Program Excellence Award
A page within Academic Staff Council
Purpose of Academic Staff Council
Academic Staff Council is formed and supported by Wisconsin State statue (36.09(4)) which directs this group to:
- Advise the Chancellor on policies, procedures, and personnel matters concerning all academic staff.
- Organize in a manner determined by the group itself.
- Select representatives to participate in institutional governance (including at UWL and a System/Universities of Wisconsin level).
In practice, this means that academic staff are formally able to advocate for numerous changes that they want to see from day-to-day practices on campus to System-directed policies and procedures. If you would like to be a voice for yourself and other academic staff at UW-La Crosse, please consider participating in this group.
Participate in Academic Staff Council
There are many ways to participate in Academic Staff Council. See some suggestions here:
- Attend the monthly meeting.
- Participate in council requests, elections, and events.
- Make requests to the council for topics and/or speakers
- Join the council.
Program Excellence Award Winner
Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning
“CATL exemplifies the central role that non-instructional academic staff play in advancing student success through teaching excellence, innovation, and sustained institutional impact.” — Kristin Koepke, Director of CATL
About & Procedure
Introduced for 2021, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Program Excellence Award recognizes the dedicated work, vital services, and outstanding contributions of the UW System’s non-instructional academic staff.
Given annually, a $500 award will be made to a program that is staffed primarily by non-instructional administrative and professional academic staff in recognition of the important role played by academic staff in supporting students and their success. The funds for this award are designated to support program enhancements such as the staff recipients’ professional development or program-related supplies and expenses, or for other activities approved by the staff recipients that enhance a university program or function.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Program Excellence Award is given annually to a program that is staffed primarily by non-instructional administrative and professional academic staff in recognition of the important role played by academic staff in supporting students and their success.
Award Criteria:
- UWL Program must be staffed primarily by non-instructional administrative and professional academic staff.
- Excellence of Performance: performance that has set superior standards of excellence and efficiency in relation to the mission of the university and has resulted in important and significant contributions to the university.
- Initiative and Creativity: performance that consistently and substantially demonstrates an innovative approach, thereby improving productivity and the performance of program services.
- Outstanding Achievement: performance that consistently and substantially has resulted in important and significant contributions of the program and that has furthered the mission of the university; performance that has resulted in distinction – campus-wide, systemwide, statewide, nationally, or internationally.
Nominations:
Please select one staff member to collect materials for a program excellence award nomination. Once all nomination materials are collected, please submit the survey.
Nominations must include the following items in one PDF, which is collaged in the order specified below:
- A letter of nomination providing at least one example of the three criteria listed above (1-page limit).
- A statement by program staff on the program’s contributions and service to the university (1-page limit).
- The name of 2 colleagues who you have spoken to whom are willing to comment additionally on the program if further information is needed by the committee.
Nominations must be submitted no later than 4:00pm on April 18, 2026.
Previous recipients
2025 - International Education
2024 - Student Life Office