CSU Sacramento
Faculty Awards Program For Community Service

Evaluations of faculty performance for retention, tenure, and promotion are conducted in four categories: teaching, scholarly and creative activity, contributions to the institution, and contributions to the community. Each category has an associated awards program designed to recognize and reward outstanding achievement, except the last, even though community engagement is highlighted in the campus mission statement and strategic plan as a vital aspect of our work.

The community service awards program is designed to enhance the connection between the university’s mission and faculty recognition and rewards. Community service in the present context is defined as follows:

Professionally related work whose primary purpose is to enhance the public good, and not to enhance personal income or corporate profit.

The Faculty Policies Committee proposes a two-tiered model, similar to the research awards program. The Outstanding Community Service Award is the first tier award. This award will recognize eight recipients per year.

The second tier award will recognize one, all-university recipient per year for lifetime achievement in community service (10 years or more).

• The Outstanding Community Service Award shall be awarded to a maximum of eight recipients each year – one from each college and one from the Library, academically related student affairs professionals, and coaches combined – for outstanding service to the community in the past five years. It is designed to recognize recent and distinguished service by faculty who have made outstanding professional contributions in the public arena in the past five years.
  
  
• The Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service shall be awarded to one recipient annually, to recognize colleagues who have engaged in outstanding service to the community as part of their professional work for a decade or more. This award recognizes extraordinary commitment over the long term, and a legacy of significant, enduring contributions to the community at large. Each recipient shall receive an award of $1000 from the President’s Office.

Recipients of both awards shall be announced at the Community Service Showcase held in May or other community service-related event, and shall be invited to display a poster about their work as part of the Showcase.
Each award is further described below.

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (OCSA)

NOMINATIONS

Nominations may be made by faculty, self, administrators, students, or external community members. The process for soliciting nominations on-campus shall be the responsibility of colleges and other nominating units. The Faculty Senate Office shall assume responsibility for publicizing the awards to on-campus constituencies, and may request assistance from normal campus channels.

ELIGIBILITY

All faculty are eligible for nominations. This includes faculty in each of the seven Colleges as well as those classified as non-instructional faculty: the librarians, student services professionals (academically related), and coaches. If awarded the OCSA, faculty are not eligible for consideration for a future award for five years.

COMPOSITION OF SELECTION COMMITTEE

Colleges shall follow a composition and process similar to those used for the Outstanding Teaching and (University) Service Awards.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Awards shall be given for service that applies the nominee’s professional knowledge and skills to addressing community needs, and thus represents the university as a resource to the region. Within the relevant time period (preceding five years), only service completed while employed as a faculty member by CSU, Sacramento shall be considered.

Priority shall also be given to nominees who provide evidence of the impact of their service work on both the university and the community.

Evidence of impact on the university may include but is not limited to:

• Documented creation of new opportunities for students to combine learning and service, e.g., service learning courses, internships, Master’s theses, and participation in civic improvement and/or citizen action projects.
  
  
• Documented positive student outcomes from involvement in the nominee’s community service work.
  
  
• Relevance of service outcomes to university mission and goals
  
  
• Acquisition of grant funds and other resources for the university
  
  
• Documented creation of new research and consultation opportunities for faculty.

Evidence of impact on the community may include but is not limited to:

• Documented positive outcomes of the service activity on quality of life in the Sacramento region or beyond – outcomes may be economic, social, or cultural
  
  
• Documented positive outcomes for specific public benefit agencies, organizations, and/or vulnerable populations.

CALENDAR & ADMINISTRATION

Timelines for nomination and selection for the award shall be determined by the Faculty Senate Office. The Faculty Senate Office shall also distribute nominating materials and publicize the award on campus. The Faculty Senate Office shall request assistance from the Office of Community Collaboration or other community service-related units for publicizing the awards to the Sacramento community.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

NOMINATIONS (same as OCSA)

Nominations may be made by faculty, self, administrators, students, or external community members. The process for soliciting nominations on-campus shall be the responsibility of colleges and other nominating units. The Faculty Senate Office shall assume responsibility for publicizing the awards to on-campus constituencies. The Faculty Senate Office shall request assistance from the Office of Community Collaboration for publicizing the awards to the Sacramento community.

ELIGIBILITY

All faculty who have engaged in 10 years or more of professional service to the community are eligible for nominations. This includes faculty in each of the seven Colleges as well as those classified as non-instructional faculty: the librarians, student services professionals (academically related), and coaches. Faculty are only eligible for one Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service.

COMPOSITION OF SELECTION COMMITTEE

Faculty – 1 faculty each year from each college, plus one representative from the Library, student affairs professionals and coaches, also elected annually

Students – 2, appointed by ASI

External community members – 2 selected by President’s office

President’s Office designee

Faculty Policies Committee liaison

Director of the Office of Community Collaboration, ex officio. Votes only if there is a tie.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Community service is defined as professionally related work that is undertaken to enhance the public good, and not to enhance personal income or corporate profit. Awards will be given for service that has applied the nominee’s professional knowledge and skills to addressing community needs over a decade or more, and has created an enduring legacy for the Sacramento region or beyond. Within the relevant time period (the previous 10 years or more) only service completed while employed as a faculty member by CSU, Sacramento will be considered.

Priority will be given to nominees who provide evidence of significant, long-term impact of their service work on the community and the university.

Evidence of impact on the community may include but is not limited to:

• Documentation of positive, enduring outcomes of the service activity on quality of life in the Sacramento region or beyond – outcomes may be economic, social, and/or cultural
  
  
• Documentation of enduring, positive outcomes for specific public benefit agencies, organizations, or vulnerable populations

Evidence of impact on the university may include but is not limited to:

• Documented creation of enduring opportunities for students to combine learning and service, e.g., service learning courses, internships, Master’s theses, and participation in civic improvement and/or citizen action projects.
  
  
• Documented positive student outcomes from involvement in the nominee’s community service work, over a period of 10 years or more
  
  
• Relevance of service outcomes to university mission and goals
  
  
• Acquisition of grant funds and other resources for the university
  
  
• Documented creation of new research and consultation opportunities for faculty over a 10-year period or more

CALENDAR AND ADMINISTRATION (same as OCSA)

Timelines for nomination and selection for the award shall be determined by the Faculty Senate Office. The Faculty Senate Office shall distribute nominating materials and publicize the award on campus, and also request assistance from the Office of Community Collaboration for soliciting nominations from members of the community at large.