It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Ms Shelly Fleck for the Employee Achievement Award. Shelly went above and beyond the “call of duty” to provide support to the Communication Disorders (CDIS) Department. Not only did Shelly continue to manage her primary responsibilities in the Dean’s office, but she also took on additional work to help our department during a transition period. She personally supported me as I assumed Department Chair responsibilities, including assistance I the preparation of new hire paperwork, providing guidance regarding CDIS budgetary issues, ordering supplies, and managing travel requests.
Shelly is committed to UNK at the department, college, and university levels. As noted above, Shelly assisted the CDIS department with office activities until a new office associate could be hired during the fall of 2009, quite literally doubling her workload during this time of transition. At the college level Shelly often is the initial contact person for students, faculty and campus visitors, greeting all individuals in a courteous and professional manner. Additionally, she has been working with various COE administrators, providing support for upcoming accreditation visits, MCATE and ASHA specifically. She plans and schedules events and assists with budget oversight for the College of Education departments and programs. In doing so she often identifies accounting entry errors. He attention to these minute details contribute notable to the successful operation of the College. At the University level, Shelly serves on various campus committees and is a liaison between the COE’s Dean’s office and other offices across the campus.
Shelly projects a positive teamwork attitude at the college and university levels. While training the office associate for the CDIS department, she spent countless hours going over general office procedures, assisted in getting department paperwork updated, and provided basic training in campus computer functions. Also of particular note was Shelly’s response to a recent flooding in the COE building. She was readily available to assist faculty, students, and staff, keeping everyone informed of procedures, plans, and schedules for clean up and damage reports. On a larger scale, Shelly frequently assists with campus-wide projects, most recently the Employee Recognition ceremony at the beginning of the spring 2010 semester.
Based on my personal interactions and observations of Shelly’s work, I find her commitment toward excellence as unquestioned. It is apparent that she takes pride in her work and the activities that go on in the College of Education. Shelly constantly edits and monitors paperwork to assurance all the “I’s” are dotted and the “t’s” crossed. From a recruiting perspective, Shelly is a strong supporter of the UNK community, taking pride in being a graduate of UNK and helping to maintain its quality reputation. She is quick to respond to student requests for information and to keep COE program brochures readily available to prospective students and their families.
I believe one of Shelly’s strongest contributions in staff morale is her commitment to equality. She is quick to lend a helping hand to faculty and staff, and takes great pride in helping others develop the necessary skills to perform job functions independently.
As a newer faculty member at UNK and in the College of Education, I am not aware of any award or recognition that Shelly has received. She unquestionably is deserving of the Employee Achievement Award.