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The Sussex Education Awards are now open for nominations from staff and students.

The Sussex Education Awards are an opportunity for staff and students to recognise members of Professional Services or academic staff who have had, or are having, a positive impact on the University of Sussex community. 

This year there is a special ‘The Extra Mile Award’ category for staff who are supporting student education, learning and health during the pandemic. This may be while working from home, in-person or in the virtual classroom, or by going beyond their normal duties to protect the health of the wider community. 

Professor Claire Smith, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education and Innovation, said: 

“I am already aware that all staff have been going the Extra Mile and have worked so hard to continue to support students and each other - I am looking forward to hearing in more detail about the ways in which our staff have been inspiring and engaging students during this challenging time.” 

Nominations are now open. Staff and students can submit their choices through this short online form.

The awards

There are six awards, five of which are open to all staff and one that is solely for staff with a teaching role (Teaching to Disrupt Award). 

Teaching to Disrupt Award: An award that recognises teaching staff who dare to be different in their approach, challenging current pedagogical practice and theory. Holders of this award are surprising, innovative and pioneering. They inspire their students’ critical or entrepreneurial imagination.  

Transformative Technology Award: This award will recognise staff who use technology in interesting and innovative ways in their work to enhance student learning, facilitate knowledge creation and aid educational administration. This could include using or developing leading-edge technologies, or using familiar technologies in an innovative or exciting way. 

The Better World Award: This recognises staff who are actively engaged in efforts to make a positive impact in the local community and wider world in creative and entrepreneurial ways. In particular, this award seeks to recognise where community engagement has been built into the curriculum. 

Learning Together Award: This award celebrates collaborations between staff and students and seeks to recognise those who embed meaningful participation in their approach to teaching and/or supporting the student experience. This could be through collaborative research projects or re-designing the curriculum, and may be demonstrated at a module-level or a wider interdisciplinary-level across the University. To be eligible for this award the nominees must be a team comprised of staff and students. 

Sussex Spirit Award: An award that encompasses the five core values of kindness, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and courage, within the context of teaching and learning at Sussex. Winners of this award will demonstrably put into practice at least one of these core values. 

The Extra Mile Award: This award is for staff who have gone above and beyond in their duties to support learning, development or the mental and physical health of students during the Covid-19 pandemic. This may be through developing innovative digital solutions to stay connected to students; by providing additional services to keep students and staff safe or by using existing technologies in new and exciting ways to enhance remote and blended learning. 

How to nominate 

Nominations are now open. Staff and students can submit their choices through this short online form.

The form will ask the person completing the nomination to select the category in which their chosen individual or group should be considered, followed by a paragraph (of up to 300 words) outlining their reasons for the nomination and why the nominee should receive this award.  

Nominations will close on Wednesday 31 March at 5pm. A judging panel, convened by Professor Claire Smith, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education and Innovation, and made up of staff and students, will decide the winners in each award category. 

All nominated staff will be invited to attend a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 17 June 2021, when the winners for each award will be announced.

Further information: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/the-education-awards/

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