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Mary Tasker Award

The Mary Tasker Award recognises excellence in teaching. Teaching staff of the University (including Teaching Fellows) are eligible for the Award. The Award consists of a prize of £750 to the successful nominee and £1,500 to his or her department (to be spent at the discretion of the successful nominee).

The Awards Committee takes a broad view and is looking for creative and effective approaches to teaching.

Nominations

Please complete a nomination form and send to Sarah Turpin, Learning & Teaching Enhancement Office by:

5.00 p.m on Friday 16 March 2012

Nominees must be able to demonstrate:

  1. Being known for very good teaching attested by evidence from peer observation and feedback from students;
  1. Exceptional student feedback on teaching;

The nominee should also be able to demonstrate one or more of the following:

  1. Participating in new approaches to teaching within or outside the department;
  1. Authoring teaching materials in her/his subject which are widely acknowledged as effective and valuable, ie major textbook, web resource;
  1. Producing publications which are critical, reflective and evaluative of teaching and which advance our ideas on how a subject should be taught;
  1. Participating in a major way in regional, national or international teaching initiatives or had success in gaining grants for teaching initiatives;
  1. Or anything else you feel makes the case.

Nominees will be expected to prepare a statement of up to but no more than 800 words describing the rationale behind their teaching: what they do, why they do it that way, and how it benefits student learning.

Supporting statements for nominations will be requested from the nominee’s Head of Department, a senior colleague (such as his or her Director of Studies) and the relevant SSLC representatives.

Eligibility

It is open to all members of academic staff.

Criteria for Award

Terms approved by Senate:

  1. The Award is to recognise excellence in teaching in the University.
  2. Teaching staff of the University, both full and part-time, are eligible for the Award. Staff still on probation are not eligible for nomination.
  3. Previous winners of the Award will be eligible for nomination five years after the year that the Award was made.
  4. Unsuccessful candidates may be nominated for the Award in subsequent years.
  5. Nominations for the Award may be submitted by students (graduate and undergraduate) and other members of academic staff. Nominations must be supported by evidence of excellence in teaching from the nominee, other staff and students.

Background, eligibility and formal terms

The Mary Tasker Award was established in 1992 at the initiative of Academic Assembly on the occasion of Mary Tasker’s early retirement from the School of Education. Its purpose was to mark her contribution to the University, particularly her dedication to teaching, work on Senate and Council and their Committees and Chairmanship of Academic Assembly between 1984 and 1987.

The Award consists of a prize of £750* to the successful nominee and £1,500 to their Department (to be spent at the discretion of the successful nominee). If a joint award is made, the winners will each receive the £750 prize, but the Departmental award will be shared equally. The award will be presented at the Summer graduation ceremonies.

*The prize of £750 will be paid through the payroll and subject to PAYE.