Recognition Program
Mission Statement
The Recognition Committee at Tooele Technical College is dedicated to fostering a culture of appreciation and achievement. Our mission is to promote, celebrate, and recognize the successes and accomplishments of both students, staff, and faculty. We strive to assist the college in promoting positive student outcomes by facilitating impactful recognition programs and initiatives. Furthermore, we are committed to promoting student access through the organization of college events and initiatives. Recognizing the vital role of our staff and faculty, we also prioritize their wellness, ensuring a supportive and encouraging atmosphere for all members of the Tooele Technical College community.
Committee Duties
The Recognition Committee is responsible for the following duties to uphold the mission of celebrating achievement and fostering a positive environment at Tooele Technical College:
President's List Program: Promote, organize, and implement the President's List program to recognize student academic achievement.
Student of the Year Program: Promote, organize, and implement the Student of the Year program, identifying and honoring exceptional students in programmatic areas.
Student Champions Gala: Organize and facilitate the annual Student Champions Gala, to celebrate the Students of the Year.
Graduation Ceremonies: Promote, organize, and implement graduation ceremonies, ensuring a premier event that positively impacts graduates, family members, and the Tooele community.
Student of the Month Program: Promote, organize, and implement the Student of the Month program, recognizing exceptional students on a monthly basis.
Excellence Award Program: Promote, organize, and implement the excellence award on a quarterly basis, celebrating students excellence for a variety of reasons.
Employee Wellness and Recognition Programs: Promote and organize employee wellness and recognition programs to acknowledge and support staff and faculty both collectively and individually.
Quarterly Wellness Activities: Promote and organize quarterly wellness activities to enhance the overall well-being of the college community.
Other Duties: Perform all other duties as assigned by the Executive Committee, ensuring the committee's flexibility and responsiveness to the college's evolving needs.
Committee Membership:
The Recognition Committee shall consist of six permanent members who serve without term limits. Members may resign, be removed by the Chair, or their supervisor.
Permanent Members:
Chair: An Executive Committee Member.
Vice Chair: The Director of Human Resources.
Treasurer: A member from the Fiscal Office.
One member at the Director level.
One member from Instruction (additional members may be added at the Chair's discretion).
One member from Operational Staff (additional members may be added at the Chair's discretion).
Annual Members:
The Chair and the permanent members of the committee may select:
A member from the Operational Staff.
A member from the Instruction Department.
A member from Student Services.
Annual members will serve for a one-year term, with the possibility of renewal. The inclusion of annual members will be determined by the Chair based on the committee's needs.
General Membership Requirements:
All committee members must have supervisory approval to join the committee.
Committee Membership Expectations:
All committee members are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities. Failure to do so may result in removal from the committee by the Chair.
Altered Work Hours: Members must be willing and able to adjust their work hours, with supervisor approval, for event setup, takedown, operation, and planning.
Monthly Meeting Attendance: Members are to attend scheduled monthly committee meetings.
Regular Event Attendance: Members are expected to attend at least 70% of the committee's regular events, including the President's List, Excellence Awards, Student of the Month, Employee Celebrations, and other non-major events.
Major Event Participation: Members must actively participate in and attend all major committee events, such as the Student Champions Gala and Graduation ceremonies. This includes assisting with setup, takedown, and planning.
Assigned Duties: Members are expected to perform all duties assigned by the Chair in a timely and effective manner.
Work-Committee Balance: Committee responsibilities should not impede regular work duties. Supervisors retain the right to request a member's removal from the committee if their committee involvement negatively impacts their work commitments.
Scheduling Meetings and Events:
Major Events: The Chair, in collaboration with the Executive Committee, will schedule the Graduation ceremony and the Student Champions Gala.
Regular Meetings: The Chair shall be responsible for scheduling all regular monthly meetings of the committee.
Regular Committee Events: The Chair, or their designee, will schedule the President's List, Excellence Awards, Student of the Month, and other minor committee events.
Meeting Frequency: The committee will meet at a minimum monthly, with the specific date and time determined at the Chair's discretion.
Decision-Making Process:
The Chair holds the ultimate authority in all committee decisions. The Chair may choose to make decisions through a formal voting process or by considering committee feedback and advice before making a final determination. Committee decisions will be presented to the Executive Committee by the Chair. The Executive Committee retains the final authority and will make the ultimate decisions, irrespective of the committee's input.
Recognition Fund
Tooele Technical College (Tooele Tech) Faculty and Staff have the option to donate $2.50 per paycheck ($5.00 per month) to a Recognition Fund. Faculty and Staff have the option to donate more than the minimum amount. The Recognition Fund will be used for items that cannot be purchased by the institution. Such items include the following: a gift for an employee leaving Tooele Tech, a gift for an employee retiring from Tooele Tech, a gift for an employee having a child, a gift for an employee who is getting married, a gift for an employee who had a death in their family, a gift for the family of a Tooele Tech employee who passed away, a gift for an employee in the hospital.
The money is automatically taken out of the employee’s paycheck and deposited directly into the Recognition Fund. Any money that is left will roll over to the next fiscal year and be used for quarterly staff events.
Student Recognition
A. President’s List:
Students in an open entry/defined exit program with 90% attendance and 100% academic progress for three consecutive months and in good standing (outlined in the Student Code of Conduct located in the Student Handbook) may qualify for the President’s List. Students must attend 15 days in the month they start or end the program in order for that month to be counted in the three consecutive months. Students must also attend a minimum of 12 hours a week and be in a certificate seeking program. Students who were in a previous program will be treated as a new student and must start over in the new program to qualify for the President’s list. Students in a cohort program with 90% attendance, earning 95% grade or higher for the semester, and in good standing may also qualify for the President’s List.
Students who take a break from their program for any reason will lose all previously accumulated progress toward President’s List eligibility. However, if a break is formally approved by the Program Director, the student’s progress toward the President’s List will be preserved.
High school students with 90% attendance and 100% progress may earn the President’s List once a semester which will be determined two weeks before the semester ends. High school students may only qualify for the President’s list 4 times while attending high school. If a high school student chooses to enroll in the summer they will be treated like a certificate seeking student in order to earn the Presidents list.
To determine attendance and progress, student data will be compiled on the 5th of every month (reviewing each of the previous three months separately). Students who qualify for the President’s List one time will be recognized with a certificate of recognition, class refreshments, and another prize item, such as a hoodie. Any months that were included in a previous President's List award cannot be included for consideration in subsequent Presidents List awards. In the event that a student qualifies for the President’s List twice, they will be given a backpack, and class refreshments. If a student meets the President’s List requirements three times, they will be given an official letter of recommendation signed by the Tooele Tech president, class refreshments, and a plaque at graduation. On the fourth award, they will be given a certificate of recognition, class refreshments, a gift at graduation (such as a floral bouquet), their name on a President’s List plaque displayed in the building, and a choice of an embroidered blanket, or a floating engraved display stand for their graduation challenge coin.
Students who qualify for the President’s List will be recognized in the Tooele Tech weekly newsletter and on social media platforms. Graduating President’s List recipients may also be recognized at the graduation ceremony with a President’s List pin and honorific ribbon.
B. Student of the Month:
Every month, instructors can nominate a student who has demonstrated hard work and dedication to their studies, exhibited qualities of a role model to fellow students, or possibly overcome a challenge or hardship and gone above and beyond at Tooele Tech. In the event there is more than one nomination, the Recognition Committee determines the selectee. The student must be in good standing (outlined in the Student Code of Conduct located in the Student Handbook).
The Student of the Month will be recognized at a small reception with faculty, staff, and students. The VP of Instruction will recognize the student with $20 cash, a designated front-row parking spot, a signed award by the college president and instructor, and gift certificates to the Cosmo Salon and Simply Bliss Café. Their picture will be taken for recognition in the weekly Tooele Tech newsletter, Facebook, and the Tooele Tech Community Wall.
C. Excellence Award:
On a quarterly basis, an instructor can nominate a student who is in good standing (outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, located in the Student Handbook) to receive an Excellence Award. This is a certificate signed by the instructor in recognition of student excellence. This is an opportunity to celebrate student achievement beyond academics.
The instructor will reach out to the Recognition Committee to coordinate an appropriate celebration, not to exceed $50 (ie. pizza party, trophy, or plaque). It is up to the instructor to determine if it is appropriate to celebrate with the entire class. Pictures will be taken to share in the staff newsletter & on social media.
D. Student of the Year:
Once a year, a nominee for Student of the Year will be selected from the five program Students of the Year. A committee made up of Tooele Tech Board members, college staff, and community representatives will select the overall Student of the Year.
The overall Student of the Year will be recognized at the Student Champions Gala by the college President. The student will receive a certificate, a small gift, and a $1000 stipend. The Student of the Year will get their picture taken for recognition in the weekly Tooele Tech Newsletter, on Facebook, and on the Tooele Tech Community Wall.
The four Students of the Year that are not selected will each receive a $100 check at the Gala.
Veterans
Veterans will be recognized on Veterans Day with (1) the Military Appreciation Tree, (2) display table, (3) Flag Raising Ceremony, and (4) refreshments (funded through the Student Services Budget).
At graduation, Veterans will be acknowledged with a star next to their name in the program.
Internal Recognition Program
The Internal Recognition Program is all about celebrating the great work happening every day at Tooele Tech. It's an "on-the-spot" way for coworkers to give a quick "thank you" or "great job" to their colleagues.
Employees can easily recognize a deserving coworker by submitting an employee recognition through our Google Form.
One drawing will take place on the last Monday of each month in the Recognition Committee meeting for a $25 gift certificate to Simply Bliss Café. Substitutes are not eligible for gift certificate drawings. Winners will be announced in the Tooele Tech Newsletter. Gift certificate purchases will be made exclusively through the Tooele Tech Recognition Fund.
Other Important Recognition Involvement
A. Faculty and Staff Recognition:
Faculty and staff will be recognized for every five years of service at Tooele Tech with an award at the In-service training. Full-time employees will also receive a cash award beginning at $50 for the first five years, increasing by $50 every additional five years.
Full-time service awards will be presented at the August In-service training. The cutoff date for the full-time award is the end of August. Part-time service awards will be presented at the March In-service training. The cutoff date for the part-time award is the end of March.
The starting date of full-time or part-time employment will be used to calculate years of service for the award in each employment category. Time worked as a substitute will not count toward years of service in any situation. If an employee starts as a part-time employee and then moves to full-time, the full-time date will be used to calculate the full-time award.
Employees who resign or retire may be eligible to receive items of recognition. Full-time or part-time employees who resign or retire after at least two years of service can receive a small gift/treat and goodbye card. Employees that resign after five years can have a goodbye gathering with light refreshments. Employees that retire after five years can have a goodbye luncheon. Full-time staff earning five years of service and are retiring can receive a Tooele Tech fire pit (funded through Administration Budget).
B. Honoring a Legacy of Excellence:
Tooele Tech recognizes employees who have significantly contributed to our educational mission upon their retirement or in other qualifying circumstances. This recognition ensures their lasting impact is remembered and celebrated through the following initiatives:
Legacy Plaques: These plaques honor employees who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to Tooele Tech's mission. To be eligible, employees must:
Retire from Tooele Tech, or
Pass away while employed at Tooele Tech, or
Go on long-term disability (LTD) with no expectation of returning to work.
In addition, eligible employees must have been full-time, completed at least five years of full-time service, be in good standing, and receive Presidential approval.
Presidential Legacy: College presidents are given special recognition for their leadership and dedication with a dedicated plaque or portrait, acknowledging their unique contributions to Tooele Tech.
Memorial Garden: The Memorial Garden provides a serene space to remember employees who have passed away. Employees are honored in the garden if they:
Pass away while actively employed at Tooele Tech, or
Pass away after leaving Tooele Tech and had previously qualified for a Legacy Plaque or Presidential Legacy recognition.
C. Board Members:
A recognition award will be presented to each Tooele Tech Board of Trustees member at the time they leave the Board. The award will be presented by the college President at that Board member’s last meeting (funded through Administration Budget).