Through the process outlined below, we hope to provide a visible and powerful way to communicate and reinforce the behaviors and outcomes most important to organizational success, with a focus on reaching strategic and operational goals.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• All ACT career and casual employees are eligible regardless of their assigned step or position in the salary range (subject to union agreements).
  
• To be eligible, an employee must have received a rating of "Met Expectations" or better on the most recent performance evaluation and must not have received corrective action during the preceding 12 months.
  
• Teams or groups of employees are eligible.
  
• Nominated employees who leave ACT prior to the distribution of awards for reason other than death or retirement are not eligible.

AWARD CRITERIA

In order to be selected, an employee or team achievement will normally excel in one or more of the following areas beyond normal job requirements:

• Excellent customer service
• Achievement of high productivity
• Creativity, innovation and initiative
• Outstanding collaborative workgroups or teams

• Improved organizational performance and operational efficiency: The employee or team action resulted in improved department performance or enhanced its operations. Such performance involves goals or tasks beyond normal job requirements.
  
• Support of strategic/functional plans and objectives: The employee or team action, no matter what level within the organization, should support the implementation of business or organizational plans for the department or program.
  
• Address customer needs: The employee or team action was designed to increase service to students, faculty, staff or other customers.
  
• Campus-wide service: The employee or team contribution enhanced and significantly contributed to the goals and mission of the University.

• Awards can be given out anytime throughout the year.
  
• About 80% of the total yearly incentive award pool which is allocated to ACT will be given out as Year-End Awards (YEA) at the end of the fiscal year. These awards are intended to recognize major contributions. The YEA funds will be managed centrally as one pool, within University policies regarding usage of funding sources.
  
• The remaining 20% of the total pool will be used for smaller "On-The-Spot" awards (OTS). These awards will be managed and given out directly by the ACT managers. The value of OTS awards can range from $50 to $200 or may be in the form of limited time-off as allocated to each manager. Receiving an OTS award would not preclude a larger Year-End award for the same person or team.
  
• Nominations for Year-End awards will be reviewed and approved by all intermediate levels of supervision, up to and including ACT’s Assistant Vice Chancellor. Final award approvals will be made by a group comprised of ACT’s Assistant Vice Chancellor and his/her direct reports. The Assistant Vice Chancellor will decide on awards given to her/his direct reports.
  
• Awards will not be used to resolve salary equity problems and will not be evenly spread among employees of a certain unit.
  
• Year-end awards may be granted in any amount up to 10% of an individual’s annual salary. An employee may receive more than one award (e.g., an individual award and a team award) but awards to any one individual may not exceed 10% of his/her annual salary.

NOMINATIONS FOR AWARDS

Nomination of eligible employees may be made by any UCSD employee or student.

A Star Search electronic form is available to anyone interested in making a nomination. Anonymous nominations can be made by printing the form and sending it to the ACT Personnel manager. All nominations must be submitted no later than May 15 in a given fiscal year.