Purpose

The Teamwork Excellence Award was established to recognize an outstanding established team or work group for their sustained track record of excellent contributions to the mission of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health as well as their division and/or work group.

The Award

The team or work group’s achievements will be commemorated with an award, a permanent display in the school’s administrative offices, and a cash award of $1,500 to be split between the team or put toward an event of the team’s choice. No more than one award will be given to a team or work group in any single year. The award will be presented at the annual School of Public Health Faculty and Staff Recognition Celebration.

Eligibility

This award is available to groups comprised of all Faculty, P&A, Civil Service, and AFSCME staff within the School of Public Health. Groups who are previous winners of this award are not eligible for a second award for a period of three years. For the purpose of eligibility, team is defined by membership at the time of nomination.

Nominator

To nominate someone for this award, you must be a member of the School of Public Health faculty or staff.

Evaluation Criteria

The focus of this award is on the exceptional outcomes produced through the work of a team or work group. For the purpose of this award effective teamwork is viewed as, but not limited to:

• Promotion of overall engagement and/or cooperation;
• Working together to achieve a common goal;
• Extraordinary initiative, skill, or creativity;
• Overall impact and quality of final products.

Nomination Process

Annual awards nominations for the 2025-2026 academic year should be submitted through the online nomination form. The submission deadline is April 6, 2026.

The nominator should submit a letter of no more than three pages presenting the full case of nomination, including a description of the team’s work, its outcomes, and its collaborative nature. The letter may include quotes from peers, colleagues, supervisors, administrators, students, alumni or other community members who have firsthand knowledge of the team’s excellence.

Excerpts from award recipients’ nomination letters may be read at the awards ceremony. Following the ceremony, the winner will receive a complete copy of the nomination submission.

Previous Recipients