University of Waikato Staff Awards
Purposes, Processes and Criteria
Maintained by:
Mike Bell, Secretary to Staff Awards Committee
Created:
April 2010
Last Updated:
July 2012
PURPOSES
Staff awards are a mechanism by which the University:
• signals the value placed on teaching, research postgraduate supervision, eLearning, research, health and safety and
administration
• recognises outstanding contributions and excellence in these areas by individuals or collaborative teams, and
• encourages staff to aspire to excellence, develop high quality outputs, and foster innovation in support of the
University’s strategic goals.
The Staff Awards Committee operates within terms of reference specified in the Directory of Committees and Rules of
Procedure located in iWaikato.
NOMINATION
PROCESS
The nomination forms set out the information required for each type of award.
Nominations, with the exception of the Health and Safety Award, may be initiated by individual staff or students and are
subject to the endorsement of the appropriate senior manager (a list of senior management positions appropriate to each
award is listed on the relevant nomination form), who then forwards the completed nomination to the Staff Awards
Committee.
Nominations are normally called for in September with a 31 October deadline and the selection of recipients takes place in
early November.
Nominations for Teaching Excellence Awards must be made through a local teaching excellence awards process within each
Faculty and School of Māori and Pacific Development in accordance with Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards Purpose,
Processes and Criteria located in iWaikato. Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards nominations open on the first Monday in
August and close on the first Friday of September.
Nominations for Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning and Emergent Research Excellence Awards must be supported by at least
three signatories able to make informed comment on the contribution made by the individual or collaborative team and
address all the criteria requested on the nomination forms. Research Postgraduate Supervision Awards require the support of
at least two signatories. Nominations for Research Postgraduate Supervision and Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning Awards
will be sought along with Faculty Teaching Excellence award nominations using an online form available to staff and students.
Nominations for Health and Safety Awards may only be made by senior managers since responsibility for health and safety
lies with them.
Each senior manager (or their representative) is provided with an opportunity to speak to their Health and Safety and
Administrative Excellence Award nomination(s) at the selection meeting.
Only current employees of the University are eligible for an award.
SELECTION
PROCESS
Selection of award recipients will be based on merit as evidenced in the nomination. In the case of the following awards the
Pro Vice-Chancellor indicated will facilitate a suitable selection process to recommend a recipient from the nominations
received:
• Teaching Excellence, Early Career Teaching Excellence, and Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning awards – Pro
Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning;
• Teaching in a Kaupapa Māori Context – Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori;
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Emergent Research Excellence – Pro Vice-Chancellor Research;
Research Postgraduate Supervision Excellence – Pro Vice-Chancellor Postgraduate.
Recommendations from Pro Vice-Chancellors to the Staff Awards Committee will be accompanied by a summary report
outlining the rationale for making/not making an award for each eligible nominee.
In the case of Health and Safety and Administrative Excellence awards selection will be made by the Staff Awards Committee.
The Staff Awards Committee recommends the award recipients across the six categories of Teaching, Research Postgraduate
Supervision, Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning, Emergent Research, Health and Safety, and Administrative Excellence to the
Vice-Chancellor for consideration. The Vice-Chancellor approves awards as appropriate and then selects one recipient as the
winner of the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Staff Excellence for that year.
The Staff Awards Committee and Vice-Chancellor reserve the right to not make an award in any category.
With the exception of teaching excellence awards, which have a six year stand down period (excluding the Early Career
Teacher Excellence Award), staff are not expected to receive a second award for the same or similar contribution, but staff
may receive additional excellence awards in different categories at any time.
NATURE
OF
AWARDS
Teaching awards will be up to:
• three Teaching Excellence Awards comprised of a certificate and monetary component of $3,000 which will be paid
into an account from which the staff member is authorised to spend for work related purposes;
• one Kaupapa Māori Context Teaching Excellence Award comprised of a certificate and monetary component of
$3,000 which will be paid into an account from which the staff member is authorised to spend for work related
purposes;
• one Early Career Teacher Excellence Award comprised of a certificate and monetary component of $3,000 which
will be paid into an account from which the staff member is authorised to spend for work related purposes.
Note that there is a monetary component of $2,000 for Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards, so in sum University teaching
award recipients will accumulate $5,000 in line with other awards.
One Research Postgraduate Supervision Excellence Award comprised of a certificate and monetary component of $5,000
which will be paid into an account from which the staff member is authorised to spend for work related purposes.
One Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning Excellence Award comprised of a certificate and monetary component of $5,000
which will be paid into an account from which the staff member is authorised to spend for work related purposes.
One Emergent Research Excellence Award comprised of a certificate and monetary component of $5,000 which will be paid
into an account from which the staff member is authorised to spend for work related purposes.
One Health and Safety Excellence Award comprised of a health and safety trophy, to be held by the recipient(s) for one year,
a certificate, and monetary component of $5,000 which may be taken as a taxable bonus or as a grant paid into an
appropriate University account from which the recipient is authorised to spend for work related purposes.
Administrative Excellence Awards comprised a certificate plus $5,000 for individual awards and up to $15,000 for team
awards. Payment may be taken as a taxable bonus or as a grant paid into an appropriate University account from which the
recipient is authorised to spend for work related purposes. The number of awards made in this category will be subject to
budget limitations.
Note that in very exceptional circumstances, such as where a recipient of an award which is intended to be paid into a
University account resigns or retires from the University, the award may be taken as a taxable bonus payment.
Where an award is made to a team then members will share the monetary component indicated above.
University of Waikato Staff Awards Purposes, Processes and Criteria, 2012
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AWARD CRITERIA
T EA C HI NG EX C EL L EN C E A W AR DS
Teaching Excellence Awards will meet the requirements and criteria of the national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards and
recipients will automatically become the University’s nominees for the national award in this category in the following year.
Nominations should be made on the Teaching Excellence Award Nomination Form located in iWaikato.
The Kaupapa Māori Context Teaching Excellence Award will meet the requirements and criteria of the national Tertiary
Teaching Excellence in a Kaupapa Māori Context Award and the recipient will automatically become the University’s nominee
for the national award in this category in the following year. Nominations should be made on the Teaching Excellence in a
Kaupapa Māori Context Award Nomination Form located in iWaikato.
The Early Career Teaching Excellence Award will meet the criteria of the national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award or
Kaupapa Māori Context Award and is targeted at teachers with fewer than six years’ teaching experience. Nominations
should be made on the Emergent Teacher Excellence Award Nomination Form located in iWaikato.
The majority of the teaching experience for which individuals have been nominated must have been undertaken as a staff
member at the University of Waikato. An individual shall not receive an award again within six years of receiving their most
recent teaching excellence award, apart from recipients of the Early Career Teaching Excellence Award who may be
considered for a Teaching Excellence Award once they have at least six years teaching experience.
Note that the criteria for the national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award may change subsequent to conferment of Teaching
Excellence and Kaupapa Māori Context awards, in which case recipients will be provided with support to rewrite their
portfolios to reflect the new requirements.
RE S E AR C H P O ST GR A DU AT E S U P ER VI SI ON EXC E L L ENC E A W AR D S
These awards are made to research postgraduate supervisors (higher degree supervisors) in recognition of excellence.
Criteria are listed on the Research Postgraduate Supervision Excellence Award Nomination Form located in iWaikato.
N OL A C AM PB EL L M EM O RI AL E L E ARN IN G EXC E LL EN C E A WA RD
These awards are made to staff engaged in teaching using eLearning methodologies in recognition of excellence. Criteria are
listed on the Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning Excellence Award Nomination Form located in iWaikato. ELearning at the
University of Waikato is defined as the systematic use of learning technologies to facilitate and support learning.
EM ER G EN T R E S E AR C H E XC EL L EN C E A W AR D
These awards are made to emerging researchers (staff within the first seven years of their research careers) in recognition of
excellence in research. Criteria are listed on the Emergent Research Excellence Award Nomination Form located in iWaikato.
H E AL T H AN D S AF E TY EX CE L L EN C E A W AR D
These awards are made in recognition of sustained or specific contributions of excellence made in the areas of staff and
student health and safety and wellbeing. Nominations should be submitted on the Health and Safety Excellence Award
Nomination Form located in iWaikato.
A DM I NI S TR AT IV E EX C E L L EN C E A W AR D S
These awards are made in recognition of excellence in administration, management or technical service which go “above and
beyond” normal performance expectations associated with the role(s). Nominations should be submitted on the
Administrative Excellence Award Nomination Form located in iWaikato. All categories of staff are eligible for consideration
for this award.
VI C E- C H ANC E LL OR ’ S M E D AL F OR ST A FF EX C E LL E NC E
This supreme award for excellence recognises the most outstanding contribution by a person or team, across all the winners
of excellence awards in the year concerned.
University of Waikato Staff Awards Purposes, Processes and Criteria, 2012
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NOMINATION FORMS
Nomination forms for each of the award categories (excluding the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Staff Excellence) may be found
in the Document Directory in the iWaikato staff and student portal. (Note: the easiest way to find these documents is to
Search by the keywords “staff awards”.) An online form for Faculty Teaching Excellence awards will be advertised annually
and will include options for the nomination of staff for Research Postgraduate Supervision and eLearning awards by staff and
students.
PRESENTATION
OF
AWARDS
Staff excellence awards will be presented by the Vice-Chancellor at a special ceremony, normally in early December.
Recipients may invite family, friends and colleagues to the event. Nominators, managers and other appropriate members of
the University community (including family representatives of the late Nola Campbell) will also be invited to attend to
celebrate the success and achievements of award recipients. A list of recipients will be published in the Official Circular.
University of Waikato Staff Awards Purposes, Processes and Criteria, 2012