WHAT IS THE COUGAR AWARD PROGRAM?  

The Cougar Award Program recognizes outstanding contributions by employees or campus departments who successfully go about their daily work while simultaneously brightening someone else's day with their great attitude and uplifting spirit.  With this in mind, the Cougar Award Program was established in May 2001 as a college tradition to distinctively honor those outstanding college employees and departments.

Cougar Awards are bestowed on individual employees and campus departments that best exhibit fun, humor, playful or compassionate behavior within our college community (Valencia or Canyon Country Campus) for any of  the following themes:

• Thinking Outside The Box - innovation

• Pushing The Envelope - exceptional service

• Trail Blazer - outstanding leadership

• Building Community - teamwork 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BE NOMINATED FOR A COUGAR AWARD?  

Any employee or campus department of the Santa Clarita Community College District may be nominated for a Cougar Award. An "employee" is defined as a faculty, classified, administrator, adult hourly or college assistant employee, including all full-time or part-time employees of the District.  

Former Cougar Award recipients and Cougar Award Program Steering Committee members are exempt from the nomination process.  Also, self-nominations by individual employees or by individuals from within their own campus department are discouraged.

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY NOMINATION?

A campus-wide email will be sent to announce the opening of the nomination period for the Cougar Award Program.  This will occur twice every Fall and Spring semester.  You may submit either one employee (faculty, classified, administration, or part-time) or one departmental nomination during any open nomination window.  The nomination deadline will be announced in the email and will also be included on the nomination form on the website.  To submit a nomination, simply go to the Nomination Form during any open Cougar Award nomination period.
 

WHEN ARE THE  WINNERS ANNOUNCED?   

The winners will be presented a Cougar Award on a date, time and location selected by the Steering Committee during a campus parade.  The parade will be announced in a "COC-ALL" email and everyone is invited to participate.  After this presentation, and in order to maintain the element of surprise and inspired celebration for the Cougar Award recipient, a second campus-wide email will be sent  to announce the winner to those who were unable to participate in the Cougar Award Parade.
 

HOW ARE THE WINNERS RECOGNIZED? 

The Cougar Award winner shall be presented with a coveted, engraved Cougar Award figurine, during an official proclamation ceremony.  The recipient will also receive movie tickets for two, ice cream certificate and a two-hour lunch pass. Additionally, the Cougar Award recipient's photo and information will be added to the Cougar Award Photo Gallery on the College of the Canyons website.