Nominations are now open for the 2025 Staff Making a Difference Awards. Nominate a deserving colleague today in one of seven categories. The Making a Difference Awards Ceremony will be held on January 6, 2026 from 2:00-3:30pm in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom.
In order to nominate someone, please follow these steps:
- Review the award categories and criteria below.
- Create your nomination letter (no more than three pages).
- Collect your statements of support (no more than three letters - one page each).
Please note that you will need to be prepared to upload your nomination letter and letters of support as one pdf file in the nomination form before exiting it. Otherwise it will be lost as the system will not automatically save it.
- Complete the nomination form.
Categories
This year's categories are:
Eligibility
All regular full-time and part-time staff are eligible. Award recipients will receive $500, after taxes. Past recipients are not eligible again until five years after their award year and are listed on the Staff Council page.
Nomination Criteria
Nomination letters must be no more than three single-spaced pages. Nominators should prepare a letter that provides specific examples of the nominee’s accomplishments. Winners will be chosen based on examples of the category criteria. Nominations are limited to single individuals. No team or group nominations.
Statements of Support Criteria
We recommend nominators collect up to three letters of support from other colleagues, clients and members of the community to strengthen their nomination. Please note – support letters should be no more than one page each.
Tips and Tricks for Letters
1. Match the Criteria
Tip: Use the category language.
Example: If the award mentions innovation, write about how they do that: “He created a new scheduling system that reduced wait times by 20%.”
2. Be Specific
Tip: Don’t just say they’re great—show it.
Example: Instead of “She’s a strong leader,” say: “She led a team of 15 through a major system change with no service interruptions.”
3. Show Impact
Tip: Focus on results, not just effort.
Example: “Her mentoring program helped double student retention in two years.”
4. Tell a Story
Tip: Add a human touch to make it memorable.
Example: “When a colleague was struggling, he stepped in to train her one-on-one—she later
said it gave her the confidence to stay in the field.”
5. Stay Organized
Tip: Structure your letter around the criteria so reviewers can follow easily.
Example: Use the category bullets as headings to mirror the award description and make sure
you speak about all of them.
Deadline
Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 21, 2025. Nominations received after the deadline will not be considered. Please contact Laurie Stark at 7-1081 or ldstark@mtu.edu with any questions.