| To: | USC Staff |
| From: | Stacy R. Roberts, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Ethics, and Compliance |
| Date: | April 9, 2026 |
| Subject: | Introducing USC’s updated Staff Recognition Program, Trojan Spotlight |
Dear Trojan Staff Colleagues,
This Staff Appreciation Week, I want to recognize your ongoing contributions and your continued commitment to excellence at USC. As we lean into a week that invites us to celebrate one another and to practice meaningful appreciation, I’m excited to announce that on April 21, we will launch Trojan Spotlight, USC’s updated Staff Recognition Program that includes our reimagined staff service awards.
Trojan Spotlight is a centralized recognition hub that brings together formal service milestone awards and day-to-day appreciation in one digital platform, making it easier and better than ever to:
- Receive your staff service awards: Honoring your years of hard work and dedication to USC, all full-time, benefits-eligible staff members receive recognition starting with their 5-year work anniversary and every five years thereafter. At your milestone, you will receive a celebratory email and either a digital MemoryBook with personalized messages (at year 5) or points that can be redeemed for a gift of your choice (at years 10, 15, 20, and so on). Trojan Spotlight will bring an improved experience with automated and timely email notifications and gift options that staff will value.
- If you reached a 5-year service milestone between July 2024 and April 2026 – during the program’s pause while it was being reimagined – you will be notified on April 21 with details on how to receive your award.
- Recognize others: You can celebrate your colleagues and build a stronger community through a live Recognition Feed, where your words of appreciation can shine.
- Be recognized: You will be notified via email if a peer recognizes you for your day-to-day accomplishments on the live Recognition Feed.
On April 21, you will receive an email from our platform administrator, Awardco, inviting you to log in to Trojan Spotlight using your USC Net ID. We encourage staff to log in, explore the platform, and start recognizing colleagues.
Before the launch, please register here for a Trojan Spotlight informational session to learn more about USC’s staff service awards, recognition at USC, and eligibility guidelines. Details can also be found on the Employee Gateway Trojan Spotlight page, which will be updated with instructions to access Trojan Spotlight and frequently asked questions at the time of launch.
Thank you for all that you do. Fight on!
Stacy R. Roberts
Senior Vice President of Human Resources