* Volunteers cannot be staff/faculty members of UCCS. They must be UCCS alumni/friends *
About: In December 2015, the Executive Board of the UCCS Staff Association elected to rename the outstanding staff award in honor of Officer Garrett Swasey. Officer Swasey (pronounced /Sway’zee/) was a UCCS police officer who responded in support of Colorado Springs Police to an active shooter situation on November 27, 2015. He was killed in the line of duty. UCCS officers are sworn, state-certified police officers. Officer Swasey was on duty at the campus and responded in support of Colorado Springs Police. Officer Swasey was a six-year veteran of the UCCS Police Department. The Garrett Swasey Outstanding Staff Award acknowledges the outstanding achievements and contributions of a UCCS staff member who exemplifies excellence in service to the campus and community.
If you choose to volunteer for this selection committee you will be contacted the week of March 9, 2026 via email from Committee Chair with the instructions on how to review files through UCCS LionShare system. Selection committee volunteers can download and review nomination materials securely and confidentially via email. Margie Oldham is the person who will be emailing you with more information.
After you read and review each nomination you will be asked to provide your top choices via the process outlined below:
Feedback is requested via email for the top three candidates by each selection committee volunteer. Once nominations and supporting letters are reviewed, volunteers rank their top three (1st, 2nd, 3rd) choices in an email with the top three individuals listed in rank order. It is helpful to highlight some of the key phrases which stood out in the letters of recommendation and nominations of the top three candidates. Comments which speak to the winner’s excellence help with writing a citation for the Chancellor as a summary of the award winner’s outstanding qualities. This email is to be returned to Committee Chair to score and determine the award recipient by Friday, March 27, 2026.
Guidance for how to determine your top choices: The recipient of the award demonstrates: exceptional commitment which exceeds job expectations; continual service to the UCCS community through various activities (e.g., committee work, staff involvement, community relations, etc.); positive working relationships with students, colleagues at all levels, and other constituents of the campus; and an active and ongoing commitment to the betterment of UCCS. In all ways, nominees "go above and beyond the call of duty."
More information: https://staff.uccs.edu/employee-awards/garrett-swasey-outstanding-staff-award
Expectations: Volunteers are expected to keep in mind that the higher education eco-system is complex and the types of work each team member does to make UCCS a great place to learn and work varies greatly from person to person, but all staff members come together to fuel student success. Although, not all staff members work directly with students they all make an incredible impact!
Time Commitment: We are seeking alumni volunteers to review nominations and help us select our award winner for 2026. The review process should take approximately four hours or less.
Qualifications: This volunteer opportunity is only available to those who work outside of UCCS or those who have not worked at UCCS in the last two years.
Impact: Our staff has worked harder than ever in the last two years to make UCCS a great place to learn and work. Supporting this review committee helps us celebrate and recognize the important work our staff does.
More About Garrett Swasey:
Garrett Preston Russell Swasey (November 16, 1971 – November 27, 2015) was an American competitive ice skater, figure skating coach, and police officer. As an ice dancer, he won the 1992 U.S. junior ice dance title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and went on to participate twice more at the senior level. Swasey was shot and killed in the line of duty during the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting in 2015.
