Students reward excellent support

Incoming officers of the Union, and the Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellors

01 May 2013

The Department of Education and Lifelong learning scooped the Department of the Year award at the second ever Student-led Teaching Awards on Tuesday 30th April at Aberystwyth University.

Hosted by the Students' Union Education Officer Jess Leigh and Professor John Grattan, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Student Experience and International, the evening was a celebration of teaching excellence as well as the contribution of support staff and student representatives.

Nominations for the Awards were invited from students both online and in conventional ballot boxes – a number of which were located at different locations around the University.

In all over 250 nominations were received with the winners and runners up chosen by a panel of judges: Jess Leigh, Education Officer, Rebecca Davies PVC, John Glasby SU Chief Exec, Grace Burton Education Officer-elect and Kieron Rees policy Officer NUS Wales.

Event organiser Jess Leigh said: “The event was big success due to a buy in of staff and students. Without their enthusiasm it would not have been such as success. It was an opportunity for students to thank and reward staff from whatever part of their university life for the work they have done with them and for them and to celebrate together.

Professor John Grattan said: “This is an excellent initiative on the part of the Students’ Union and I congratulate them on what was a very successful evening. It's a great pleasure to see our students voting for excellence in teaching, developing employability and supporting student welfare. One of the special things about everyone who works for Aberystwyth University is the determination we all share to ensure that our students receive the best possible teaching and support, delivered in a fantastic environment.

“It is also good to see support staff being acknowledged for their contribution as well as the students who play such an active role in providing feedback to Departments.”

A full list of the award winners and nominees is below. Congratulations to all those who received an award and those who were nominated, and thank you to the hundreds of people who made nominations.

Support staff of the year award

Gwennan Creunant, Department of International Politics.

Innovative Teaching

Dr Alun Hubbard, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences

Personal Tutor of the Year

Balasz Pinter, Institute of Maths and Physics

Teaching through technology

Dr Madeline Carr, Department of International Politics

Employability Impact

Dr Iwan Owen, Institute of Biology and Rural Sciences

Outstanding teaching award

Mike Smith, Department of English and Creative Writing