Service Awards & Retiree Recognition FAQ

Beginning with the 2022 service awards and retirement awards, gifts and recognition will be managed by University Of Arizona BookStores, Student Union Memorial Center.

More information will be provided to 2022 and 2023 awardees in the coming months.

The Service Awards are designed to recognize total length of time as a benefits-eligible University of Arizona employee, regardless of full-time equivalency. Total amount of time in a benefits-eligible position should be calculated the same way: based on calendar years when your FTE was at or above .5.

The University-wide service awards are designed to recognize total length of service, beginning at 10 years.

Unpaid leaves of absence do not qualify toward Service Awards.

We value your commitment as a student employee; however, Service and Retirement Awards are intended to recognize only benefits-eligible staff and faculty.

Sabbaticals are a recognized part of faculty positions. Employees on sabbatical leave are considered to be ongoing employees of the University, and their benefits-eligible status is maintained. Therefore, sabbatical leave is not considered a break in service for the purpose of the Service Awards.

Yes, it does, because residency positions are benefits-eligible employment.

For the Service Awards, the system calculates the current calendar year less the calendar year of hire to achieve an approximate number of service years. The statements issued by the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) are calculated much more precisely for retirement planning. ASRS statements may also include service time from other state agencies where you have worked.

If you have questions regarding your ASRS statement, contact:

(602) 240-2000 from within metropolitan Phoenix

(520) 239-3100 from within metropolitan Tucson

(800) 621-3778 from outside the Tucson and Phoenix areas

Your Business Manager can find the Service Award report in UAccess Analytics following these instructions. If no one appears on the report, there are no eligible employees this year. For question, contact serviceawards@arizona.edu.

If you have no changes to your report, there is no need to contact Human Resources.

Human Resources Employee Records maintains the employee's employment file. We will be able to access the file and calculate the correct years of service for you. Email serviceawards@email.arizona.edu with your questions.

An employee on layoff status is not an active, paid employee. Therefore, layoff time does not count toward the total years of service calculation.