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Staff Excellence Fund
Do you have an idea for a project or program that will contribute to staff engagement, improve workplace wellness or develop staff leadership abilities? The Staff Excellence Fund (SEF) is available to support these kinds of initiatives.
Application Instructions
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Applicants are asked to complete and provide details for each section below. Incomplete proposals may be rejected or returned to the submitter for more details.
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Specific to the most recent call for applications, we ask that you identify how your project or opportunity can be carried out within the safe parameters identified due to COVID-19.
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Successful proposals will fall under one of the following categories:
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Healthy Workplace Initiatives - Proposals could include fitness courses, workshops on healthy living, seminars on work-life balance, etc.
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Engagement and Leadership Development - Proposals could include guest speakers or courses to enhance leadership skills among staff.
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And will meet the following criteria:
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meet the goals of the aforementioned initiatives
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enhance our working environment
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be implemented quickly and should have a duration of no more than 2 years (proposals may be submitted again to be considered for continued funding)
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benefit many people
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encourage cooperation and collaboration across departments
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not fund construction costs or capital infrastructure
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Proposals must not be currently funded or organized by the University and ongoing costs will not be covered. Proposals should also avoid creating tax benefits for employees
History of SEF
The SEF was established in January 2009 by the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC) when the Special Recognition Award Program for University Support Staff was discontinued. $250,000 is allocated annually to fund the following initiatives:
High‐Quality Speakers. The fund will continue to sponsor speakers and events coordinated by Organizational & Human Development on topics relating to staff training and development, both within and independent of the annual staff conference. Estimated cost: $65,000/year.
Service Recognition. This fund contributes to the university’s annual Years of Service Reception for USG Staff at their at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 year milestones(as determined by Human Resources). (This recognition is independent of 25 Year Club Reception) Estimated cost: $50,000/year.
Engagement and Leadership Development. The funding previously allocated for the Special Initiatives Fund will be redirected to activities, programs and services to enhance employee engagement and foster leadership development. Estimated cost: $50,000/year.
Healthy Workplace Initiatives. The salary previously allocated for the Staff Career Advisor position will be redirected to initiatives in 2014 and 2015 to establish Healthy Workplace Initiatives, with a review in 2016. Estimated cost: $85,000/year.
In order to give staff input into how to allocate the Healthy Workplace Initiatives and the Engagement and Leadership Development initiative, PACSC delegated responsibility for generating and reviewing funding proposals to the UWSA. The SEF Committee was established as a standing committee in 2016.
SEF Committee
Purpose: A standing committee of the University of Waterloo Staff Association, the Staff Excellence Fund (SEF) Committee has a mandate to generate and review proposals for projects that will support the engagement, leadership skills, and wellness of UW staff. SEF forwards proposals that meet the SEF criteria to the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC) for funding consideration. See the SEF Committee Terms of Reference (PDF) for more details.
