Prestigious award for two staff members
What do an Avalanche Safety instructor and an Art Professor have in common? Both have been awarded in teaching by the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence.
Academic Leader at the Dunedin School of Art, Professor Leoni Schmidt, and Senior Lecturer and Programme Manager of the Avalanche Safety and Snowsport Instruction programme, Peter Bilous, were both awarded for sustained excellence in teaching this year.
The Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award ceremony, celebrated twelve of New Zealand’s finest tertiary teachers - as recognised by their organisations, colleagues and learners alike. The event was jointly hosted at Parliament by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Hon Steven Joyce, and Allan Peachey MP, Chairperson of the Education and Science Committee.
The awards are managed and administered by Ako Aotearoa – The National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence. They aim to recognise and celebrate excellence in tertiary teaching; providing an opportunity for teachers to share with others the good practice that has proven to benefit their learners.
This has been the fifth year running that an Otago Polytechnic staff member has received a Tertiary Teaching Excellence award.