Staff HR Policy D-754.00
Institutional Effectiveness Criterion: Culture

Employee Recognition Policy

Employee Recognition supports NMC's Values "We value all people and will invest in their personal and professional growth and development" by promoting a culture of recognition and providing a policy that encourages the recognition of employees at all levels.

The spirit and intent of this policy is to recognize achievements and accomplishments of employees who exemplify NMC's values exhibited through exemplary performance, work effectiveness, innovation, proficiency, goal achievement, and leadership development and that contribute to the overall Mission, Vision, and Values of Northwestern Michigan College through well-defined, authorized recognition programs.

NMC will have programs to honor:

1. Employees who reach designated years of service (service awards)
2. Employees who retire from College service (retirement awards)
3. Accomplishments or achievements, either individually or by teams, considered especially valuable by their peers.

The Employee Recognition Committee will consist of representatives from each regular employee group. The Committee will be charged with directing and implementing the Employee Recognition Programs including those listed below.

Service Awards

All faculty, adjunct faculty, and staff achieving 5 or more years of service are eligible to receive an NMC service award. Awards will be given in 5 year increments (5, 10, 15 years, etc.)

Human Resources will certify length of service each calendar year. Regular faculty and staff service time will include any adjunct and supplemental time that was worked prior to becoming a regular employee. Service time for regular faculty and staff will include original hire date to the present, minus breaks in employment of one month or more.

Excellence Awards

The Staff Excellence Award is for regular full-time/part-time individual staff members. The nomination criteria for the award is based on staff nominations for colleagues whose work serves to inspire us all and who demonstrate NMC Values, and exhibits the finest commitment “above and beyond” to the NMC mission, vision, and values.

The Team Excellence award is for employee teams. The nomination criteria for the award is based on employee nominations for teams whose work serves to inspire us all and who demonstrate NMC values, and exhibit the finest commitment “above and beyond” to the NMC mission, vision, and values.

The Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award is for adjunct faculty based on student nominations and is chosen by a student selection committee facilitated by the Center for Instructional Excellence. The award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication.

The Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award is for full-time faculty based on student nominations and chosen by a student selection committee facilitated by the Center for Instructional Excellence. The award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication.

Retirement Awards

NMC regular employees who are retiring will receive recognition at that reception closest to the year they submit their notification form to retire and NMC accepts their official retirement date.

Faculty Emeritus

The Faculty Emeritus status is defined in the NMC Faculty Association Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Staff Emeritus

Staff Emeritus status shall be awarded to staff who retire at the age of 55 or older in good standing with 20 or more years of service at NMC, entitling them to listing in the college catalog and to the following courtesies and academic services; access to the NMC library, access to NMC functions, and waiver of Academic and Extended Educational Services tuition according to College policies and protocols.

In addition, the President may confer emeritus status at his/her discretion.

All NMC service award recipients, new retirees, and emeritus recipients will be honored at the annual Retirement and Recognition Reception each spring.

The Associate Vice President of Human resources in conjunction with the appropriate employees, is responsible for the development and publication of any procedures or guidelines that may be necessary to administer this policy effectively.

If any provision(s) of this policy or set of bylaws conflicts with laws applicable to Northwestern Michigan College, including the Community College Act of 1966, the Freedom of Information Act, or the Open Meetings Act, as each may be amended from time to time, such laws shall control and supersede such provision(s).