In the eyes of Joanne Duklas, assistant vice-president of enrolment management and university registrar, the winners of the inaugural Service Excellence Award are all stars.
To convey that, Duklas had glass etched trophies crowned with bright silver stars designed for each of the winners. “I was inspired by some of the other awards around campus and was looking for a way to recognize and appreciate the hard work people do,” she says.
Right: From left, Ivana Wolsegger, Joanne Duklas and Emilie de Oca Sarasua
The award was created to honour employees within Admissions, the Registrar’s Office, Client Services and Student Financial Services, as well as one unit within a division or Faculty that modelled educational partnership and excellent student service delivery.
Left: The Office of Student & Academic Services in the Faculty of Health received the inaugural Service Excellence Award. Josephine Fung, OSAS director, is front and centre with the trophy and Dean of the Faculty of Health Harvey Skinner is behind her
The individual awards went to Ivana Wolsegger, supervisor enquiries in Admissions Client Services, and Emilie de Oca Sarasua, assistant registrar in Student Services & Records Management. The award will encourage others to aspire to achieve excellence in their work, says de Oca Sarasua. “Striving for excellence is definitely a team effort, as such this award belongs to the Student Services & Records Management as much as it does to me.”
Wolsegger says it’s a way to honour people for the work they’ve done.
What makes the award even more special is that the winners were 
nominated anonymously by their peers in the office of the Assistant Vice-President, Enrolment Management and University Registrar.
Right: The trophies recipients of the Service Excellence Award received
The Office of Student & Academic Services (OSAS) in the Faculty of Health received the department Service Excellence Award and was honoured at a reception earlier this month.
“Our team will continue to strive to provide excellent academic services to all of our students,” said Josephine Fung, OSAS director.
Rob Tiffin, vice-president students, thanked the OSAS team for their “tremendous work” and dedication to being innovative and taking new approaches to serving students. Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinner recalled the creation of OSAS in 2006. “It’s so delightful to receive this external validation,” said Skinner.
As Duklas says, “It’s all part of building York pride.”