PURDUE UNIVERSITY
BRAVO AWARD PROGRAM SUMMARY
SECTION 1: BRAVO PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
1. Purpose
The Bravo Award Program is an after-the-fact discretionary award program designed to provide recognition and
reward for substantial accomplishments achieved by employees that extend well beyond regular work
responsibilities. All awards under this program are granted after-the-fact at the discretion of the University.
2. Award Categories
 Moving the University Forward: Accomplishments or contributions that transform or advance University
objectives (i.e. initiatives that improve graduation rates, developing programs to measure student academic
knowledge, enhancing the academic excellence of the University, improving student affordability, etc.);
 Operational Excellence: Extraordinary effort during times of critical department need (e.g., contribution that
clearly and significantly exceeds standard job requirements and impacts the accomplishment of important and
critical business operational goals and deliverables) or extraordinary performance that far exceeds expected or
required performance. Managers must be able to document specific achievements and/or measurable
contributions to the unit’s business based upon the employee’s exceptional performance.
 Innovation/Creativity: Innovative work or suggestions, well beyond standard job requirements, that significantly
improve operational efficiencies, introduce a new or modified business practice or improve work process,
workflow or customer service;
 Fiscal Stewardship: Significant cost saving or cost avoidance realized beyond normally expected or established
standards.
3. Eligibility
A faculty/staff member must:
 Have completed at least three months of service;
 Have no outstanding disciplinary actions; and
 Be in active employment status at the time the Bravo Award is paid;
The following classifications are not eligible to participate in the Bravo Award Program:
 Executive Officers (A University officer reporting directly to the President, the Provost, the Executive Vice
President Finance and Treasurer, Chancellors, Deans, Vice Provosts or a Vice President.)
 Upper-level Management Positions (i.e., Department Heads, Associate/Assistant Vice Presidents,
Associate/Assistant Provosts and Directors who report to a Vice President);
 Student employees
 Graduate staff
 Temporary staff
 Visiting faculty
 Limited term lecturers
 Postdoctoral, Resident, or Intern appointments
 Employees who have a specific employment contract with the University that links additional compensation to
their performance
4. Program Funding
The Bravo Award Program is supported by College/Unit operating funds. The maximum dollar amount that can be
awarded over the Program Year is based upon the sum of CUL of employees in eligible categories, divided by 100,
times 7.5%, multiplied by the maximum award amount ($1,000).
Human Resources will provide funding limits for each unit based on the funding formula applied to staffing data
effective July 1 for each program year.
5. Award Amounts
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PURDUE UNIVERSITY
BRAVO AWARD PROGRAM SUMMARY
Award amounts can be $250, $500, $750 or $1,000, depending upon the scope and impact of the achievement. A
faculty/staff member may not be rewarded twice for the same achievement. Individual faculty and staff are limited
to two (2) Bravo Awards per fiscal year.
6. Payment
Awards will be processed with the regular payroll and are considered taxable income in the year in which they are
paid and are subject to applicable tax withholdings and W-2 reporting.
7. University’s Sole Discretion
The Bravo Award Program is considered a discretionary award. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, for a payment to
be considered discretionary, both the decision to make the payment and the determination of the payment amount
must be in the employer's sole discretion. In addition, the University retains discretion regarding the payment of the
award until the end, or near the end, of the period that it covers. Discretionary awards are not an entitlement and
not anticipated or expected by an employee. Bravo Awards will not be eligible for grievance under any of the
University’s formal grievance processes for faculty or staff.
8. At Will Employment
Nothing in the Bravo Award Program shall confer upon any employee any right to continued employment or service
with Purdue University for any specific duration or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of Purdue or any
employee to terminate an eligible employee's employment at any time, for any reason, with or without cause.
9. Notes
Any award under this program will not be used in calculating retirement or health benefits. The award is to be
considered a one-time discretionary cash award and is not to be added to the base pay of the individual, or, if
applicable, be credited toward overtime compensation. At any point in time, Purdue University reserves the right to
unilaterally change, modify, and/or terminate any aspect of this program.
10. Limitations
In order to comply with federal cost principles in OMB Circular A-21, it is important that the cost to
external sponsors remain unchanged as a result of any incentive pay or recognition plan. In general, federal funds do
not allow extra compensation to be directly charged. Thus, it is unallowable to directly charge incentive or special
recognition pay to a federal grant.
Payments under this program may not relate in any way to student enrollments or awarding financial aid. Section
487(a)(20) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits the University from providing any commission, bonus, or
other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid to any person
or entities engaged in any student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding the award of
student financial assistance. These rules prohibit the University from providing incentive compensation for two
specific activities:
1. Recruiting or admissions activities related to success in securing student enrollments, and,
2. Making decisions regarding the awarding of Title IV HEA program funds in the awarding financial aid.
These rules apply to all positions performing the restricted activities. Certain University departments will have a
number of employees subject to this ban since these departments typically perform covered activities. However,
these rules do not exclude employees in these departments from eligibility under the Bravo Award Program. The
U.S. Department of Education has acknowledged qualitative factors may be considered in compensation actions
applicable to covered employees so long as they are not related to an employee’s success in securing enrollments or
awarding of financial aid.
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PURDUE UNIVERSITY
BRAVO AWARD PROGRAM SUMMARY
SECTION 2: UNIT-SPECIFIC BRAVO PROCESS
1. Unit Name: [Insert Unit Name]
2. Approving Official: [Insert Approving Official]
3. Optional Approving Official: [Insert Approving Official]
4. Org Units Covered: Center for Instructional Excellence
OrgUnit ID OrgUnit Name
Name:
College/Unit Approval
Job Title:
Signature:
Name:
Signature:
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Date:
HR/Compensation
Job Title:
Date:
Revised 09.24.14