As you may already know, nominations for the Student Choice Awards are now open, and students can nominate staff who have influenced and inspired them.
Nominating staff members for the awards brings so many benefits; it is a chance for you to say thank you to a staff member who has meant a lot to you and to make sure that the great staff members within your department get recognised across the whole of UCL. All of our staff members nominated feature on a Roll of Honour which covers the whole institution, and in 2021 over 700 staff members were featured thanks to student nominations highlighting their work.
A well-written nomination also increases the chance that the staff member you choose will be shortlisted for or even win an award. Staff members who receive powerful nominations covering the award criteria are the most likely to be considered favourably by our student judging panel.
However there are also broader benefits to submitting a nomination. As Education Officer, much of my job is focussed around providing critical feedback on what aspects of education can be improved upon, and highlighting to UCL what areas the academic experience currently fall below the standard students should expect.
However, an equally important part of providing this feedback, is to make sure that we’re letting UCL know what a positive experience of a UCL education looks like. As any student rep will tell you, feedback is much better received and easier to act upon when it is a constructive balance of positive and negative.
Highlighting the things that students like, such as providing examples of staff members giving exceptional feedback, engaging in active partnership with students or offering a sustainable education, helps set an example for all staff of what excellence in education looks like at UCL, encouraging them to follow suit.
All the feedback we receive from nominations students submit goes towards a report on what students value the most, including clear examples for all UCL staff to follow. The more nominations we receive, the more accurate and meaningful this report becomes.
To help us spread the word about what students want in their education, submit your nomination now at www.studentsunionucl.org/sca.