Professional Employee Award

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEE AWARD

This new recognition celebrates a professional employee who advances the University's mission by exemplifying our enduring values through outstanding performance, meaningful collaboration, and continued growth.

Recognizing employee excellence reflects our gratitude for those who advance Ball State's mission and cultivate an environment where meaningful lives take flight.

Deadline:

Nomination material must be submitted by Thursday, May 7, 2026

Employment Status: 

• Nominee must be a full-time professional employee (P1, P3, P5, H3)
  • Supervisors can access this information in Workday
• Must be employed at Ball State for 3+ years by April 1

Performance Criteria:
Nominees must demonstrate outstanding job performance, collaboration across campus, and continued growth and development through the lens of our enduring values. Nomination materials should describe how the nominee demonstrates excellence in these categories:

• Outstanding Job Performance
  • Exceeds expectations in their core responsibilities, achieves measurable or meaningful results, and demonstrates initiative and innovation to advance operational effectiveness or student success. 
• Collaboration Across Campus
  • Builds meaningful partnerships beyond their department, strengthens campus relationships through professionalism and trust, contributes to a positive campus culture, and demonstrates integrity, respect, and compassion.
• Continued Growth and Development
  • Embraces change and actively pursues professional growth through education, training, or professional involvement, applies knowledge to improve outcomes and advance institutional priorities.

Final Endorsement: 

• Clearly articulate why the nominee merits the Professional Employee Award and what characteristics, contributions, and achievements distinguish them from other high-performing individuals.

Submission Process:

• Submit one nomination packet through the Professional Employee Award Nomination Form
• Nominations may be submitted by the employee's supervisor or another Ball State Employee

Nomination Packet Must Include:

• 2-3 letters of support (minimum of 2, maximum of 3)
• Maximum length: 2 pages per letter
• Content requirement: Specific and detailed examples demonstrating how the nominee meets the performance criteria listed above
• File format: Combine all letters into a single PDF file before uploading

If you have questions, please contact employeeawards@bsu.edu.