The North Texas Way
Way to Go!: Individual to Individual Recognition
Recognizing those who are living Our Values is at the heart of The North Texas Way. The “Way to Go” recognition is a great way for you to give frequent, impromptu recognition to faculty, staff, and students, (anyone with an EUID, even if they are on a different campus), for living our values and behaviors. Individuals have the opportunity to share a brief note of appreciation, outlining how a colleague/student displayed Our Values. For staff & faculty specifically, the supervisor of the recognized individual will receive a copy of the recognition, allowing for continued celebration! We call this continued celebration, “Celebrating the Way.”
Celebrating the Way: Department Celebration
Celebrating the Way is an opportunity for departments to celebrate individuals in their departments who have received a “Way to Go.” Because staff and faculty’s supervisors are copied on the submission of the “Way to Go!” recognitions, each team or department has an opportunity to celebrate their colleagues who have been recognized for living our values on a quarterly basis at a team meeting or another opportunity provided by the supervisor.
We encourage you to be creative and have fun with this as we celebrate those who have received recognition.
Lighting the Way: Campus Award & Celebration
On an annual basis, each institution within the UNT System Enterprise will call for nominations for the annual spring Lighting the Way campus celebration. Nominations can be made by anyone who submitted a Way to Go! recognition throughout the year and can be selected from the list of those individuals to whom they sent a Way to Go! recognition.
Lighting the Way allows each institution to celebrate individuals who have been an influence in our community by consistently displaying our values and behaviors through their daily work. These individuals will be recognized by their institutional leadership and afforded opportunities to contribute their own leadership and passion to the UNT System Enterprise Values Journey.
Leading the Way: Chancellor’s Systemwide Award
As a part of our annual Systemwide Values Summit, those award recipients of the campus Lighting the Way award become nominees for the Chancellor’s Leading the Way award. The Leading the Way award represents the immense impact that this individual has within our UNT System Enterprise, living our values daily, breaking down silos, and pursuing a One Team approach. The honorees and final award recipient are selected by the Chancellor.
These individuals will be recognized by UNT System Enterprise leadership and the Board of Regents and afforded opportunities to contribute their own leadership and passion to the UNT System Enterprise Values Journey.
How It Works
- Celia nominates 10 of her colleagues throughout the year for living our values and sends each one of them a ‘Way to Go!’ recognition.
- Each of those recipients may be recognized and celebrated on a quarterly basis at a team meeting or other opportunity provided by their supervisor.
- When it is time for annual campus nominations, Celia can further nominate any or all of her original 10 ‘Way to Go!’ recipients for the ‘Lighting the Way!’ award. This nomination requires Celia to provide an example/share the story of how her nominee has lived our values.
- Those nominations will then be sent to a review team for each campus that will facilitate supervisor/HR approval and select the final award nominees.
Two-Phase Launch
Spring 2024 – Phase 1: Pilot Program Launch
We are excited to launch The North Texas Way as a pilot program with the UNT System Administration in March 2024.
Following a short pilot and any needed troubleshooting, we will expand the program to the UNT System Enterprise. Anyone with an EUID will be able to send and receive a “Way to Go!” recognition from another colleague/student for living our values.
Fall 2024 – Phase 2: Full Launch of The North Texas Way Custom Application
During the pilot program, IT is hard at work to develop a custom application for The North Texas Way, which will provide a new and improved platform and increased ease of use for our community to send and receive Way to Go! values recognition. Stay tuned for news of our new and improved program as we approach Fall 2024!
Spring 2025 – Kickoff Campus and Systemwide Values Celebrations
In the spring of 2025, campuses and the System will hold their first celebratory values recognition awards ceremony under The North Texas Way program. Dates are to be determined.
How Do I Get Involved?
Start sending Way to Go! recognitions to colleagues and/or students who you have witnessed displaying our values. It’s that simple! Sending Way to Go! recognitions launches our recognition program and sets in motion how we celebrate and honor those who are committed to living our values.
Feedback
We would love to hear your feedback! Please let us know what you think or if you have any suggestions!
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