Understanding UCLA's STAR Awards: Recognizing Excellence and Contributions
UCLA offers several awards and recognition programs to acknowledge the outstanding achievements and contributions of its faculty and staff. Among these, the Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan and the Academic Senate's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards stand out. These awards aim to celebrate exceptional performance, innovation, leadership, and commitment to diversity within the UCLA community. Understanding the criteria, eligibility, and nomination processes for these awards is crucial for both nominators and potential recipients.
Academic Senate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards
The UCLA Academic Senate acknowledges the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion by offering awards to Senate faculty who demonstrate a strong commitment to these values. These awards recognize leadership, innovation, and creativity in promoting diversity within research and teaching at UCLA.
Eligibility and Award Details
The award is open to Senate faculty members, who may self-nominate or nominate other Senate faculty. Up to two Senate faculty recipients will each receive a $2,500 award as research funds.
Nomination Process
Nominations are submitted electronically via the Data Management System (DMS) during the nomination period, which typically runs from March 10-31. The Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion selects award recipients in the Spring quarter, and recipients are notified shortly thereafter.
A complete nomination includes:
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- A nomination letter (no longer than two pages) from a Senate faculty member, describing the candidate’s leadership, innovation, initiatives, and creativity in diversity within research and teaching at UCLA. This letter should clearly differentiate the candidate's contributions from merely adequate efforts.
- Between one and three letters of support (maximum of two pages each) from faculty, staff, students, or administrators, further detailing the candidate’s accomplishments.
All documents must be converted to PDF format before uploading to DMS. The committee reviews only complete nominations submitted by the deadline.
Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan
The Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan is designed to recognize and reward eligible policy-covered staff members for outstanding accomplishments in the workplace. This plan aligns with Staff Policy 34, "Incentive and Recognition Award Plans," and aims to acknowledge staff members' exceptional achievements and contributions to their department, organization, and/or the campus.
Eligibility Criteria
Several criteria determine eligibility for cash awards under the STAR Plan:
- Employee Status: Policy-covered career Professional & Support Staff (PSS), Management & Senior Professionals (MSP), and Clerical (CX) and Skilled Trades Unit (K4) represented employees are eligible for STAR Plan cash awards if, at the time of the award, they:
- Have successfully completed their probationary period, if applicable.
- Are on active pay status or on an approved unpaid leave.
- Received a "Meets Expectations" or better overall rating on their most recent annual performance evaluation. If an employee has not yet received an annual performance evaluation, their manager can confirm on the nomination form that they are "meeting expectations."
- Other Appointments: Policy-covered employees in per diem, limited, and/or casual-restricted appointments may be eligible for a STAR Plan award at the department’s discretion. Staff hired on an employment contract are eligible for the STAR Plan if eligibility is incorporated into the terms of the contract and if they have been employed at UCLA for at least six months.
- Union Representation: Clerical (CX) and Skilled Trades (K4) represented employees are eligible. Other exclusively represented employees are not eligible for recognition awards under the STAR Plan unless STAR Plan eligibility is specifically bargained.
- Senior Management: Senior Management Group (SMG) members are not eligible for awards under the STAR Plan.
- Other Incentive Plans: An employee may not receive an award under the STAR Plan if they participate in an incentive award plan that prohibits the receipt of a recognition award.
- No Guarantee of Future Awards: An employee’s receipt of an award under the STAR Plan does not establish any right or guarantee that the employee will be eligible for or entitled to an award in any subsequent Plan year.
- Mandatory Training: Employees must have completed the mandatory Systemwide training requirements for their position, including Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention, Abusive Conduct, Cybersecurity, Ethics, and Workplace Violence Prevention, to be eligible for an award.
Performance Standards
Under the STAR Plan, managers can recognize, acknowledge, and reward employees for exceptional performance and/or significant contributions related to and supportive of individual, departmental, divisional, and/or organizational goals and objectives. Managers may acknowledge and reward individuals and teams for:
- Exceptional Performance: Demonstrated and sustained exceptional performance that consistently exceeds goals and work expectations in quantity and/or quality.
- Creativity: One-time innovation or creation that results in time/dollar savings, revenue enhancement, and productivity improvement; and/or ongoing innovative/creative activities that benefit organizational systems, protocols, and/or procedures.
- Organizational Abilities: Exhibiting extraordinary skills in leadership resulting in the accomplishment of significant departmental or divisional goals and objectives; effective project management, which could include developing a project and/or implementing a project with substantial success; and/or demonstrating organizational capability leading to a greater level of effectiveness.
- Work Success: Significantly exceeding productivity, customer service, quality of care, or similar goals, including demonstrating superior interactions with managers, peers, supervisors, subordinates, the University community, and/or clients and customers served.
- Teamwork: Acting as an exceptionally effective and cooperative team member or team leader for a team that has significantly exceeded the goals/objectives of the department/unit.
Written justification of demonstrated performance and contributions, as described in the performance standards above, is required for every STAR award. Team Awards may be granted to teams of employees for a high level of performance for work on a project or event that is above and beyond the employee’s regular job scope.
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Award Limits and Restrictions
The following limitations and restrictions apply to STAR Plan cash awards:
- Award Amount: STAR awards are limited to 10 percent of base salary or $5,000, whichever is less.
- Discretionary Nature: STAR Plan cash awards are strictly discretionary and may not be promised or guaranteed in advance.
- No "Across-the-Board" Awards: “Across-the-board” type awards (e.g., awards to a category of employees without regard to a recipient’s performance or relative contribution) are not allowed under the STAR Plan. Awards must be based on the recipient’s achievement as an individual or as part of a team.
- No Exceptions: No exceptions will be made to the above monetary award limits and restrictions.
Nomination Process
The UCLA Campus STAR Award Nomination Form or equivalent documentation must be used for each nomination, due no later than June 30. Individual employees may be nominated for STAR awards based on one or more of the performance standards set forth above. Input will be required from the employee’s manager/supervisor if someone other than the employee’s manager/supervisor is nominating the employee.
Team Awards may be granted to teams of employees who meet one or more of the performance standards set forth in the STAR Plan for work on a project within the same department or for work on the development and/or implementation of inter- departmental projects. Input will be required from the team leader and each employee’s supervisor/manager if someone other than the manager/supervisor is nominating the team.
The employee’s department head is responsible for confirming that the employee is eligible for an award and must approve the employee’s award regardless of the funding source for the award. To nominate an employee for the award, use the STAR Award Form.
Award Review and Approval Authority
The process for all STAR Plan cash awards requires the endorsement of the employee’s immediate supervisor and approval as delegated by the Vice Chancellor, Vice Provost, or Dean of the organization. Authority to approve any awards that exceed $5,000 has been delegated by the Chancellor to the Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost, Deans, Vice Provosts, and Vice Chancellors for employees within their jurisdiction. This authority may not be re-delegated.
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Timing and Processing of STAR Award Payments
The STAR Plan cash awards must be processed and paid from funds by a specific date, typically near the end of the fiscal year. The assigned Earn Code XSL specific to the STAR Plan must be used when implementing cash awards. UCPath Initiators are responsible for ensuring that STAR Plan awards are recorded in UCPath as One Time Pay using the appropriate Action Reason and EARN code. All STAR Plan cash awards for the Plan year should be processed in accordance with year-end closing schedules. The implementation deadline is often in July.
Funding Requirements and Restrictions
Only local funds will be used for STAR Plan awards. The Organization Head (i.e., Dean, Vice Chancellor, Vice Provost) is responsible for establishing limitations on funding for awards. Total annual award expenditures may be up to a certain percentage (e.g., 2%) of the payroll base of eligible filled positions. General funds may not be used for non-general fund positions, and requirements applicable to Federal funds must be observed.
Recordkeeping and Compliance
UCLA campus administration of the STAR Plan is the responsibility of the Associate Vice Chancellor-Campus Human Resources (CHR) as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). Campus departments are required to keep local documentation of all STAR Plan awards and will be asked to provide documentation of award implementation on an annual basis.
Treatment for Benefit Purposes
STAR Plan cash awards are not considered compensation for University benefit purposes, such as the University of California Retirement Plan or employee life insurance programs.
Tax Treatment and Reporting
Under Internal Revenue Service Regulations, payment of STAR Plan cash awards must be included in the employee’s income as wages subject to withholding for federal and state income taxes and applicable FICA taxes.
Other Recognition Programs
In addition to the STAR Plan, UCLA offers other awards to recognize staff excellence. The Administrative Management Group (AMG), in partnership with Campus Human Resources, gives out awards such as the EXCEL Award (designed to recognize an individual who demonstrates management excellence), the Rising Star Award (recognizing a staff member with the potential to make a positive impact), and the Distinguished Career Award (acknowledging a proven leader and invaluable member of the UCLA and UC community).
Cultural North Star Awards
The Cultural North Star Awards are open annually to discipline-specific or multi-disciplinary teams within the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM). These awards recognize inclusive teams that work together to do what’s right, be kind, and make things better. Teams may be comprised of faculty, trainees, staff, and students working together. Alternatively, teams may be comprised of either all trainees, all staff members, or all students. Three teams are honored annually with awards of $5,000 each.
Teams comprised of DGSOM faculty, staff, students, or trainees are eligible for nomination based on collaborative teamwork in the areas of clinical care, research, education, or community engagement.
Proposed activities should help the team cultivate Cultural North Star values in their work, actions, and interactions. For example, funding could cover a team-building activity, a guest speaker, workshops, materials, or books for your team.
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