on the website — they will guide you through the letter-writing process, providing valuable tips and recommendations for each of the categories:

Two or three concise and clear support letters focused on specific commitments and contributions will always work better than a ‘long story’ or one letter. Check multiple helpful resources on the U Make a Difference web page to make your work on the nomination package seamless, exciting, and fun.

Recognition is one of the 13 factors illustrated in the National Standard. The University of Calgary is a recipient of the Excellence Canada Mental Health at Work Silver Level Certification in this area. Visit WellBeing & WorkLife to learn more about workshops, resources and programs.

The U Make a Difference awards acknowledge that outstanding contributions to the university's vision can take many different forms and they provide all members of the university community the opportunity to formally recognize each other's efforts and contributions throughout the year. These awards are an important aspect of the university's culture of recognition.