Senate Bill 25-26-44
| Bill ID: | 25-26-44 |
| Name: | BOR Staff Awards 2025-2026 |
| Sponsor: | Council of University System Staff (CUSS) |
| Proposal: | The Council of University System Staff (CUSS) is accepting nominations for the 2025-2026 University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents' (BOR) Staff Awards. These awards present an excellent opportunity for USM institutions to recognize outstanding staff members. All of the USM institutions are encouraged to submit nominations for the BOR Staff Awards. The awards represent the highest honor bestowed by the BOR for the achievements of Exempt and Non-Exempt Staff employees. In accordance with BOR Policy, the nominations must be reviewed at each institution before submission to the CUSS Awards Review Committee. At the University of Maryland, the Senate Staff Affairs Committee (representative of all classifications of employees at UMD) reviews all nomination packages and submits recommendations to the President. The President will send recommendations to the CUSS Awards Review Committee. The CUSS Awards Review Committee will then select the final candidates to be submitted to the BOR. Recipients will be announced in early 2026, with a formal presentation of awards by the Board in the spring 2026. |
| Active? | Yes |
Status
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | CUSS |
| Received: | 2025-11-24 |
| Decision: | To recommend finalists to the Board of Regents for approval. |
| Actions: | The CUSS Awards Review Committee reviewed the nomination packages from all USM Institutions and submitted its recommendations to the Board of Regents in spring 2026. |
| Next Step: | Board of Regents Review |
| Status: | Pending Approval |
| Reviewer: | President Pines |
| Received: | 2025-11-03 |
| Decision: | President Pines confirmed and endorsed the nominations as recommended by the Senate Staff Affairs Committee. |
| Actions: | President Pines reviewed the nomination materials as submitted by the Staff Affairs Committee and drafted the required presidential endorsement letters. |
| Next Step: | CUSS Review |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Staff Affairs Committee |
| Received: | 2025-09-15 |
| Decision Date: | 2025-10-29 |
| Actions: | The Staff Affairs Committee began discussing the nomination and review process at its meeting on October 8, 2025, and completed October 17, 2025, as the campus nominations deadline. The committee’s advertising and outreach efforts included the following: outreach to individual units across campus, announcements to UHR representatives and partners, and connecting with nominators and nominees from previous years. The Staff Affairs Committee formed a subcommittee to review the nomination packets. Its members included Alex Aiosa (x), Clint Eury (x), Earl Cabellon (x), Maggie Saponaro (x), Paul Keen (x), Megan Campbell (x), Maggie Haslam (x), William Martin Routzahn (x). The subcommittee first met on October 8, 2025, to discuss the review process. Alex Aoisa was elected subcommittee chair. The subcommittee reviewed nomination packages for 18 exempt staff and 2 non-exempt staff, and met again on October 17, 2025 to discuss finalists’ nomination packets. At that meeting, the subcommittee voted on the finalists. The full staff affairs committee voted in favor of forwarding the following staff nominees for consideration by President Pines at their October 29, 2025. Award Category One: Exceptional Contribution to the Institution and/or Unit to which the Person Belongs • Exempt Nominee: Louisa Nkrumah, SVPAAP/TLTC-Learning Experience Designer Award Category Two: Outstanding Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment • Exempt Nominee: Ronald Padrón, EDUC-Director of Opportunity, Access, Community Engagement & Support Award Category Three: Extraordinary Public Service to the University or Greater Community • Exempt Nominee: Bonnie Seal-Filiatreau, Physics- Associate Director, Research Finance and Administration Award Category Four: Effectiveness and Efficiency in Academic or Administrative Transformation with a Savings of $10,000 or more • Exempt Nominee: No Nominee Award Category Five: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging • Exempt Nominee: Danielle Pafe, TLTC-Coordinator of Collaborative Learning Programs Non-Exempt packets Award Category One: Making a Difference to the Campus • Non-Exempt Nominee: No Nominee Award Category Two: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging • Non-Exempt Nominee: No Nominee Award Category Three: Excellence in Performance • Non-Exempt Nominee: No Nominee Award Category Four: Excellence as a Team Player UNIVERSITY SENATE STAFF AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Board of Regents’ Staff Awards Subcommittee Report | Chair: Alex Aiosa | October 2025 • Non-Exempt Nominee: No Nominee Award Category Five: Outstanding Role Model • Non-Exempt Nominee: Sheryl Grey, AGNR-Animal and Avian Sciences Nomination packages for each 2025-2026 BOR Staff Awards nominee were sent to the President’s Office on November 3, 2025. |
| Next Step: | Presidential Review |