On May 5, 1964 the Seton Hall University Board of Trustees commissioned the Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid Medal for Distinguished Service. The medal is awarded by nomination of the University President and approval from the Board of Regents to members of the faculty, administration and staff who have rendered outstanding service to the University.

The award expresses the University's grateful appreciation and high regard for members of the Seton Hall community who have served beyond measure with selfless dedication and high distinction. The medal bears the honored name of Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid, first president of Seton Hall, who throughout his life was dedicated to Catholic education.

The medal is in the shape of a shield, forged in bronze with a gold finish. The recipient's name, along with the date of award and the name of the school or office they serve, are inscribed in cursive script on the reverse side. The front features a shamrock, which signifies Bishop McQuaid's Irish ancestry and the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on the triangular tip connecting the medal to the ribbon. The legend "Bishop McQuaid Distinguished Service Medal" adorns the outside border of the medal.

The inside features the Cross of Saint Andrew, Patron Saint of Scotland and the Diocese of Rochester in Great Britain, which Bishop McQuaid adopted as part of on his own coat of arms when he became leader of the Diocese of Rochester, New York from 1868 to 1909. Within the center is the Seton Hall University crest, featuring the school motto Hazard Zet Forward, that translates "In Spite of the Hazards, Go Forward," in Old English. James Roosevelt Bayley, the first Bishop of Newark who named Seton Hall after his aunt, Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint, adopted the motto.

The seal proper features various symbols from the famed Seton and Bayley families, who were instrumental in the identity and development of the University, along with the Archdiocese of Newark. It is adorned with a ribbon of sky blue and white, the colors of Mary, the Mother of God, Mother Seton and Seton Hall University. While a few minor variations have been made to the original design, the Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid Medal for Distinguished Service remains an important symbol of recognition to those who have rendered extraordinary service to the University.

Criteria for McQuaid Medal

• The award will go to an individual who meets the following three criteria:
  
  Distinguished service (e.g. outstanding teaching, research and scholarship, University service)
  Demonstrated commitment to and affection for Seton Hall University as a community
  Full-time employment at the University for no less than 20 continuous years
  
  
  
• The award, given only once, will be restricted to full-time employees. Students and part-time employees are not eligible.
  
  
• The total number of awards in a given year of the University will not exceed three.
  
  
• The medal will not be awarded as a "retirement token" or as a substitute for a promotion. Such uses diminish its value and distort its meaning.

Process for Awarding of McQuaid Medal

• The President will appoint a committee to select recommendations for the McQuaid Medal. The committee will consist of three to five former recipients of the McQuaid Medal who are presently full-time employees of the University. An effort will be made to have a mix of faculty, staff and administration. In addition, the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, Minister of the Priest Community, President of the Student Government and Chair of the Faculty Senate will serve as ex officio members of this committee.
  
  
• Any person with at least 20 years of continuous service will be considered for this award. If, in a given year, there is an insufficient pool of candidates with 20 years of service, consideration may be extended to those with 15 years or more of service. The committee will also welcome nominations from this pool by other members of the University. The committee will be charged with making recommendations to the President from the entire listing of eligible people within the University community and from the submitted nominations, according to the above criteria.
  
  
• All nominations must be sent to the Committee Chair by the date noted in the memorandum. After reviewing the specific nominations and a listing of all eligible persons within the University, the committee will send to the President a list of six persons, with at least one nominee each from the faculty, the administration and the staff, with a brief rationale for their selection.
  
  
• The President will select no more than three names to submit to the Committee on Regents of the Board of Regents for review. In turn, the Committee on Regents will submit its recommendations to the Board of Regents for action.
  
  
• The President's office will inform nominees of their selection.