Healthy Work Environment Award

Eligibility

A program, project, or intervention implemented at the academic department, division, or college/university level within any academic institution or institution of higher learning (e.g., university, college, school) is eligible. One-time projects, programs, or interventions implemented by a single individual or research project would not be appropriate without a viable sustainability plan. Sigma membership is not required to apply. 

Current Sigma Board of Directors, Sigma elected international committee members, Sigma staff, Sigma consultants and contracted staff, and members of the judging committee are not eligible to receive this award, serve as nominators, or write letters of support. Members of appointed committees may participate in the award process. Past recipients are not eligible to receive the award.

Criteria

Utilizing the World Health Organization’s Healthy Workplace Framework and Model, a nomination should address each of the following criteria:

1. Address at least one of the following areas that define a healthy work environment. Review the WHO’s framework and identify how the facility, organization, or department focused on one or several of the areas below:
2. 1. Physical Work Environment
   2. Psychosocial Work Environment
   3. Enterprise Community Involvement
   4. Personal Health Resources
2. Explain the process and development of a healthy work environment. This could include, but is not limited to, one of the following:
3. 1. Creation and evaluation of new programs with demonstrated involvement of faculty, staff, and/or students
   2. Sustained programming addressing the academic workplace considering faculty, staff, and/or student-identified needs
   3. Results from faculty and/or staff satisfaction surveys indicating improvements in satisfaction over time
3. Describe the evaluation of the intervention to provide evidence of positive student, staff, and/or faculty outcomes. This could be demonstrated by:
4. 1. Student satisfaction surveys done by a third party
   2. Student achievement reports, as applicable
   3. Faculty and/or staff surveys, preferably done by third parties
   4. Attestation from faculty and/or students
4. Outline the sustainability of the program/project/intervention. One-time projects, programs, or interventions implemented by a single individual or research project are not appropriate without a viable sustainability plan.

View the Criteria PDF.

Submission Requirements

Documents required below should address each of the above criteria. Entries that do not meet the criteria and submission requirements will be disqualified. A complete nomination consists of:

• Online entry form
• Descriptive summary from the nominator outlining the programming or interventions (1-2 pages)
• Two letters of support from members of the unit or academic administration (cannot be from the nominator)
• Letter of Acceptance from a representative of the institution accepting the nomination and agreeing to attend the award presentation
• Supporting documentation that provides additional descriptions and direct evidence of the award criteria, including results or reports from faculty and/or staff satisfaction surveys, student achievement reports, and satisfaction surveys. Evidence of accreditation of the school and/or program is required in countries that have accreditation systems (not to exceed 15 pages)

Award Recipients