OU-Tulsa Merit Award Nominations

Award Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for this award: 

• Have at least one year of continuous service at the University during the period of evaluation. 
• Employees must be a 50% (.50) or more FTE, permanent, non-faculty appointment at OU-Tulsa.
• Maintain and uphold a status of good standing by consistently demonstrating professionalism, with no instances of disciplinary actions, attendance violations, or any other performance-related concerns that could impact overall effectiveness or reputation. 
• The staff member must not have received a monetary award from the Staff Senate within the past three years.  

Award Type

• One-time cash payment to 4 winners in the amount of $1000.00 each.
• Employees must be actively employed with the University at the time of payout.  

Nomination/Selection Criteria: describe how the employee went above and beyond their normal job duties.

• Demonstrating leadership within a team, even if not in a formal leadership role. 
• Contributing to successful team outcomes like completing projects on time or reaching collective targets. 
• Directly impacted achievement of strategic plans and objectives. 
• Improved a process or a system within their department or college. 
• The employee consistently goes above and beyond what is expected, taking the initiative and doing more without needing any direction or request. 
• Employee goes out of their way to assist others within their department or on campus. 
• Demonstrating exceptional customer service or internal team support. 
• Employee serves on OU-Tulsa, departmental/college, or other University committees and/or special projects. 
• Employee advances their knowledge by learning new skills or being a resource for others. 
• The employee consistently upholds professional behavior and standards in the workplace. 
• Sustained a high level of productivity and consistent quality of work. 
• Demonstrated a high degree of initiative in the performance of functions. 
• Enhances access, fosters belonging, and cultivates a welcoming environment both within and beyond the University.   

Incomplete or anonymous nominations will not be considered. Include as much detail as possible and provide real-world examples that showcase the nominee's impact; specific stories and achievements that can truly highlight their contributions and make your nomination stand out! 

• 1 letter of support is required for this nomination.
• Additional letters of support can be included with the form. 

Questions?  

Please feel free to contact Tulsa Staff Senate (TulsaStaffSenate@ouhsc.edu) for any questions you may have in regards to the Standard Merit Awards.  Thank you!

Want to nominate someone? Click Here to submit a nomination!

Award Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for this award: 

• Have at least two years of continuous service at the University during the period of evaluation. 
• Employees must be a 50% (.50) or more FTE, permanent, non-faculty appointment at OU-Tulsa. 
• Maintain and uphold a status of good standing by consistently demonstrating professionalism, with no instances of disciplinary actions, attendance violations, or any other performance-related concerns that could impact overall effectiveness or reputation. 
• The staff member must not have received a monetary award from the Staff Senate within the past three years.  

Award Type

• One-time cash payment to the winner in the amount of $2000.00.
• Employee must be actively employed with the University at the time of payout.  

Nomination/Selection Criteria: describe how the employee went above and beyond their normal job duties.

• Demonstrating leadership within a team, a department, or campus committees, even if not in a formal leadership role. 
• Consistently offering help or taking initiative outside of their normal responsibilities in an effort to improve the department, college, or the campus environment. 
• Actively contributing to the achievement of strategic plans and goals for their department, college, or the broader campus community. 
• Driving improvements in processes or systems within their department, college, or across the broader campus community. 
• Making highly impactful contributions that enhance efficiency, service quality, cost-effectiveness, and other positive outcomes for the department, college, or the university as a whole. 
• Actively networking and collaborating with colleagues across the university to foster stronger working relationships. 
• Taking ownership of problems and seeing them through to resolution or successfully referring them to the appropriate staff member. 
• Enhancing the institution's image through outstanding customer service and professionalism. 
• Enhances access, fosters belonging, and cultivates a welcoming environment both within and beyond the University. 
• Serving as mentors for staff, students, and/or faculty. 
• Exemplifying the institution's core values of Integrity, Care, Intentionality, and Innovation.  

Incomplete or anonymous nominations will not be considered. Include as much detail as possible and provide real-world examples that showcase the nominee's impact; specific stories and achievements that can truly highlight their contributions and make your nomination stand out! 

• 2 letters of support are required for this nomination, one being from a superior, a leadership team member, or management within the institution. 
• Additional letters of support can be included with the form.

Questions?  

Please feel free to contact Tulsa Staff Senate (TulsaStaffSenate@ouhsc.edu) for any questions you may have in regards to the new Superior Merit Award.  Thank you!

Want to nominate someone? Click Here to submit a nomination!

Recipients from 2022-2024 are not eligible for the 2025 Merit Awards, both Standard and Superior.

2024

• Angela Miller
• Jill Manning
• Kari Ernest
• Morgan Biaggi-Frische

2023

• Ron Nealis 
• Jacobi Campbell
• Ashley Gregg
• Amy Hendrix-Dixken

2022

• Janet Gaskins
• Susan Hull
• Denise Vega Ruvalacaba
• Darcy Waddles

Click here to see a complete list of past recipients.