Employee Achievement Awards

FASS Employee Achievement Awards recognize the dedication and hard work of FASS employees including staff, faculty and temporary instructors in our collective service to the arts, humanities and social sciences and to our communities.

Award streams and categories

How to nominate

Nominations will be solicited from all students registered in FASS classes, FASS faculty members, and staff.

Nominations must be submitted electronically using the FASS Employee Achievement Award nomination form listed above and include a letter of nomination that briefly describes why the individual or team merits the award as well as 1 to 3 letters of support from parties other than the nominator. Only one nominator signature is required; however, additional signatures from students, faculty, or staff will be viewed favorably by the committee. Scanned original signatures will be accepted and computer-generated signatures must be verified.

Additional note for awards in the Teaching stream only: Each nominee will be asked to submit course evaluations and course outlines and/or tutorial lesson plans from 3 courses, which can be from the same course in different semesters.

All nominees must acknowledge their nomination and consent to it by signing the nomination form for their nominations to stand, except for the Staff Team Award for which the Team Leader/Manager may consent on behalf of the Team. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Events and Executive Coordinator at fass@sfu.ca before the submission due date.

Award descriptions

FASS staff awards

FASS staff are proud of and dedicated to their work and often go well out of their way to deliver excellent service and creative ideas that improve the lives of those within the university community and beyond.

Eligible FASS staff include those with at least two years of full-time employment or equivalent in FASS during the previous two years (full-time) or four years (part-time). 

Each award category will receive one award of $1,000 towards professional development. Winners will also be honoured at the FASS Fall Reception.

One award may be bestowed annually in each of the following categories (ties may be considered) depending on the nominations received:

  • Individual Work Performance: To recognize a FASS staff member who demonstrates work performance that is consistently above and beyond their job description.
  • Team: To recognize a high-performing team which exemplifies collaboration and cooperation and which demonstrates a significant contribution with results on behalf of their department/unit and FASS.
  • Lifetime Contributions: To recognize sustained leadership and commitment to FASS over the course of their employment. FASS staff who have served the university for at least 15 years are eligible to be nominated.
  • Changemaker: To recognize the importance of identifying what we can do better and then making it happen. This can include but not limited to; fresh insights, a significant improvement or even a revolution in a business or teaching process or other activity undertaken in the past two years that significantly improves some aspect of what FASS does and so has lasting impact and benefits for our students and our communities. 

FASS awards for non-continuing teaching employees

FASS employs many excellent teachers on a temporary basis as Teaching Assistants/Tutor Markers (TA/TM), Sessional Instructors, and Term Teaching and Research Faculty. In SFU’s annual student surveys, FASS students consistently report the highest satisfaction with FASS teachers, who deliver inspirational teaching, spark and mentor our students, and serve their departments in multiple ways.

These awards will complement the FASS Cormack Teaching Awards given to continuing faculty by recognizing individuals who are not continuing faculty and who excel in one or more of the following areas: engaging students in discovery of new knowledge; introducing innovative pedagogical approaches to learning that stimulates student interest and understanding of complex material; encouraging and supporting student learning; organizing and delivering an interesting and challenging syllabus that engages students at appropriate levels; exemplifying collegiality, professionalism and interdisciplinary respect.

Award recipients will be honoured at the FASS Fall Reception. 

Starting 2025, these award categories will be incorporated into the FASS Cormack Teaching Awards. 

One award may be bestowed annually in each of the following categories (ties may be considered) depending on the nominations received:

  • Teaching Assistant or Tutor Marker
  • Sessional Instructor
  • Term Teaching or Research Faculty