Anniversary Awards

Welcome to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Anniversary Awards Program! We are delighted to celebrate and honor the dedication and achievements of our employees. This program recognizes those who have reached meaningful milestones with us.

Shari Mickey-Boggs,
Senior Associate Chancellor
for Human Resources
On behalf of your University of Illinois community, I am thrilled to congratulate you on this incredible anniversary milestone. Your dedication and hard work have truly made a difference, and I want to personally thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make the University of Illinois the best it can be.
With warmest regards,
Shari Mickey-Boggs
About the Program
Overview
Our focus is to honor the hard work, dedication, and achievements of our employees. Our vision is to foster a culture of appreciation and recognition, where every milestone is celebrated. Each year, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign honors its dedicated employees who reach milestone anniversaries. Civil Service and Academic Professional staff are celebrated starting at their 5-year mark while faculty members are recognized beginning at their 10-year milestone.

Digital Certificates
At the beginning of your anniversary month, you will receive a digital certificate to commemorate this special occasion.

Gifts
You will receive a code to your Illinois email, giving you access to a store where you can pick an item specific to your milestone, which will be shipped directly to your home.

Anniversary and Retirement Celebration Breakfast
For those celebrating 10 or more years, you will be invited to a special breakfast celebration in February following your anniversary year.
Program Eligibility
All employees with A, B, C, or D Employee Classifications who are in active status at the beginning of their anniversary month are eligible to receive an Anniversary Award.
Leave time is counted towards an anniversary milestone. Employees on a leave of absence during their anniversary month will still receive their digital certificate and online store gift code upon their return to work and by request.
Milestone Awards and Recognition
We understand that some individuals may not have received their anniversary award recognition during the pandemic.
We apologize for this experience and would like to provide you with documentation to acknowledge this important achievement. If you have reached a milestone year (every 5 years for Civil Service and Academic Professional Staff, starting at 5 years, and every 5 years for faculty, starting at 10 years) and did not receive recognition between March 2019 and December 2024, you can now request a digital certificate to be sent directly to you. Please note that you have until the end of March 2025 to report any missing recognition.
If you are missing a certificate from a past milestone, request your digital certificate here.
FAQs
What time is eligible for Anniversary Award recognition?
- Academic Professionals
- Civil Service
- Faculty with appointments greater than 0%
- Post-doctoral research associates
- Visiting status appointments
What time is considered ineligible for Anniversary Award recognition?
- Academic hourly
- Emeritus status
- Extra help
- Graduate students
- Internships
- Post-doctoral fellows
- Residents
- Retire/rehire
- Student employment
- Unpaid appointments
How is my anniversary time calculated?
a. Anniversary Award time is calculated by counting the number of years you worked for the University of Illinois for more than 90 days in a calendar year. Eligible time includes employment within any of our A, B, C, D, PA, or PB employee classifications.
I was previously employed at the Urbana Campus, but I left and returned. How is my anniversary time calculated?
a. Time spent away from the University of Illinois is considered a “break in service.” Upon return, the month in which an individual is rehired at the Urbana Campus becomes their new anniversary month and any time in which more than 90 days was working in a calendar year will be counted as a year towards their anniversary milestone.
Why is there a difference between my University of Illinois Service/State time and my Anniversary Award time?
Anniversary Award time is calculated differently than University of Illinois/State Service time. It is a very common occurrence to have a difference. The difference is often due to time that could count towards State Service time (e.g., student position), but would not count toward Anniversary Award time.
Why is there a difference between my Retirement Service time and my Anniversary Awards time?
Anniversary Awards time is calculated differently than Retirement time. It is a very common occurrence to have a difference. SURS service time is calculated much more precisely for retirement purposes. SURS may also include service time from other state agencies where you have worked.
Who do I contact with questions about my University of Illinois service time?
You should contact your Department HR Representative or IHR Data Operations for questions about your University of Illinois/State Service time.
You should contact IHR Employee Engagement and Recognition for questions about your Anniversary Award time.
Who do I contact with questions about my SURS service time?
You should contact SURS directly at 1.800.ASK.SURS or https://surs.org/contact/