Outstanding Community Service Awards

The University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Community Service Awards honor outstanding community service activities of faculty, staff, and members of the greater University community. This award recognizes outstanding contributions and accomplishments of faculty, staff, or University-affiliated community members who have devoted their time and talent to make substantial, enduring contributions to the external community and to improve public life and the well-being of society. Such contributions and accomplishments must result in long-term and lasting changes for the public good and demonstrate an unusual commitment to the University and greater community.

The Outstanding Community Service Award emphasizes the importance of external community service and recognizes the role of faculty and staff that is over and above the expectations of their regular position description. Awards given to faculty or staff will also recognize the agency or group with which the recipient of the award is affiliated. Community members who receive the award will have made a significant public service or public engagement contribution through an affiliation with the University of Minnesota.

Approximately five Outstanding Community Service Awards will be given this year. Awards given to faculty and staff will carry a continuous salary award annually during their employment at the University of Minnesota.

Eligibility
All faculty and staff at the University are eligible to receive this award: tenured and tenure-track faculty, adjunct or contract faculty, academic professional and administrative staff, civil service staff, and bargaining unit staff. In addition, community members affiliated with the University of Minnesota may be nominated. Previous awardees are posted at http://www.umn.edu/civic.

Award criteria

• Evidence of solid accomplishments in the area of public policy and/or public service that contribute to the quality of life at the local, regional, state, national, or international level
• Contributions that result in long-term and lasting changes for the public good
• Demonstrated commitment to the University and the greater Minnesota community

Nominators
Any person or group may make a nomination.

Nominations must consist of:

• A letter of nomination summarizing the scope and impact of the nominee's community service
• Three letters of support focusing on personal knowledge of the nominee's exceptional community service

Number of copies
Original and seven copies

Submit nominations to
Outstanding Community Service Awards Committee
c/o Michelle Wittcoff Kuhl
Office of the Senior Vice President for System Administration
110 Morrill Hall
100 Church Street S.E.
Minneapolis, 55455

For more information about the award or the nomination process, contact Michelle Wiffcoff Kuhl at 612-624-1562 or witt0160@umn.edu.