UC Davis Campus Employee Recognition Programs

Campus-wide Recognition Programs: 

  • STAR: UC Davis Staff Appreciation and Recognition plan  The purpose of the STAR Award is to recognize employees who have gone “above and beyond” in support of the campus’ core values.  Eligibility includes policy-covered career employees, career MSP employees and career CX employees.  There is no central source funding for the program on the Davis campus so awards must be paid through existing division and department budgets.  STAR Award may not exceed 10% of the employee's base salary or $10,000, whichever amount is lower. 
  • Service and Retirement Awards The Davis campus provides service and retirement awards to their employees.  Each campus department/ departmental HR or operational unit is responsible for processing these awards for their employees.  For those employees in FOA, the FOA Vice Chancellor’s Office automatically processes the Service and Retirement Awards Program for all FOA department employees.
  • Chancellor's Outstanding Staff Awards - The cross-campus Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Awards for Exceptional University Management and Exceptional University Impact recognize and honor staff employees who have demonstrated exceptional initiative to create significant positive impact on the UC Davis community in the past year.

    Awards given for:

    • Exceptional University Management (Managers & Supervisors)
    • Exceptional University Impact (Individual Contributors)
  • Send an e-Card:  Grateful.org has beautiful cards you can send.  You do not get on a list (nor the recipient) when you use this free service.
  • Initiate our RAG TAG (Random Acts of Gratitude) program--printing (professionally, to get the double-sided card size) and leaving postcards of appreciation for your peers--and then, tag, you're it...they have to further spread the ripples of gratitude.

Other Campus Recognition Programs:


FOA Employees-Specific Recognition Programming:

FOA (Finance, Operations, & Administration) operating units include BIA, Business Information and Technology, Campus Planning and Environmental Stewardship, Design and Construction Management, Divisional Resources, Facilities Management, Finance, Fire, HR, Police, Safety Services, and University Resources.

  • STAR: UC Davis Staff Appreciation and Recognition plan with FOA DOCUSIGN PORTAL  The purpose of the STAR Award is to recognize employees who have gone “above and beyond” in support of the campus’ core values.  If you and recipient are in FOA, use this enhanced portal for an easier STAR process with routingPlease view this PDF guide on how to both access and complete the form.
  • Customer Service Champion Award - Finance, Operations and Administration (FOA), employees are eligible for the Customer Service Champion Award, and are processed through the Vice Chancellor's Office. These awards can be submitted by colleagues and recognize employees who have gone “above and beyond” in serving their customers.  It is a $25, $50, or $75 gift card and certificate (max $75 annual), the amount determined by a committee in the Vice Chancellor's office based upon the information submitted in the online request. Currently on-hold/disrupted due to shift to Aggie Enterprise which will not have gift card access until mid-2024.
  • On the Spot Awards - Finance, Operations and Administration (FOA) employees are eligible for On the Spot Awards. Spot Awards allow FOA managers/departments to recognize FOA employees who have demonstrated above and beyond service excellence and employee engagement for a particular task, issue or customer. It is a $25, $50, or $75 gift card and recognition (max $75 annual)...Currently on-hold/disrupted due to shift to Aggie Enterprise which will not have gift card access until mid-2024. Managers should contact their fiscal officer if they need assistance.