University Awards

This award honors students who reflect TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values through exceptional academic achievement, service, and leadership. Recipients inspire others through integrity, compassion, and their dedication to improving health and learning communities.

• Demonstrates excellence in academics, leadership, or service consistent with TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values
• Contributes meaningfully to projects, research, or community initiatives that create measurable impact
• Models professionalism, integrity, and teamwork in interactions with peers, faculty, and patients
• Demonstrates innovation and accountability in solving problems or improving the learning environment.
• Inspires others through kindheartedness, collaboration, and visionary thinking.

Honors outstanding achievement in:

• Teaching, Research, Investigation, Outstanding Clinician, Community
• Engagement that results in measurable impact for TTUHSC learners, programs, or the community.
  
  

Honors faculty who consistently model TTUHSC’s values through mentorship, collaboration, and leadership.

Honors a team member whose actions and influence have had a transformative effect on the university culture through consistent demonstration of our values.

Honors extraordinary faculty contributions to TTUHSC through excellence in scholarship, innovation, and leadership. (Two letters of support required.)

The highest faculty honor. This distinction recognizes faculty members whose sustained achievements have had a transformative impact on education, research, clinical practice, and service while bringing distinction to TTUHSC through their professional accomplishments and leadership.

a. A brief summary of the nominee’s achievements;
b. The nominee’s curriculum vitae;
c. Letters of endorsement from relevant deans and chairpersons or directors. These administrators will consult with appropriate department, school, or college advisory committees before endorsing nominations;
d. Letters of support from faculty and other colleagues at this and other
institutions, as well as appropriate other entities, assessing the nominee's record of achievements in teaching, research, or public service; and
e. (5) Letters of support from present and former students will be obtained when appropriate.

This award celebrates staff members whose accomplishments have measurably improved the effectiveness, efficiency, or reputation of TTUHSC. Nominees demonstrate innovation, accountability, and excellence in their work, while connecting their efforts to the University’s mission, vision, and values.

• Achievements directly improve the effectiveness, efficiency, or reputation of TTUHSC.
• Contributes meaningfully to projects, initiatives, or services with measurable outcomes.
• Consistently demonstrates innovation and accountability in the role.
• Connects actions to TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values.
• Impact Scope: Demonstrates Unit-level impact or above (e.g., Facilities, Family Medicine Clinic, School of Nursing) or cross-department collaboration.

The Values-Based Leader Award recognizes faculty and staff who embody TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values through leadership that is both principled and people-centered. Honorees create environments where others thrive, modeling what it means to lead with heart, integrity, and vision.

• Serves as a role model for leadership aligned with TTUHSC values.
• Demonstrates accountability, fairness, and empowerment in leading staff or teams.
• Actively cultivates a culture of collaboration and recognition.
• Provides mentorship and professional development opportunities for others.
• Impact Scope: Demonstrates Unit-level impact or above, building culture and values within a team or unit (e.g., Facilities, Family Medicine Clinic, School of Nursing) or cross-department collaboration.

• The Values Champion Award replaces the Chancellor’s Award and recognizes individuals who exemplify TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values through their actions, service, and leadership. Honorees consistently demonstrate integrity, service beyond self, and visionary thinking, inspiring others to uphold TTUHSC’s values at the highest standard. Their contributions create lasting impact across units, campuses, or communities, strengthening the culture of TTUHSC.
• Demonstrates consistent and visible commitment to all TTUHSC values in their role.
• Serves as a champion for a values-based culture, motivating and inspiring others to uphold values at the same standard.
• Makes significant contributions that reflect one team, kindheartedness, integrity, service beyond self, and visionary thinking.
• Creates a lasting impact on the culture of TTUHSC, strengthening alignment between daily work and the University's mission, vision, and values.
• Impact Scope: Demonstrates broad University or community impact, often influencing multiple units, campuses, or external partnerships.

This prestigious award recognizes staff whose extraordinary achievements and leadership significantly advance TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values. Nominees demonstrate exceptional innovation, integrity, and impact, with contributions that extend beyond their department to strengthen the University as a whole. (Requires two (2) letters of support.)

• Recognized for extraordinary achievement in advancing TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values.
• Demonstrates leadership, innovation, and integrity in their role.
• Contributions extend beyond their immediate department/unit to benefit the University as a whole.
• Serves as a visible ambassador for TTUHSC values.
• Impact Scope: Demonstrates University-level impact that strengthens TTUHSC as a whole and raises its profile.

The University Distinguished Staff Award is the highest honor for staff, as it recognizes team members who demonstrate sustained career achievement excellence with dedication to TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values. Honorees possess a sustained record of consistently going above and beyond their job responsibilities, making significant contributions that positively impact learners, team members, or patients. (Requires two (2) letters of support.)

• Demonstrates excellence in job performance and dedication to TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values.
• Provides service and support that goes above and beyond expectations.
• Recognized for significant contributions that positively affect learners, team members, or patients.
• Personification of the TTUHSC values consistently and visibly.
• Impact Scope: Demonstrates significant University-wide impact across multiple divisions, schools, locations, or communities.

This award honors teams whose collaborative e􀆯orts have produced outstanding results that advance TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values. Eligible teams may include team members within the same department, unit, school, campus, or across multiple areas of the institution. Nominees demonstrate effective teamwork, shared accountability, and a collective commitment to outcomes that could not be accomplished by one person alone.

Awarded teams model TTUHSC’s values through collaboration, innovation, integrity, and service, resulting in meaningful benefits for learners, team members, patients, or the university community.

• Demonstrates effective teamwork within or across departments, units, schools, campuses, or divisions, achieving results not possible individually.
• Achieves measurable outcomes in service, innovation, education, research, patient care, operations, or institutional support.
• Models TTUHSC’s core values as a collective team through integrity, collaboration, kindness, shared accountability, and commitment to excellence.
• Enhances TTUHSC’s reputation, e􀆯ectiveness, culture, or impact through teamwork and innovation.
• Impact Scope: Demonstrates significant unit-level, campus-level, or university-wide impact, benefiting learners, team members, patients, or the university community.

Nominees must:

• Have completed at least one year of service at TTUHSC.
• Not have received a University Award in the same category within the past three
  years.
• Must be in good standing.
  
  • Good standing will be verified through the appropriate review process prior to
    final award consideration. This review may include, but is not limited to, The
    Division of Human Resources, University Executive Council, and applicable
    school, division, or departmental leadership to ensure nominees meet
    employment, academic, professional, and conduct expectations.

To ensure your nominee receives full consideration:

• Review the award criteria before beginning your submission to choose the most appropriate category.
• Use clear, specific examples that highlight how your nominee demonstrates TTUHSC’s values and exceeds job expectations.
• Provide measurable outcomes whenever possible—quantify the impact of their work or describe how it improved a process, team, or community.
• Collaborate on letters of support early; at least one is required for all awards, and some require two.
• Proofread your narrative before submitting; to ensure your progress saves correctly, always select “Next” at the bottom of each page before closing the form.

Tips for Completing the Nomination Form

• You’ll be guided through sections for nominee and nominator details, your narrative, and supporting documentation.
• Narratives should be 1,000–1,500 words and describe how the nominee meets award criteria.
• Include 5 summary bullet points highlighting specific actions, facts, and measurable impacts.
  Letters of support must be uploaded as PDFs and may come from supervisors, peers, or learners.
• You can also include optional materials like certificates, project summaries, or ACE card recognitions.
• If unsure which award fits best, select “Unsure where my nomination fits” and the committee will review it for placement.
• To ensure your progress saves correctly, always select “Next” at the bottom of each page before closing the form.

Preparing and Uploading Letters of Support

• Gather letters before starting your submission, as each must be uploaded within the Qualtrics form.
• Required format: PDF only (max 5 pages per upload).
• One letter should ideally come from a supervisor or leader, with an optional second from peers, faculty, or learners.
• Each letter should describe:
  
  
  • The relationship to the nominee
  • Examples of excellence or leadership
  • How the nominee demonstrates TTUHSC’s mission, vision, and values