The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) recognizes continuing service on the part of employees and outstanding professional achievements by employees and students.
All award programs require the prior approval of the president. A written plan outlining the criteria for candidate selection, the nature of the award, and the frequency and occasion of presentation must be submitted to the Office of the President for approval.
Service awards are administered by Human Resources (HR); all other achievement awards for outstanding performance are initiated at the discretion of departments.
Service awards are to be given in recognition of the fifth year of employment and at every five-year interval thereafter.
Service awards for those employees with five or more years of service to the university will be awarded at the annual awards ceremony. Honorees will attend the awards ceremony that falls after the fiscal year their award is earned. For example, individuals whose five-year date-of-hire anniversary occurs in 2003 are honored at the 2004 ceremony.
An achievement award is an incentive, in the form of a one-time payment, to eligible employees for attaining measurable group goals above and beyond normal job duties that support the university's mission and objectives. An AAP is prospective in nature and is based on meeting specific criteria for projects to be completed in the future; it is not a bonus for past performance. Those selecting awards should be diligent and prudent, selecting awards that are reasonable and appropriate to the event.
The actual purchase of an award may be made with state-appropriated funds not to exceed $50; costs in excess of $50 but not more than $100 may be charged against departmental discretionary funds. The cost of these awards may be paid directly to a third party or reimbursed to an individual through the voucher process.
Monetary awards to employees are subject to federal payroll taxes; therefore, these should be handled through the PeopleSoft System.
Updated 04/06