The True Blue Award emerged from the most recent Speaking Up: Faculty & Staff Experience Survey. The results showed that feeling valued and recognized in the communities in which they work rated highly among employees.
The True Blue Award complements the recognition programs already in existence at the University of Toronto (U of T) and provides staff and faculty with an opportunity to recognize their colleagues in a more informal way. Award recipients are nominated by their colleagues for embodying U of T’s true-blue spirit.
Read on to find out why.
Karen McCrank
University of Toronto St. George (UTSG)
“Karen McCrank always comes to work with a smile on her face and an infectious energy — that energy lead to the hashtag #McCrankItUp. She is incredibly quick to laugh and always looking to include others.
“Karen currently fosters community in the Career Centre and has been since 2014. Previously, she’s been a leader in coordinating and connecting staff across the University through her numerous roles in the Division of Student Life and the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). Most importantly, she played a guiding role in the Student Life Professionals Network.
“She’s been a leader in on-the-job training of students for so long and does so with such professionalism and care that many have said they learned more working with her than they did in their Master of Education. In my own case, working with Karen when she was in SGS — and I was at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) — lead me to want to follow her to the Career Centre in 2014. Many of our colleagues at the Career Centre were also keen to join the team to work with Karen.”
Does this remind you of someone you know? Nominate them for a True Blue Award.