University of Waikato Staff Awards
Purposes, Processes and Criteria
Maintained by:
Mike Bell, Secretary to Staff Awards Committee
Created:
April 2010
Last Updated:
August 2016
PURPOSES
Staff awards are a mechanism by which the University:
 reinforces excellence and innovation in teaching, research, supervision, e‐learning, professional services and
leadership
 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.
University of Waikato Staff Awards are overseen by the Staff Awards Committee which operates within terms of reference
specified in the Directory of Committees and Rules of Procedure located in iWaikato.
N O M I N A T I O N P RO CE S S
The nomination forms located at www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards set out the criteria and information required for each
type of award.
Nominations for Teaching Excellence awards are made through a local staff excellence awards process within each Faculty in
accordance with Faculty Staff Excellence Awards Purpose, Processes and Criteria located at
www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards.
Nominations for other awards may be initiated by individual staff but must be supported by the individual or team’s line
manager and endorsed by the relevant senior manager. The completed nomination should be sent to the Secretary of the
Staff Awards Committee.
Nominations for awards are normally called for on the first Friday in September with a deadline of the third Friday in
October.
Only current employees of the University are eligible for an award.
S E L E C T I O N P RO C E SS
Selection of award recipients will be based on merit as evidenced in the nomination.
The Staff Awards Committee recommends the award recipients across the seven categories of Teaching, Research, Research
Postgraduate Supervision, Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning, Early Career Academic, 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.
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.
The selection of recipients for University staff awards normally takes place in early November.
N A T U R E O F A W A R DS
Individual staff awards are comprised of a certificate and monetary component of $3000. Team awards are comprised of a
certificate and monetary component of $1000 per member, up to a maximum of $10,000.
Awards may be made to individuals or teams in any of the following categories:
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Teaching Excellence
Research Excellence
Research Postgraduate Supervision Excellence
Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning Excellence
Early Career Academic Excellence
Health and Safety Excellence
Administrative Excellence
The number of awards recommended in each category will be at the discretion of the Staff Awards Committee, but there is
an overall annual limit of twelve awards.
A W A R D C RI T E R I A
The Teaching Excellence Award will be made to academic staff with teaching responsibilities. Criteria are listed on the
Teaching Excellence Award Nomination Form located at www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards.
The Research Excellence Award will be made to academic staff with research responsibilities. These award may be made in
any of the following categories:
 Early Career Research Excellence
 Mid-Career Research Excellence
 Lifetime Achievement Research Excellence
 Commercial Research Excellence
 Community Impact Research Excellence
 Māori/Indigenous Scholar Research Excellence
 Research Team Excellence
Criteria are listed on the Research Excellence Award Nomination Form located at www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards.
The Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning Excellence Award is made to academic 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 at www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards.
The Research Postgraduate Supervision Excellence Award is 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 at www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards.
The Early Career Academic Excellence Award is made to early career academics (staff within the first seven years of their
academic careers following conferment of their PhD) in recognition of excellence in teaching, research and scholarship, and
service and external activity. Criteria are listed on the Early Career Academic Excellence Award Nomination Form located at
www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards.
The Health and Safety Excellence Award is 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 at www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards. All categories of staff are eligible for
consideration for this award.
The Administrative Excellence Award is made in recognition of excellence in professional service, administration,
management, leadership or technical service which goes “above and beyond” normal performance expectations associated
with the role(s). Nominations should be submitted on the Administrative Excellence Award Nomination Form located at
www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards. 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 EXC E LL E NC E
This supreme award for excellence recognises the most outstanding contribution by a person or team, across all the
recipients of University excellence awards in the year concerned. It includes an additional monetary component of $1000.
University of Waikato Staff Awards Purposes, Processes and Criteria, 2016
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DEFINITIONS
E L EA RNI NG
eLearning encompasses all forms of technology enhanced (or enabled) learning (TEL) whether that happens on campus or at
a distance. Learning & teaching is mediated through ICT services and hardware. This will include computers, tablets, mobile
devices and handheld devices. It also includes the use of learning and teaching services supplied by the University such as
Moodle and Google Apps as well as external services which are not directly controlled by the University.
T EA C HI NG
For the purposes of staff awards, "teaching" includes only those factors under the control of the staff member. Within this
limitation, the term "teaching" is broadly defined to encompass classroom and online instruction and communication skills
(including practical clinical teaching), team teaching skills, course content and instructional design (if within the scope of the
individual’s contribution), Māori and English bilingual teaching ability, quality and relevance of content and teaching
materials, relationships with students, organisational skills, assessment of students, and graduate and postgraduate
supervision - as appropriate to the staff member's teaching area and responsibilities.
SC H OL AR S H IP A ND R E S E AR CH
In recognition of the various types of original work undertaken by staff members the word "scholarship" is used to refer to
research, scholarly publication, meritorious and advanced design, composition and original performance. A person displaying
distinguished scholarship would be a recognized international authority in his or her own field and would make a visible
contribution to a discipline. A scholar would be active in developing and investigating new ideas and applying these in
practice. A high level of scholarship is synonymous with academic or professional excellence. Indicators of scholarship
include:
 Publications
 Invitations to present keynote addresses and conference papers, exhibit artworks, conduct national orchestral groups
 Invitations to conduct applied research
 Research grants or contracts received
 Membership of editorial boards and/or refereeing for journals
 Recognition within the Māori oral tradition
 "High level" consulting or problem solving completed as part of University work (i.e. applied research and development)
- as distinct from "routine" consulting or private activity
 Recognition of excellence by a profession, for example, through the granting of a fellowship. (Service to a professional
association as an office bearer would be included in the "External activities" area.)
S ER VI C E
Service includes all leadership/management, administrative and general contributions carried out within the University.
These include significant contributions to the work of the University by participation in decision-making and management
through committees or working parties, or effectiveness in guiding the work of a department, School or unit as a chairperson
or otherwise through for example personnel management, budget management, group decision-making and goal setting.
Leadership can also be demonstrated by setting an example to colleagues in pursuit of University, Faculty/School or
departmental goals, such as developing and implementing a new programme of study, paper or area of research or leading a
research team. Regard will be given to circumstances where Māori staff perform additional responsibilities including
contributions to marae graduation ceremonies.
EX T ERN A L AC TI VI T I ES
This area is concerned with the quality and extent of contributions to the general community or the professional area,
nationally or internationally, relevant to the staff member's area of appointment in the University. It would be demonstrated
through, for example:
 Representing the subject, Faculty/School or University to external professional, industry or business organisations, or to
the community
 International or national research collaborations
University of Waikato Staff Awards Purposes, Processes and Criteria, 2016
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Significant contributions to the activities of centres for applied research and development in promoting professional
partnerships between the institution and the external community
High quality contributions to the profession or professional association
Invitations to provide expert advice, join committees of enquiry, etc.
Significant contributions to professional practice, for example, in accounting practice, clinical practice in the health
sciences, or raising community awareness of artistic endeavour.
Initiating, or being invited to conduct, continuing education or in-service courses for outside professional groups.
Public service which brings credit to the University.
PRESENTATION OF AWARDS
Staff excellence awards will be presented by the Vice-Chancellor at a special ceremony, normally in early December.
Recipients of awards may invite family, friends and colleagues to the event. University staff 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.
Archived lists of award recipients since 1989 may be found at www.waikato.ac.nz/pod/staffawards.
University of Waikato Staff Awards Purposes, Processes and Criteria, 2016