STAR Award Program

Overview

Please note that the process listed on this page is the internal process for the VC Finance division.

This is the documentation for VC Finance staff on how we meet the People and Culture guidelines.

STAR awards allow us to acknowledge and reward exemplary performance by employees for a specific project or task, or for a special contribution accomplished over a relatively short period of time. The program is governed by Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) 34 which provides guidelines for all university cash recognition awards.

The STAR award program is allocated for distribution on an annual basis. Please refer to the Recognition and Non-Cash Awards webpage for information on the use of non-cash awards that may be distributed throughout the year.

STAR Award Allocation

Funding for the FY25 Staff Appreciation and Recognition program (STAR) has been allocated with appropriate funding to each division. If you have questions about the STAR Award Program Allocation, please contact your Divisional Finance Leader.

Guidelines for Award Amounts

The updated 2025 STAR award process for VC Finance provides three distinct award amounts for nominators to recommend based on the award guidelines below:

$100 Award (Level 1)

A level 1 award is recommended to acknowledge an outstanding or extraordinary accomplishment for activity conducted within the scope of one’s typical job duties.

$250 Award (Level 2)

A level 2 award is recommended to acknowledge a significant and meaningful accomplishment achieved for activity conducted outside the scope of one’s typical job duties.

$500 Award (Level 3)

A level 3 award is recommended to acknowledge an exceptional or outstanding accomplishment achieved for activity conducted outside the scope of one’s typical job duties.

STAR Award Nomination Process for VC Finance Only

If you would like to nominate an employee for a STAR award, please follow the process outlined below. Please contact the Immediate Office with questions at vcfinance@berkeley.edu.

Step 1: Complete a STAR Award Request and Nomination

For each nomination, we want to ensure that department administrators are able to track the progress of each submission and provide status updates. Therefore, we ask that you submit your nomination using the following link: STAR Award Request and Nomination Form.

The above link will take you to a brief smartsheet Nomination Request form to capture your contact information as the nominator and the name of the person you are nominating. This step is essential for department administrators to track the request.

When the request form is submitted, the STAR Award Nomination form for VC Finance will automatically open via a DocuSign web form for you to fill out and capture necessary signatures prior to submission.

Important: If you have multiple nominations, please complete and submit a separate STAR Award Request and Nomination Form for each Nominee. Only one nomination is allowed per nominee.

When the nomination web form opens, you will need the information below to complete the form. Note that you can save your progress at any time and return to the form by clicking “Finish Later” at the bottom of the form.

  1. Nominator's Name and Email (this will be you as the form initiator).
  2. Supervisor’s Name and Email (this may be left blank if the Nominator is also the Supervisor).
  3. Next Level Authority’s Name and email (typically the dept head or Associate Vice Chancellor).
  4. Information about the Nominee:
    1. Name
    2. Employee ID
    3. Job Title
    4. Job Title Code
    5. Department Name
  5. Proposed Award Amount (specify $100, $250 or $500 based on award guidelines).
  6. Reason for Nomination (1-3 paragraph description and linkage to Achieve Together criteria).
  7. Submit the form and sign when prompted.
    1. The form will automatically route to the Supervisor and Next Level Authority for signatures.
      1. Note, that an approved delegate can sign for the Next Level Authority if applicable.
    2. When completed, a copy of the signed form will be routed to vcfinance@berkeley.edu for further processing and review.
    3. Department administrators will contact the nominator to confirm the form was received

Step 2: Processing and Review

  • Completed and signed nomination forms are received at vcfinance@berkley.edu and forwarded to the Star Award Committee for review.
  • The Star Award Committee reviews and approves nominations.
  • The Program Administrator writes award letters and distributes the letters to Supervisors / Managers.

Step 3: Award Distribution

  • Supervisors / Managers send award letters to winners.
    • Supervisors / Managers may personalize the letters if they choose before sending them to the winners.
  • The Program Administrator sends information on award payments to People and Culture for processing and confirms the payment date.

Star Award Review Committee

  • Amy Gardner - Executive Director, University Business Partnerships and Services
  • Chris Stanich - Associate Vice Chancellor, Financial Planning and Analysis
  • Heidi Van Yang - Director of Business Operations and Communications, Finance Immediate Office
  • Kevin Mack - Divisional Finance Leader, Financial Planning and Analysis
  • Michael Riley - Associate Vice Chancellor and Controller
  • Rosemary Kim - Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff