The STAR Award is administered by FOA HR and provides recognition for employee or teams that have demonstrated one or more of the following performance standards:

• Exceptional performance: Demonstrated and sustained exceptional performance that consistently exceeds goals and work expectations in quantity and/or quality.
• Creativity: One-time innovation 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: Exhibits 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, 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.

Frequency

• On request

Gift and Recognition

• Cash award, taxes will apply.
• No single STAR Plan cash award may exceed 10% of the employee’s base salary or $10,000, whichever amount is lower.
• Cumulative STAR Plan cash awards paid to an employee in a Plan year may not exceed 10% of the employee’s base salary or $10,000, whichever amount is lower.

Eligibility

• Career and casual restricted PSS employees and MSP employees
• Clerical Unit (CX) employees

Nomination and Selection

The STAR Award Nomination Form (PDF) must be used for every nomination and must be submitted to FOA HR for consideration: 

• Individual Award Nominations: Individual employees may be nominated based on one or more of the performance standards in the STAR Plan. Input will be required from the employee’s manager/supervisor if someone other than the employee’s manager/supervisor is nominating.
• Team Award Nominations: 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 process for all STAR Plan cash awards require endorsement of the employee’s immediate supervisor and approval of the next level manager. STAR Plan cash awards over $500 also require department head approval. STAR Plan cash awards over $500 and up to $4,999 also require deans or vice chancellor office approval. STAR Plan cash awards above $5,000 require the approval of the Chancellor.
• All STAR award nominations must be sent directly to FOA HR Director Nancy Hernandez for review and coordination of approvals. Once approved, the FOA HR team submits the award directly to the HR Shared Services Organization (SSO) for processing. Awards are typically paid within 1-2 payroll cycles following the date of submission to the SSO. 

• Guidelines and more information about the STAR Award plan. 

STAR Award Nomination Form