Posted on Thu 13 Feb 2014 at 18:26 by
Zahid Raja
I’ve now been a Full Time Officer for a year and a half which means I’ve attended my fair share of conferences about Universities. No matter what you attend, one cliché you’re sure to hear is ‘Universities change people’s lives!!!’ …what does that mean? I don’t think it’s the buildings, the number of shiny computers, or even the variety of coffee shops that change people.
I believe its other people that you meet that end up changing you. The friends for life that you make, an inspiring lecturer who got you to think differently, or that careers advisor that put you on track for your dream career. This blog is about recognising the impact which the latter two have made on you. Swansea University has the Excellence in Learning and Teaching / Student Support Awards to recognise the people that change your life for the better at University.
These awards are incredibly prestigious. The awards are presented to recipients at graduation in front of all of the students, and staff in their College. The recipients also receive a cash prize that can be used to help enhance and share their student engagement practices. In terms of staff awards, Swansea has it pretty good!
So what are the rules?
1) A University staff member must receive at least two student nominations in order to be put forward.
2) A student can only nominate one staff member. So think carefully about who you choose to nominate! Read the guidance carefully:
i) Guidance on nominating academic staff: http://salt.swan.ac.uk/downloads/eltaessa/prompts.docx
ii) There is currently no guidance on nominating non-academic staff. Try to explain in as much detail as you can how they had an impact on your student life.
3) Students must submit their nominations by the 2nd May. It seems ages away, but time will fly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I nominate a lecturer?
Online, here: http://salt.swan.ac.uk/en/elta.htm
What if the staff member I want to nominate doesn’t teach?
Thanks to some lobbying from the Students' Union last year, the University have incorporated non-teaching staff into the awards. You can nominate them online at the same place here: http://salt.swan.ac.uk/en/essa.htm
Guidance for Subject Reps:
Organise a session after / before class to talk to your course mates about these awards. Use the guidance to prompt discussion. Try to spark a discussion about this in your course facebook group.
If you have any more questions, feel free to get in touch: president@swansea-union.co.uk