CAPE Award

The Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE) Award acknowledges the demonstrated excellence of Academic Professional (AP) staff members. By doing so, it honors the contributions of individual staff members and encourages the professional growth and achievement of APs at UIC.                 

Nominees for the CAPE Award are reviewed for outstanding contributions and exemplary professional performance at UIC as measured against three criteria:

Personal Attributes

• The nominee’s positive impact on the workplace is demonstrated by responsiveness to the unique demands of the workplace, leadership ability, teamwork, and outstanding personal characteristics.

Professional Achievements

• The ability of the nominee to advance the mission of the nominee’s unit and the University at large; that is, their work accomplishments and participation in and contributions to campus-level initiatives.

External Contributions

• The contributions of the nominee to their professional field and/or community; that is, positions of demonstrated leadership and responsibility, recognition, and awards.

• Nominees must be permanent AP employees at UIC (including regional campus locations and Chicago-based units of the UI System) at the time of nomination. Prior service in visiting/interim/acting status can be counted towards service years.
• Nominees must be employed as APs for at least five consecutive years full-time or ten consecutive years at 50% time or Qualifying years of service may be across multiple AP titles, but must be completed by April 1 of the nomination year.
• Past recipients of the Award of Merit, Rising Star Award, and CAPE Award may be nominated for subsequent CAPE Awards, provided that a minimum of five years has elapsed between the last award received and the next nomination.
  • An employee may not receive any of the following awards in the same Employee Recognition season: Award of Merit, CAPE Award, and Rising Star Award.
• APs who hold an FTE-bearing professional title (FTE > 0.0%) and those on a terminal contract are ineligible.
• Any employee with disciplinary action on their university employment record within the last five years will be ineligible.
• Nominees cannot be current members of the APAC Awards committee. If nominated, they must recuse themselves from the committee for the current award year.

Each CAPE awardee will receive a $1,000 permanent salary increase, a certificate, and a pin. The names of the winners are added to the CAPE Award plaque on the first floor of University Hall. In addition, each recipient receives a $2,500 one-time cash award. Up to ten (10) APs will receive the CAPE Award per year.

The online CAPE application portal is available at CAPE Nomination. The nomination packets must be compiled as a single merged PDF file, uploaded, and include the following elements in the order listed below:

• Narrative/personal statement: UIC Faculty members, APs, support staff, or students may nominate an AP for the CAPE Award. The role of the CAPE Award nominator goes beyond collecting and submitting the required documentation. A narrative/personal statement prepared by the nominator, not to exceed three pages, explaining how the nominee satisfies all 3 of the CAPE evaluation criteria:
  • Describe how the nominee’s interpersonal skills and professional contributions have enhanced the University’s mission and reputation.
  • Present specific examples to demonstrate how the nominee exemplifies professionalism in their field.
  • Outline the nominee’s professional growth during their career at UIC, including how the nominee has contributed above and beyond basic job requirements.
  • Describe the nominee’s University service beyond their home unit, e.g., University committee involvement or engagement with the Alumni Association.
  • Discuss external contributions of local, regional, or (inter)national significance in the nominee’s field, which may not necessarily be related to the nominee’s professional role at UIC. Positions of leadership or significant participation in organizations not directly related to the nominee’s role at UIC may also be included, e.g., service in local government, professional associations, and/or work with volunteer organizations.
• A current resume or curriculum vitae
• An official job description (not an informal summary) is to be provided by the nominee’s unit. The nominator (if not the nominee’s supervisor) must inform the supervisor of the nomination.
• Three to five letters of professional endorsement, reflecting the nominee’s historical and current contributions. Two letters must be from UIC faculty, staff, or students (one can be from the nominator). An external letter is encouraged. The nominator should consult with the nominee to ensure appropriate letters of endorsement are solicited. Letter writers should engage with the nominee in relevant contexts and be familiar with the nominee’s personal, professional, and/or external contributions.
• Provide additional relevant information about the nominee that may not be apparent in the curriculum vitae, resume, or letters of endorsement.

• The PDF packet should be named LastName, FirstName_CAPE_2026.

Nominators are encouraged to resubmit complete nomination packets in the following year if their nominee is not chosen. Nominators may reuse materials from an earlier submission, but the nominating letter should be updated from the past year.

For any questions regarding the CAPE Award, please contact Selection Committee Co-Chairs- Shubha Priyamvada (shubha@uic.edu) or Nicole Messier (nmessier@uic.edu).