Memorandum

To:All Staff

From:[Unit Executive Officer]

Date:[Current Date]

Re:Bravo Award Program

I am excited to announce our College/Unit willbe participating in the Bravo Awardemployee reward and recognition programfor the 2015-16 fiscal year.

The Bravo Award seeks to highlight the excellence found across all areas and job functions at Purdue University by recognizing and rewarding extraordinary achievements on every scale. Acknowledging employee accomplishments that help Purdue move the world forward is vital to the University's mission and the morale of its faculty and staff.

To be eligible for a Bravo Award, employees must have been employed at the University for at least three months, have no outstanding disciplinary actions and be in active status at the time the Bravo Award is paid.

Individual employees are only eligible for two Bravo Awards per fiscal year.

Award criteria has been separated into four categories:

  • Moving the University Forward: Accomplishments of contributions that transform or advance University objectives (i.e., initiatives that improve graduation rates, development programs to measure student academic knowledge, enhancing the academic excellence of the University, improving student affordability, etc.).
  • Operational Excellence: Extraordinary effort during times of critical department need (e.g., contribution that clearly and significantly exceeds standard job requirements and impacts the accomplishments of important and critical business operational goals and deliverablesor extraordinary performance that far exceeds expected or required performance. Managers must be able to document specific achievements and/or measurable contributions to the unit’s business based upon the employee’s exceptional performance.
  • Innovation/Creativity: Innovative work or suggestions, well beyond standard job requirements, that significantly improve operational efficiencies, introduce a new or modified business practice or improve work process, workflow or customer service.
  • Fiscal Stewardship: Significant cost saving or cost avoidance realized beyond normally expected or established standards.

The University has designed Bravo to allow colleges/units the flexibility to customize the program to fit each college/unit’s specific needs. Within the next couple of weeks we will provide you additional information pertaining to our specific guidelines for determining award amounts and our nomination/approval process.

Additional details on the Bravo program are available at

I look forward to recognizing your exceptional achievements.