Excellence Awards
The University's Excellence Awards celebrate the significant achievements of our staff and students.
The awards provide a platform for the University to showcase some of the outstanding work being carried out in teaching, postgraduate research and supervision, professional service, engagement, sustainability and leadership. They also increase our capacity to attract, retain and develop talented staff, and to build organisational strength.
Nominations for 2024 will open in August.
Western Sydney University staff and students are invited to nominate current University staff (or eligible students in available categories) who have shown excellent achievements in one of the categories of the Awards. 2022 winners are not eligible for 2023 Awards in the same category, however, previous recipients of highly commended nominations are eligible to be nominated once again. *Please see the current Policy and Procedures documents for full eligibility requirements.
2023 Excellence Awards Ceremony - Live Stream Recording
Watch the live stream recording of the 2023 Awards Ceremony here.
Important Dates for 2024
Date | Event |
---|---|
August | Vice-Chancellor calls for nominations for the 2024 Excellence Awards |
Early October | Nominations Close |
Late October | Awards Panels meet |
November | Panel recommendations submitted to the Vice-Chancellor |
November | Invitations to the Award Ceremony sent |
Thursday 12 December 2024 | Excellence Awards Ceremony |
Award Categories & Nomination Forms
Vice Chancellor's Excellence Awards Categories | ||
---|---|---|
Excellence in Teaching | Staff | Nomination Form - link will be available when nominations open |
Service Excellence (previously Excellence in Professional Service) | Staff | |
Excellence in Postgraduate Research, Training and Supervision | Staff | |
Excellence in University Engagement | Staff | |
Excellence in University Engagement | Students | |
Excellence in Sustainability Impact | Staff / Students | |
Leadership Excellence | Academic Staff | |
Leadership Excellence | Professional Staff | |
Excellence in Research (Researcher of the Year) | Staff | |
Excellence as an Early Career Researcher | Staff | |
The College Award for Excellence | College Staff | |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research, Enterprise and International) Research Awards | ||
Excellence in Research Impact | Staff | Nomination Form - link will be available when nominations open |
Excellence in Research Leadership and Development | Staff | |
Research Excellence Through Industry Collaboration or Partnership | Staff | |
Excellence in Research Management | Staff | |
Excellence in Indigenous Research | Staff | |
Excellence in Internationalisation | Staff | |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) Learning & Teaching Awards | ||
Excellence in Teaching | Staff | Nomination Form - link will be available when nominations open |
Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (including Indigenous Focused) | Staff | |
Excellence in Indigenous Teaching | Staff |
Submitting a nomination for the Excellence Awards
An online platform for the Excellence Awards nomination forms was introduced in 2021.
All forms must be completed in full before a nomination can be deemed eligible. Please ensure that you complete all required information in the forms. The forms include areas where you will be asked to list the achievements of the nominee in the area in which you are nominating, as well as how the achievements of the nominee align with the University's mission and values. Please ensure you check the nominee's eligibility for the category prior to nominating. Eligibility requirements can be found in the Policy and Procedures documents. All nominations should be submitted via the online form prior to the closing date/time.
The Teaching Excellence Awards category is different from other Award categories, in that its selection criteria are the same as for the Australian Awards for Learning and Teaching run by the Department of Education. This alignment is to support successful candidates in this category to go further in developing a nomination for these and other external awards. For full details on submitting a Learning and Teaching nomination, please visit the Learning and Teaching Awards website referenced below.
Excellence in Teaching - in order to be considered for the Vice-Chancellor's Excellence in Teaching award, nominees must first apply for a Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Academic Learning and Teaching - Excellence in Teaching Award. For further information about these awards, please visit the University Learning and Teaching Awards website (opens in a new window).
Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning - for further information, please visit the website for the University Learning and Teaching Awards (opens in a new window).
The Postgraduate Research Training and Supervision category is different in that all nominations should come through the School Dean or Institute Research Director nomination process as outlined in the Excellence Awards Guidelines.
Referee Reports
For all categories, you will be asked to provide referee reports. They can be from staff, students, or external partners, who know and understand the work for which the nominee has been nominated.
Additional statements of support
You may also provide documentary or supporting evidence, but this must be recent (1-3 years) and highly relevant to your submission. You should also consider the limited time the Awards Panel has to consider each submission.
All submissions may be subject to further enquiry by the Awards Panel. It is a condition of entry to the Awards, that the Awards Panel may make its own enquiries to staff, students, and relevant external parties on the factual nature of the achievements being considered for nomination. Enquiries will be of a private nature, therefore protecting the privacy of individuals.
Individual and Team Photographs
You will be requested to include a photograph of the nominee or the team (depending on the type of Award). The photographs will be used during the ceremony and may also be included on the University website.
Previous Award Winners & Nominees
Congratulations to all the staff and students who received awards at previous University Awards ceremonies. To watch last year's recording and to see the full list of Awards recipients, please proceed to the Awards Winners page (opens in a new window).
Contact Us
Related Links
- Excellence Awards Policy (opens in a new window)
- Excellence Awards Procedures (opens in a new window)
- Excellence Awards Allocations (PDF, 38.06 KB) (opens in a new window)
- Excellence Awards Panel Membership Schedule (PDF, 114.93 KB) (opens in a new window)
- Teaching Awards Guidelines (PDF, 332.56 KB) (opens in a new window)
Mobile options: