Kevin McCauley Outstanding Staff Award

About Kevin McCauley

Kevin McCauley was an accomplished and beloved staff member of the University of California. In his nearly two decades of service with UC, Kevin dedicated his career to improving conditions for staff and students at the University of California Santa Barbara, and later, at the Office of the President.

Kevin was well known across the UC System for his remarkable contributions to the betterment of staff and the surrounding community.

Kevin passed away in January 2015. Later that year, CUCSA decided that they would honor Kevin’s memory by creating the Kevin McCauley Outstanding Staff Award.

At UC Santa Barbara, Kevin was the executive assistant to Chancellor Henry Yang where he was known for his inclusiveness, accessibility, and collaborative nature. Kevin was known for being approachable and a skilled negotiator and problem solver for students and staff. Kevin actively promoted the role of staff at UCSB both publicly and behind the scenes. Kevin advised the Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Council and was a trusted ally and mentor to the Staff Assembly Executive Board, which benefited from his practical and balanced advice.

A natural liaison and civic leader, Kevin used his skills at Office of the President working tirelessly to improve relations and outreach in the surrounding community.  Kevin was an advocate for all staff, not just those that he worked with directly, and was dedicated to advancing the role of staff systemwide.

Selection Process

Individuals are nominated by CUCSA delegates and a vote on submitted nominees is held at the March CUCSA meeting.

Eligibility: Staff members who hold positions designated as non-represented by a collective bargaining unit and non-faculty. Must be full-time, career staff.

The categories that are taken into consideration for the Outstanding Staff Award are:

• Support of Staff – Examples include: volunteering for staff events, organizing staff, providing for staff needs that are otherwise unmet by your campus.
• Communication with Staff – Examples could include:  town halls, brown bag lunches, emails to the campus, etc.
• Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Community – Examples include:  participating in specific events or forums to support equity, diversity, and campus community building programs
• Support of Local Staff Assembly – Examples could include:  volunteering with Staff Assembly, leadership roles in staff organizations.
• Support of System wide initiatives that affect staff – Examples include: System wide committee service, Multi campus initiatives
• Other – For example, volunteerism in the local community.