In good news for anyone engaged with learning and teaching, the Commonwealth Government has committed to funding the Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) until 2021.

While the assessment process is currently underway for 2019 AAUT applications, now is a good time to start planning your own ‘recognition trajectory’, starting with college teaching awards, Vice-Chancellor’s awards and then ultimately the AAUT. All of this can be done in the course of 1-2 years, with each application building on the previous, supported by feedback from CILT staff.

Start by collecting a ‘briefcase of evidence’ that can support claims of excellence and impact. Ideally this should include qualitative and quantitative evidence, for example, quotes, testimonials, SET data, comparative enrolment data, survey results, student results, peer review feedback, calibration reports, topic data collected over several iterations, and dissemination activities such as publications and presentations. The list goes on. Be broad and generous in your initial collection – include anything and everything and remember that Planning and Analytical Services are your friend. When you start drafting your application, you can then ‘dip into’ your briefcase and select appropriate sources of evidence to support claims made in your statement.

Start the process now and make 2020 your year of teaching recognition.