Stanford launches new program to honor staff service

A new program to honor staff celebrating significant service milestones with Stanford will include over 3,000 staff each calendar year. The program, Stanford Celebrates You: Recognizing Staff Careers, conveys the university’s appreciation of service from staff, which is critical to advancing our mission.

Stanford’s vision, which resulted from the first phase of our long-range planning process, “Navigating a Dynamic Future,” includes reaffirming our foundational value of service.

“Our culture values recognition,” said Elizabeth Zacharias, vice president for University Human Resources, which is leading the implementation of Stanford Celebrates You. “It’s embedded in our student programs, our research practices, and our performance and service recognition approaches. With Stanford Celebrates You, we are raising the visibility and consistency associated with appreciating service.”

Program components and timing

The program, which launched in mid-July, will continue in phases through 2019. Honoree groups and the associated recognition are:

• One-year anniversary – Employee receives a congratulatory message from the president and provost shortly after their first service milestone. (This component is scheduled to begin in the fall.)
• Five-year anniversary and in five-year increments thereafter – Employee has the option to select either a service pin or a comparable award and receives a commemorative “yearbook” publication, personalized for the employee, to be presented at a school/unit celebration. Employees will receive an email invitation shortly after their service milestone anniversary; yearbooks will be presented in school and unit celebrations throughout the coming year.
• 25-year anniversary and in five-year increments thereafter – At the annual Celebrating Staff Careers event, employees who achieved a service milestone anniversary in the previous calendar year receive an additional commemorative award and a certificate signed by the president and provost.

“We want staff who have achieved service milestones to feel genuinely appreciated for their contributions,” said Linda Lee, associate vice president of staff and executive compensation. “We hope through this new program that all staff understand our connection to helping Stanford be a great university, and feel recognized for our work.”

Each year, Stanford Celebrates You will impact thousands of staff celebrating a service milestone. To participate, staff must be benefits-eligible, and have continuous or bridged service for the service milestones. Additional eligibility details are on the Cardinal at Work website, including information for staff who achieved a service milestone anniversary in the first half of 2018. Awards begin at five years of service and are available at each five-year anniversary thereafter.

Integration with school and unit service recognition practices

Some schools and units have staff recognition celebrations or local awards that have been in place for many years. Where this is the case, school and unit human resources managers and business leaders will integrate the new program with local practices. Any changes to existing local practices will be announced within each school or unit.

“This is a new way to recognize the vital contributions of our staff, as we are all working to support faculty and student success,” said Sue Crutcher, associate dean for human resources and faculty affairs in the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences.

Visit the Cardinal at Work website’s new Recognition section to view a video overview, FAQ and complete information about Stanford Celebrates You: Recognizing Staff Careers.