UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State’s leadership team has announced a new effort to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of all full-time faculty, staff and technical service employees.
The Years of Service Recognition Program, launching Nov. 1, will offer awards and gifts for full-time employees across all Penn State locations for milestone anniversaries achieved after the launch date. Penn State’s existing program recognizing 25-year employees with an official Penn State chair and a personalized certificate will continue and be folded into the new Years of Service Recognition Program.
“The passion, dedication, and hard work of all of you, our faculty and staff, have always been at the very core of Penn State’s greatness. It is because of your dedication, committed effort, brilliance and ingenuity that we as a University are able to achieve our mission, impact our world, and propel our students to lifelong success,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Whether you’re teaching in the classroom, working in the lab, engaging in creative scholarship, preserving knowledge in our libraries, maintaining and beautifying our campuses, keeping the lights on and the utilities working, advising students, coordinating programs, engaging in outreach across the commonwealth, or any of the other many vital roles Penn Staters fill every day, we could not accomplish our mission without you. This program is just one small way for me and my leadership team to express our deep gratitude, on behalf of our entire University.”
Awards will begin after the first and third years of employment, at which point all full-time employees will receive a yearbook commemorating their anniversary. The yearbook will offer congratulations on their inaugural year as a Penn Stater, alongside special messages from teammates, managers and President Bendapudi.
After five years of employment, full-time employees will receive a personalized Penn State-themed numeral marking their milestone year, and customized yearbooks with personalized messages covering their continued career and accomplishments. They also will be invited to select a gift from a curated catalog. The recognitions will continue for every five-year anniversary.
“Penn State, as with higher education nationally, is in the midst of a period of change. I am thankful to our faculty, staff and technical service employees for their continued dedication, creativity and resourcefulness,” said Penn State Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer Jennifer Wilkes. “This effort is just another way for us to thank every Penn Stater directly for their dedication, and to provide the supervisors, colleagues and friends who have been an essential part of that employee’s career, with an opportunity to do the same."
Additional information on the Years of Service Recognition Program can be found on the program's website.