First Annual Applause Celebration

O n Tuesday, December 5th the First Annual Applause Holiday Celebration was well attended by the faculty and staff of the College of Arts & Sciences. The twenty biweekly Applause awardees from the past year were special guests and the six annual Applause awardees were announced. Assistant Dean David Howe presided over the celebration and the text of his comments are here....

We are here to celebrate the managers, professionals, office, clerical, and technical staff in the College of Arts & Sciences. Our special guests are the 20 individuals who received our Applause this past year. You will recognize them from their name badges and from their framed likenesses spread around the room on the tables. I hope you will take the time to meet them.

To the Applause awardees themselves - welcome and thank you. Please accept your frame as our gift.

I would be remiss if I did not applaud the efforts of certain individuals in the Dean's Office that actually lead our Applause. Linda Luedtke manages the logistics of our Applause - the donuts, the timing, and the scheduling to be sure that everyone is where they have to be to make it a surprise. Lori Anderson and Karen Caruso actually created the LOOK of Applause with their print and web graphics. And in the background of any event like this is Kim Weide. Kim created the FEEL of our Applause event. Thank you Linda, Lori, Karen, and Kim. [Postscript: In my remarks, I overlooked the efforts of one individual extremely important to Applause. Pat Klein has worked on countless details associated with actually getting the prize money into the hands of the awardees. Sorry Pat! -DH]

If you didn't know already, our Applause goes out every other week during the year, except during the holidays, to recognize the efforts of staff members for their innovative ideas, their consistently outstanding performance, or their service above and beyond the call of duty. As in any endeavor, Applause is given for a valiant effort in a failed attempt, as well as for a brilliant achievement.

Our special guests today received our Applause during the past year, but tonight we are here to announce 6 more who will receive our Applause for the entire calendar year of 2000. I have some prizes to give each. . .

Our annual awardees will each receive a BIG check. The amount won't be big, but the paper it's printed on will be big. To be honest, they won't even get the money tonight because it has to be added to their paycheck.

The annual awardees will each receive a bookstore certificate for $100. This is also taxable income, I'm sorry to say.

But along with the bookstore certificates are a few things that won't be taxed -

• A 30 minute massage at campus recreation
• A coffee mug donated by our friends here at the University Bookstore
• And a gift certificate for a meal donated by Crane River.
  By the way, Crane River has been one of our most loyal supporters. I hope you will all patronize them from time to time, because they are really fans of yours. In fact, help me out and every time you go into Crane River, please mention to Linda Vescio that you're from Arts & Sciences and you appreciate their support for our Applause.

The most important prize is that each annual awardee will be submitted by the College for the University KUDO. In fact, I've begun to write those nominations and I will be working with the awardees over the next few days to get those nominations completed.

The annual Applause awardees were selected from 94 nominations for 44 individuals from all over the college. No distinction was made for those who received our bi-weekly Applause. Every nomination received during the entire year was considered again. The reviewing panel was also brand new.

The results show the difference because not all of our Annual awardees were bi-weekly awardees.

How is our Applause awardee selected? Well, Applause begins with you. A simple nomination. At a pre-determined time prior to the award, the nominations are gathered and reviewed by a committee that then sends forward their recommendation to the Dean.

Let me ask you all something. . . Why didn't we receive 194 nominations or 294 nominations? It can't be because nothing special ever happens. . . We must never underestimate the value of doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. The biweekly awardees and the six that I'm about to announce didn't invent a new mouse trap. They simply did an ordinary job extraordinarily well.

Spread about the room are several of these bumper stickers. Take one back to your office. Hang it up. When an A&S staff member does something extraordinarily well, START the APPLAUSE!!

Our first awardee is involved with the successful planning, preparation, and execution of Math Day, an important outreach activity attracting many elite young mathematicians to the campus. Assisting Math & Statistics faculty with the undergraduate program, she is also working toward a degree in business administration. Please begin our Applause for Lori Mueller.

Our next awardee received TWELVE nominations from students and faculty - the largest number for any single nominee. Secretary for the Graduate Program in English and helping with recruiting, she deals with over 100 graduate students, and they know to go to her before they go to the graduate chair. Please join our Applause for Kathie Johnson.

Returning to Communication Studies after a sojourn elsewhere on campus, our next awardee made their office significantly more efficient. Budget errors have been corrected; faculty time has been saved; and their lives are made just a little easier. Please join our Applause for Donelle Moormeier.

Our next awardee, "lab manager extraordinaire", was described as the spokes in the wheels that allow the general chemistry program to run smoothly. In charge of several dozen teaching assistants, this manager is efficient, reliable, and professional at all times. Please begin our Applause for Darrell Kinnan.

Our next awardee is Electronics & Computer Specialist in the Department of Physics. Constantly called upon to assist faculty and staff in many different ways, he always does it with a smile. He's dependable, dedicated, ethical and a perfectionist in his job. Please join our Applause for Brian Farleigh.

As Administrative Assistant to the Dean, our last awardee is a vital link between the Dean, the departments in the College, and the campus administration. Her position requires patience, diplomacy, and a huge supply of energy as she manages us all in the Dean's office. On top of it all, she will finishe her MBA this year. I am extremely pleased to lead our Applause for Amy Dodson.

Remember to take your job seriously because something you do is serious to someone. MY applause goes out to all of you. Thank you for coming. And remember, Begin the Applause for someone!!!

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