Menticulture Blog

Win?

Author: joe

Thursday, 04 December, 2008 - 08:53

I have been given the Bournemouth University Award for Oustanding Contribution to Student Learning, alongside another 31 members of staff. It comes with the benefit of a cheque, but also the cost of receiving undeserved reward for my work.

I see it as undeserved since I have colleagues who are pushing further and doing better with the kinds of thing I was recognised for. On the other hand, the cheque does at least scrape the surface of the huge amount of unpaid overtime I put in. It's unfortunate that everyone else who puts in the extra effort can't also be recognised and remunerated. Even then, the cheque equates to about two weeks' pay. I do more overtime than that every single term.

And there is also the string, that in the new year I'll be expected to deliver learning and teaching seminars about why I got the award. The sad truth is that all I can really say is that the university's policies and efficiency drives all impact negatively on the potential for student learning, and that being engaged and trying to innovate costs a lot of time and effort, often for little reward and sometimes even attracts student resentment. Is that what they want to hear in a seminar on learning and teaching from an 'outstanding contributor to student learning' I wonder?

Categories: learning, teaching, award,
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