In order to clarify the process and criteria by which faculty at Castleton State College in Vermont are chosen for merit awards, the faculty union representative and an administration representative were interviewed. Problems of evaluation and funding, common in merit programs, were found to be paramount, and it became evident that the ideal merit award program would have to be scaled down to be realistic. It was also decided that the fairness of the plan and a positive impact on faculty morale were very important. In the plan developed, a committee of faculty and administration representatives would arrive at a written statement of criteria for awards. The individual faculty member would use these criteria as guidelines, and request consideration for an award at the time of the annual faculty evaluation report. The written request, supported by documentation of the faculty member's performance, would be submitted directly to the academic dean. A decision would be made based on the written guidelines, and notification of the decision and/or the amount of the award would be made by August 31st. (MSE)