Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards

General guidance

Introduction

Durham is committed to excellence in education and research and the University places equal value and esteem on both goals. It has a long tradition of research-led teaching and the Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards recognise and reward individuals or groups of staff who have made an outstanding contribution to learning and teaching at Durham. The award is restricted to staff engaged in learning and teaching on taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Separate awards are made for excellence in doctoral supervision.

Up to three awards may be made each year, each to a value of £3,000. This may be taken as income (subject to tax and national insurance) or placed in a departmental account which can be drawn on to support academic activities during the following two years or divided between these two uses.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible, staff should normally have taught at the University for at least two years and not have won an award in the five years prior to making the application. All staff with a significant teaching role can be nominated, irrespective of whether they are academic or support staff or full-time or part-time. Staff of Durham's partner institutions teaching on programmes leading to a Durham award are also eligible. Joint nominations of teaching teams will be welcomed, whether they are within the same department or, if appropriate, different ones.

Nominations

Nominations can be made by students who have been taught by the staff member in the previous four years and feel that the teaching and associated learning was excellent and by academic colleagues with a knowledge and understanding of the nominee's contribution to raising the profile of learning and teaching.

All applications must include student nominations.

Nominations, including those by students and colleagues, should not exceed 10 sides in total.

Personal statements

Staff who have been nominated and who wish to apply for the awards should complete a personal statement. This should demonstrate achievement in three key areas of personal/ team excellence, raising the profile of excellence and developing excellence.

Personal/ team excellence

In order to demonstrate this, applicants will need to provide evidence that they have actively promoted and enhanced the student learning experience. Examples may include but are not limited to evidence of:

• arousing students' curiosity to stimulate and inspire learning.
• organising and presenting learning resources cogently and imaginatively.
• recognising and responding effectively to the diversity of student learning needs.
• drawing upon the results of relevant research, scholarship and professional practice, including the established literature or a personal evidence base, in teaching and supporting learning.

Raising the profile of excellence

In order to demonstrate this, applicants will need to provide evidence that they have supported and influenced support for student learning within (and if appropriate beyond) Durham in ways that go beyond their immediate academic or professional role. Examples may include but are not limited to evidence of:

• ongoing review and enhancement of individual practice, including professional development activities.
• evidence of improvements to the student learning experience resulting from engagement in review and enhancement of individual practice.

Developing excellence

In order to demonstrate this, applicants will need to provide evidence that they are committed to ongoing professional development with regard to teaching and learning (and/or learning support). Examples may include but are not limited to evidence of:

• contributing to the development of colleagues to improve student learning;
• contributing to departmental/faculty/institutional/national initiatives to enhance student learning.

NB The panel recognises that the ability of applicants to address these criteria will be commensurate with their career stage and the opportunities available to them. Further, it does not expect that all candidates will be able to demonstrate the same level of achievement across all three areas.

The statements of the successful candidates will be published in QED as exemplars of good practice in teaching and supporting student learning.

Personal statements should not be more than 3000 words.

Applications

Applications should include:

• Nominations by students (mandatory)
• Nominations by colleagues (optional)
• A personal statement

Applications should be accompanied by:

• A supporting statement from the relevant Head of Department;
• A brief CV (maximum one side of A4) indicating the range of teaching and learning in which nominees are currently engaged, how long they have been teaching at Durham or, in the case of staff from partner institutions, teaching on programmes leading to Durham awards, and any previous experience of teaching and supporting learning;
• Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form;
• Allocation of award form.

Application forms can be obtained from Mrs. Catherine Laidlaw, Programme Administrator, Centre for Academic and Researcher Development (CARD). (c.a.laidlaw@durham.ac.uk). Completed applications should be sent to Dr Stan Taylor, Director, CARD, Palatine Centre, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, in accordance with the timetable set out below.

Review of applications

Applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of:

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) (Chair);

The Pro-Vice-Chancellors of each of the three Faculties, or their nominees;

Three student representatives nominated by DSU;

One current Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award holder;

An external member (usually a National Teaching Fellow).

Timetable

The timetable for the 2012-13 awards will be:

The statements of the successful candidates will be published in QED as exemplars of good practice in teaching and supporting student learning.