College honours 2020 Dean’s Distinguished Staff Award winners

By Shannon Boklaschuk and Chris Putnam

The College of Arts and Science is celebrating the hard work and dedication of two exceptional employees.

Sharla Daviduik and Erin Wasylow have been named the winners of the College of Arts and Science’s 2020 Dean’s Distinguished Staff Award.

The award recognizes employees of the College of Arts and Science who have set themselves apart through excellence in work performance and quality of service. Along with a certificate, they receive a $1,000 prize.

The Dean’s Distinguished Staff Award is open to any staff member of the College of Arts and Science, including all CUPE 1975 and ASPA members, and Exempt members, with a minimum of two years of service as of the nomination deadline. Any college employee or student may nominate a staff member for the award.

Dean Peta Bonham-Smith spoke about the accomplishments of Daviduik and Wasylow during the May 27 meeting of Faculty Council.

Daviduik—manager of the Administrative Support Group (ASG)—and Wasylow—office coordinator in the Department of Chemistry and the ASG—were chosen from among nine nominees. In addition to Daviduik and Wasylow, the 2020 nominees included Brieanna Bird, Rick Elvin, Tara Hackl, Amy Karakochuk, Renee Lepitzki, Brigitte McGhee and Ashley Taylor.

Sharla Daviduik, manager of the Administrative Support Group (ASG)

Daviduik, who has been in her role with the college since 2016, described receiving the award as “a huge honour.”

“I also want to give recognition to all of the amazing staff I work with in the ASG. They are wonderful,” she said.

Under Daviduik’s leadership, the delivery of administrative services in the College of Arts and Science has been transformed. She has overseen the ASG while it has nearly doubled its staff complement and the number of departments it serves.

“I am always pleased to see the staff working collaboratively across their departments to problem-solve or to help each other figure things out,” said Daviduik.

“Despite the fact that we haven’t seen each other in two months, we’ve been able continue with this sort of collaboration due to the introduction of the Teams app. In fact, I would say that a great deal of team-building and collaboration has been going on in the ASG while we have been working remotely—even more than we were able to do on campus previously, when we didn’t have the Teams app.

“I’ve been really pleased to see staff members stepping up to help others. This is the sort of culture we’ve been working to foster in the ASG, and we are certainly realizing the benefits of it while we’ve been working remotely.”

Daviduik works closely with department heads to address their needs while also advocating for the ASG staff. She is quick to arrange temporary staffing as needed, and often steps in herself to ensure departments are supported. Her collaborative and responsive style of leadership has earned her the respect of her team members and of the departments they support.

Daviduik encourages her staff to ask for help; for example, she has established a peer advisor program that pairs new hires with experienced staff members. She also seeks out new training opportunities for her staff and for herself as needed.

“I have a lot of independence in my job, which I really like, but my supervisor, Barb Gillis, is always there when I need some help,” said Daviduik. “Generally speaking, staff are well-supported in the college, which I appreciate very much.”

Erin Wasylow, office coordinator in the Department of Chemistry and the Administrative Support Group (ASG)

Wasylow has worked in the college since 2016 and was promoted to her current role in 2018. She said she felt thankful to be considered for the award, and “to actually receive it was an amazing surprise.”

“I am truly appreciative to receive this award, and it’s very encouraging to be recognized for a job I enjoy,” she said.

As office coordinator, Wasylow has a wide range of duties supporting the Department of Chemistry’s faculty, staff and day-to-day operations. She coordinates meetings and events for the department, supports the department head and handles many other tasks while also responding to steady drop-in traffic.

Wasylow’s department head describes her as “indispensable to the department” and the cornerstone of the office’s operations. Wasylow’s supervisor calls her “the quintessential office coordinator.”

“The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I may help contribute to the success of our students,” said Wasylow. “Assisting students is actually one of my favourite parts of my job—I admire their efforts and the energy they bring.”

Wasylow has been a peer advisor within the ASG, helping other office coordinators learn the tasks needed for their roles. On several occasions, she has filled in or taken on extra responsibilities when her department was shorthanded.

Wasylow has also helped build a culture of community and teamwork within the ASG, organizing social events and playing a key role in revitalizing the ASG’s social committee.

“I get to work with great people—not only the staff and faculty in the Department of Chemistry, but also my colleagues across the college in the Administrative Support Group,” she said.

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