Awards 2004

Guidelines
Application Form
2004 Winners

The Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards, previously titled the Swinburne Excellence Awards, are designed to encourage excellence in Teaching, Research and Service, by providing incentives and recognition to staff at Swinburne. In 2004 the Awards are in three categories:

Teaching Excellence Awards
Research Excellence Award
Service Excellence Award

How do I apply for an award?

Applicants must complete an Application Form, and must address the relevant Selection Criteria in their application. Staff are encouraged to emphasise a specific initiative/innovation/project they have been involved with.
Note: Students and colleagues are invited to encourage and support other staff to submit an application. For team applications please nominate a team leader who can be contacted with queries or to distribute information.

	Guidelines for Teaching Excellence Awards	(html)	(pdf)
	Guidelines for Service Excellence Award	(html)	(pdf)
	Guidelines for Research Excellence Award	(html)	(pdf)

Further Information and Closing Dates

	For Teaching Excellence Awards	Monday 7 June
	For Service Excellence Award	Monday 7 June
	For Research Excellence Award	Monday 2 August

Nominations should be lodged with Foresight, Planning and Review (attention Marie-Anne Radegonde), Room LB503, Fifth Floor, Library Building, Mail H83.

For further information, please contact Yvonne Lynes (ext. 4386), email ylynes@swin.edu.au or Marie-Anne Radegonde (ext. 5404), email mradegonde@swin.edu.au.

Eligibility

All staff holding teaching positions at Swinburne University of Technology, other than winners of the Awards in previous years, are eligible for nomination for the 2004 Swinburne Teaching Excellence Awards. Previously unsuccessful nominees for the Awards are also eligible to apply.

Categories

The Teaching Excellence Award(Higher Education) - for the Higher Education teacher of the year

The Teaching Excellence Award (TAFE) for the TAFE teacher of the year.

The Team Teaching Award - for the team teachers with the most successful record in developing and implementing effective and innovative approaches to learning and teaching, either for Higher Education or TAFE.

The Teaching Incentive Award - an award to encourage novice teachers, either Higher Education or TAFE (with less than two years teaching experience).

Selection Criteria

1. Interest and enthusiasm for undertaking teaching and for promoting student learning.

2. Ability to arouse curiosity, and to stimulate independent learning and the development of critical thought.

3. Ability to organise course material and present it cogently and imaginatively.

4. Command of the subject matter, including the incorporation in teaching of recent developments in the field of study.

5. Innovation in the design and delivery of content and course materials.

6. Participation in the effective and sympathetic guidance and advising of students.

7. Provision of appropriate assessment, including the provision of worthwhile feedback to students on their learning.

8. Ability to assist students from equity groups to participate and achieve success in their courses.

9. Professional and systematic approach to teaching development.

10. Participation in professional activities and research related to teaching.

Information and discussion taking place during the panel interview held also forms part of the selection process.

Application Content

Applications must include each of the following:

An Application Form that asks for contact and administrative details, and a signature by the applicant and their Head of Organisational Unit (Mandatory). This form can be downloaded here.

Two references of no more than one A4 page each, to be provided by people who are able to comment on the applicant’s teaching against the selection criteria. One of these referees must be Head of the applicant’s Organisational Unit.

A Curriculum vitae of no more than three A4 pages outlining the applicant’s educational qualifications, career history, teaching positions and teaching experience.

A statement addressing the selection criteria to a maximum of ten A4 pages. It is vital that applicant’s specifically address the selection criteria and provide evidence to support their claims against these criteria.

Further evidence in support of the Selection Criteria may be submitted, and may include materials such as contributions to curriculum or program design, material prepared for students such as audiovisual material, CD ROMs, course handouts and study guides.

For panel members to receive copies of material in any formats or size, five copies need to be submitted. Please include an attachment itemising the support materials supplied.

Recognition and Prizes - sponsored by Chancellery

Winners will have their names engraved on a perpetual trophy, receive a medallion (one per team), a certificate and a cash prize, as follows:

Teaching Excellence Award (Higher Education) - $1,500

Teaching Excellence Award (TAFE) - $1,500

Team Teaching Award - $1,500 to be shared between team members

Teaching Incentive Award - $500

Certificates of Commendation and Recognition may also be awarded to applicants, as the Selection Panel decides.

Prize money must be used for an educational or service development-related purpose and will be transferred to the winner’s department account number.

Assessment Panel

An Assessment Panel consisting of senior staff and Council members, will review all valid applications and identify the various award recipients by evaluating each submission against the selection criteria. The Panel may decide to interview any candidate (and their referees if required).

This Award is to recognise and reward innovative and practical improvements to the quality of service provided to the external community and/or the provision of excellent service within the University.

Eligibility

All staff working directly or indirectly in service provision areas for staff and students, other than winners of the Award in the previous five years, are eligible for nomination for the 2004 Swinburne Service Excellence Award. Previously unsuccessful nominees for the Award are also eligible to apply.

This award is open to both teams and individuals and may be from any category of staff employed by the University.

Applications may be for services that are University-wide in nature, or provided by teams that are Divisional, School or department-based (or any other organisational unit description), or applications may even be project-based. These may be in the area of:

Teaching & Learning - for the provision of either direct or indirect support to teaching and learning.

Research and Development - for provision of either direct or indirect support to research or research-based development and consulting activities.

Community - for the provision of services to business, industry, government or the local and/or broader Australian community.

International - for the provision of services exclusively to international students and/or the international community.

Internal - for the provision of services to others within the University.

Selection Criteria

1. Extent to which the service is innovative and practical, and provides an improved service for the customer.

2. Extent to which the service provision identifies and addresses a need within the University and/or external community.

3. How the service provision ensures that it has an ongoing understanding of the needs and expectations of its customers, including data on customer satisfaction with the quality of service provided.

4.How does the service provision enable staff to attain their unit strategic goals and targets, and work toward achieving the University strategic goals and targets?
http://www.swin.edu.au/corporate/spq/docs/statement_direct_2010.pdf

5. Extent to which the service promotes and facilitates equitable student access and progress within the University.

6 Extent to which stakeholders were involved in the decision-making processes essential for the effective management of the service.
Information and discussion taking place during the panel interview also forms part of the selection process.

Application Content

Applications must include each of the following:

An Application form that asks for contact and administrative details, and a signature by the applicant and their Head of Organisational Unit (Mandatory). This form can be downloaded here.

Two references of no more than one A4 page each, to be provided by people who are able to comment on the applicant’s service against the selection criteria. One of these referees must be Head of the applicant’s Organisational Unit.

A statement addressing the selection criteria to a maximum of ten A4 pages. It is vital that applicants specifically address the selection criteria and highlight a specific initiative, or initiatives, that resulted in the provision of an improved quality of service to their customers.

Please Note: The Panel is looking for a service area that goes beyond simply doing well what is expected of it.

Further evidence in support of the Selection Criteria may be submitted, and may include materials such as contributions to service delivery or consumers, information brochures. examples of materials used, customer satisfaction survey results, or other appropriate materials.

For panel members to receive copies of material in any formats or size, five copies need to be submitted. Please include an attachment itemising the support materials supplied.

Recognition and Prizes - sponsored by Chancellery

There will only be one award made in this category. Winners will have their names engraved on a perpetual trophy, receive a medallion (one per team), a certificate and a cash prize of $2,500.

Certificates of Commendation or Recognition may also be awarded to candidates, as the Selection Panel decides.

Prize money must be used for an educational or service development-related purpose and will be transferred to the winner’s department account number.

Assessment Panel

An Assessment Panel consisting of senior staff and Council members, will review all valid applications and identify the various award recipients by evaluating each submission against the selection criteria. The Panel may decide to interview any candidate (and their referees if required).

Eligibility

Staff currently undertaking research and development activity recognised by the University within the categories below.

Applications can be for services in the areas of:

· Research Scholarship
· Research and development
· Research supervision and training

This award is open to the individual researcher or research team of the year.

Selection Criteria

All applications will be assessed against the following criteria, in order of priority:

1. Recognition – the level of recognition being received by the individual and the University through the achievement of high-quality research outcomes (publications, intellectual property rights, product patents, awards & prizes, citations, etc.).

2. Strategic intent – how well the research activity contributed/is contributing to a reputation for excellence in applied and strategic research, known internationally for their leading-edge work.

3. Ethical considerations – any contributions in relation to the achievement or maintenance of high ethical standards in the specific area of research activity and/or research work that nourishes and builds the reputation of the University as a responsible corporate citizen.

4. Applied focus – to what extent the research activity has provided/is providing any practical, innovative solutions for industry, supported the development of new business opportunities, and/or the development of a socially useful intellectual discipline, or an area of government or public policy.

5. Sustainability – if the research activity has contributed/is contributing any useful opportunities for research students to experience the best in contemporary research supervision and training.

Information and discussion taking place during the panel interview also forms part of the selection process.

Application Content

Applications must include each of the following:

An Application Form that asks for contact and administrative details, and a signature by the applicant and their Head of Organisational Unit (Mandatory). This form can be downloaded here.

Two references of no more than one A4 page each, to be provided by people who are able to comment on the applicant’s research against the selection criteria. One of these referees must be Head of the applicant’s Organisational Unit.

A Curriculum vitae of no more than three A4 pages outlining the applicant’s educational qualifications, career history, research positions and experience.

A statement addressing the selection criteria to a maximum of ten A4 pages. It is vital that applications specifically address the selection criteria and highlight a specific initiative, or initiatives, that has contributed to the reputation of the University for research excellence according to the Selection Criteria above.

Applicants also need to provide evidence to support their claims against the selection criteria. This may include research publications, supporting data, examples of materials used, survey results, or other appropriate materials. This material will only be copied for distribution to panel members if it is hard copy A4 paper, unbound, to a maximum of ten pages. For panel members to receive copies of material in other formats or sizes, five copies will need to be submitted.
Please include an attachment itemising the support materials supplied.

Recognition and Prizes - sponsored by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies

There will only be one award made in this category. Winners will have their names engraved on a perpetual trophy, receive a medallion (one per team), a certificate and a cash prize of $2,000.

Certificates of Commendation or Recognition, or an Incentive Award may be awarded to candidates, as the Selection Panel decides.

Prize money must be used for an educational or research development-related purpose and will be transferred to the winner’s department account number.

Assessment Panel

An Assessment Panel consisting of senior staff and Council members, will review all valid applications and identify the various award recipients by evaluating each submission against the selection criteria. The Panel may decide to interview any candidate (and their referees if required).

The above Guidelines and the Nomination forms can be downloaded below.

	2004 Application Process and Guidelines
	Application Form