Staff Inclusive Excellence Award
Staff Council presents the Staff Inclusive Excellence Award.
This award will honor a member of staff who transforms the Davidson College workplace into a community where everyone truly belongs by championing inclusivity, removing barriers to success and empowering peers to thrive.
The award winner is announced at the annual Employee Appreciation meeting held in May, and receives $10,000.
The nomination deadline has passed.
Eligibility
Davidson College employees without faculty appointments are eligible for this award.
As Staff Council elected representatives evaluate and vote on the award nominees, they are ineligible to win if they are currently serving on Staff Council.
Award Rubric
- Strengthens belonging, cohesion, and collaboration within their team/office/department
- Is a problem-solver for their staff colleagues and removes barriers to their colleague’s work
- Works to create an environment (physically, emotionally, or intellectually) in which staff colleagues can thrive, particularly underrepresented staff colleagues
| Category | No Evidence (0) | Minor Evidence (1) | Some Evidence (2) | Strong Evidence (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unity How does the nominee’s work strengthen belonging, cohesion, and collaboration within their team/office/department? |
Nomination does not address how nominee’s work has strengthened belonging, cohesion, or collaboration with their team, office or department |
Nomination addresses, with minimal or vague detail, how nominee has strengthened belonging or cohesion or collaboration within their team/office or department | Nomination addresses how nominee has strengthened belonging and cohesion and collaboration within their team, office or department, including at least minimal or vague details | Nomination clearly articulates, with specific examples, how nominee has strengthened belonging and cohesion and collaboration within their office or department |
| Advocacy How is the nominee a problem-solver for their staff colleagues and how do they remove barriers to their colleague’s work? |
No evidence of relevant work to be a problem-solver for their staff colleagues or remove barriers to their colleague’s work | Nomination addresses, with minimal or vague details, how nominee is a problem-solver for their staff colleagues or removes barriers to their colleague’s work | Nomination addresses how nominee is a problem-solver for their staff colleagues and removes barriers to their colleague’s work | Nomination addresses, with specific examples, how nominee is a problem-solver for their staff colleagues and removes barriers to their colleague’s work |
|
Space-shaping |
Nomination does not address how the nominee creates an environment where staff can thrive | Nomination addresses, with minimal or vague details, how nominee creates an environment where staff colleagues can thrive | Nomination addresses how nominee works to create an environment where staff colleagues can thrive, including their underrepresented staff colleagues | Nomination articulates and includes specific examples addressing how nominee creates an environment in which staff colleagues can thrive, particularly addressing how nominee does this with their underrepresented staff colleagues |
Past Award Winners
Joy Massenberg - 2025
Marlene Arellano ’17 - 2024
Ashley Bodie - 2023
Tamberly Ferguson - 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
All active staff employees who are not elected Staff Council representatives are eligible to be nominated for the Staff Inclusive Excellence Award.
No, these awards are meant to recognize staff accomplishments only.
All members of the Davidson College community are welcome to nominate a colleague for the Staff Inclusive Excellence Award. Individual self-nominations are not accepted.
A selection committee made up of Staff Council representatives review and evaluate the nominations. They are not able to see the names or departments of the nominees. The selection committee will assess each nominee using the rubric and assign numerical scores. They will meet as a group to review scores and select a nominee, subject to final check by the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The Staff Inclusive Excellence Award recipient will receive a $10,000 pre-tax award and will be recognized at the Employee Appreciation end-of-year meeting.
Yes! Studies have shown that employees find personal recognition more motivational than money. By taking the time to get to know your colleagues, you will discover how each likes to be recognized. Recognition is most effective if it’s done soon after the accomplishment. Remember, a simple “thank you” for a job well done is always appropriate and will make people feel valued.
Additionally, Davidson's Human Resources Department celebrates an employee of the month through the High Five Hero program. Contact the HR Team for more information at hrteam@davidson.edu.