Celebrating a dynamic force on campus

Enthusiasm, dedication and drive to improve the student experience has been recognised through a highly coveted annual awards ceremony.

More than 2,800 nominations were received for this year’s Leeds Partnership Awards

Leeds Partnership Awards 2020. August 2020

In the latest of our regular feature series – profiling winners in all 14 categories of this year’s prestigious Partnership Awards – we are highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of recipients of both the Feedback and Student Academic Rep of the Year accolades.

The coveted awards celebrate those people who truly put into practice the Leeds Partnership – an agreement setting out our shared commitment with Leeds University Union (LUU) to work together to support all aspects of our community.

Student Academic Rep of the Year Award

The Student Academic Rep of the Year Award goes to the School, Course or Postgraduate Research Rep who has actively worked in partnership with others to secure positive, student-led change.

Our academic reps are a dynamic force on campus. Their enthusiasm, dedication and drive to improve the student experience was praised throughout their nominations, which celebrated a variety of achievements. And such was the calibre of nominations this year, judges chose to present two awards.

The first of these is a joint award for Melissa Hartmann and Razi Khan. They have worked collaboratively in order to improve the student experience by jointly chairing the Student Staff Forum, encouraging inclusivity and mutual respect. They regularly close the feedback loop on communications to ensure students are kept updated and their voices are heard.

Melissa said: “What I really like about the Partnership Awards is that they create a University-wide halo effect by celebrating and making altruistic efforts to make a positive impact more visible.

“I am very humbled to have received an award and it makes me feel very grateful for the opportunities the University offers because to me, the award represents all those students’ voices wanting to make improvements and encourage a positive impact.”

Razi said: “This award brings me great pleasure and is only a small testament to the great work being done at the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, LUU and the University itself.”

The second award winner is Stephanie Boon. She has been a fantastic School Rep, going above and beyond all year to improve the quality of student life in the School of Music. Her work on improving communication and creating feedback platforms, so that every student can have their say, has made a huge difference and has made students feel like their voice can be heard, particularly during their Student Academic Experience Review (SAER) this year.

Stephanie said: “This experience has been such a great learning journey – I was able to develop a myriad of skills, learn more about myself and truly see the importance and power of the student voice, all whilst making a positive impact on the quality of student life.

“I'm immensely grateful to have even been nominated for, let alone receive, the joint Student Academic Rep of the Year Award. This would not have been possible without the support from my school and faculty, both staff and fellow student representatives, as well as my mentors at LUU. Greater than the recognition through this award is the work we've all done in partnership for the school this year.”

Partnership Awards winners. September 2020

Student Academic Rep of the Year Award winners Stephanie Boon, Melissa Hartmann and Razi Khan

Feedback Award

The Feedback Award recognises the person who provides invaluable and supportive academic feedback, in both content and delivery method, which helps others to develop and excel in their work.

Not only did nominations in this area speak about the commitment and dedication of teaching staff, but the themes of collaboration and empowerment also shone through. They highlighted how nominees allowed students to reflect on their own progress and develop their own strategies.

This year’s winner is Victoria Yorke, Lecturer (Consultant) in the School of Dentistry. Victoria is an excellent clinical teacher, who works to help students understand the wider context of the treatment they provide alongside guiding their clinical skills. Beyond that, Victoria has worked tirelessly to bring in the CAFs (Clinical Assessment and Feedback System) to not only facilitate the accurate recording of students’ experiences but particularly to enhance the quality of the feedback and reflection process.

Partnership Awards winners. September 2020

Feedback Award winner, Victoria Yorke

Victoria said: “It’s a real honour to receive this award. It was a fantastic surprise and I am extremely grateful for the nominations and recognition.

“It has been great to see how the new Clinical Assessment and Feedback System has been embraced by staff and students, and I am excited to see how it will continue to help improve and develop clinical feedback and reflection going forwards. This will be particularly important as we adapt to the current circumstances, which will have a significant impact on the teaching of clinical dentistry for undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

“Thank you to the LUU for running the awards, and to colleagues and students in the School of Dentistry for their support and hard work.”

Further information

An in-depth profile of the final award winner will appear on the For Staff website later this month. This will also be promoted via the fortnightly All Staff enewsletter and the Staff Twitter account.

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