Freda Otchere Staff Recognition Award

Guidelines

All guidelines are in respect of the Freda Otchere Endowment agreement.

The Award is given each year to a Concordia University Library employee (full-time or part-time, permanent or temporary) who performs an outstanding service reflecting the values exemplified by Freda Otchere. The recipient of the award must have performed the outstanding service during the corresponding award year. The outstanding service must be in respect of the employment at Concordia University.

Each year, the Committee seeks nominations for the Award. The scope of eligible nominators is intended to be inclusive in recognition of the fact that Library employees serve a wide range of clientele (students, faculty, other university staff, representatives of external organizations, members of the general public), and any such clients may be aware of an employee’s outstanding service. A nomination must be signed by a minimum of two nominators. The nominators do not solicit the nominee’s acceptance.

The nomination of an active Committee member is not accepted, nor may a Committee member make a nomination. A Committee member willing to be nominated in any given year must withdraw from the Committee by the time that the Call for Nominations is issued. That individual resumes membership on the Committee in the following year if eligible. Another Committee member is appointed as a temporary replacement in the interim.

The Committee selects the potential Award recipient, and forwards the name, along with the reasons for the selection, to the University Librarian for approval. The Committee bases its selection on information provided in the nominations, and does not gather information directly from nominees. In assessing outstanding service, the Committee takes into consideration:

• the values exemplified by Freda Otchere, including honesty, courage, perseverance and integrity;
• the accepted values of Concordia University, including for example representativeness, responsiveness, fairness, equity, efficiency and effectiveness; and
• the nominees’ opportunities for achievement.

As the Award is intended to encourage outstanding service among all employees, celebration of each year’s award is essential. The Award will be presented each year at a ceremony. Granting of the Award is conditional upon the nominee’s consent to be publicly named.