We are seeking nominations from across Scotland for our Student Engagement Awards 2023, with the winners announced at a special event on Thursday 5th October that will also celebrate sparqs’ 20th birthday!
Our previous awards in 2021 celebrated the tremendous achievements of our institutions and students’ associations during the challenges of the pandemic, and therefore our 2023 awards will be an opportunity to reflect on developments in student engagement and partnership, not only in the past two years, but also, across the two decades of sparqs’ existence since our creation in 2003.
Seven categories are open for submission in our 2023 awards and we are seeking submissions from across Scotland. To take part, please read through the categories and criteria, then download and complete this submission form. Our judging panel consists of members of sparqs’ Joint Advisory Group.
Categories
Our seven categories include two general awards for partnership, two individual staff and student awards, and three thematic awards reflecting current priorities in student engagement.
- A New Initiative in Partnership
This award is for a new project or initiative that has developed partnership in the quality of the learning experience since our last awards in 2021. - An Established Initiative in Partnership
This award is for a longer-standing project or initiative that has developed partnership in the quality of the learning experience over a longer period of time, including back to the foundation of sparqs. - Outstanding Academic Representative
This award is for an exceptional student in a representative role at any level, including course rep, faculty rep or senior students’ association officer, who has contributed to partnership in quality in the past two years. - Outstanding Staff Member
This award is for an exceptional member of staff in any role who has developed partnership in quality. - Sustainability in the Learning Experience
This award is for a project, initiative or organisation which has promoted staff-student partnership in the learning experience relating to environmental sustainability in the past two years. - Diverse Voices
This award is for a project, initiative or organisation in the past two years, which has promoted staff-student partnership in the learning experience relating to the advancement of equality and diversity and the development of partnership for those voices who are less often heard. - Digital Partnership
This award is for a project, initiative or organisation which has used digital spaces and technologies in the past two years to promote staff-student partnership in the learning experience.
Criteria
When completing the submission form, please note the following criteria.
- Impact. Nominations should demonstrate clear evidence of impact, for instance on approaches, practice or outcomes. This impact could be at any level within courses, cohorts, departments, whole institutions or externally. Nominations should not merely describe regular processes and activities, but instead should demonstrate activity and impact that goes above and beyond usual practice.
- Contextualisation. Nominations should contextualise details such as numbers or scale to the environment or conditions in which the example has occurred. For example, impact in a limited area or with low numbers can be demonstrated as significant if the detail of that context is clear.
- Values. All nominations should evidence how the work or individual nominated has reflected the five values outlined in sparqs’ Professional Standards Framework for Student Engagement.
- Word count. Submissions should be a maximum of 500 words.
Dates and deadlines
- Friday 30th June 2023 (10.00am) – Close of submissions.
- Mid-August 2023 – Notification of shortlists.
- Thursday 5th October 2023 – Announcement of the awards at our 20th birthday celebration event, taking place from 6pm until 8pm at DoubleTree SKYbar in Edinburgh. Further details about this event and how to register to join us, will be published in due course.
How to make your submissions
Completed submission forms should be emailed to admin@sparqs.ac.uk by 10.00am on Friday 30th June 2023. You will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt.
All entries will be judged by an independent panel comprised of members of our Joint Advisory Group, and we will let you know if you have been shortlisted by mid-August.
A winner and runner up in each category will be presented with an award at our 20th birthday celebration event on Thursday 5th October 2023.
Thank you for participating in our awards!
Queries
For more information about our awards, please contact Simon Varwell, Senior Development Consultant, on simon.varwell@sparqs.ac.uk.
