Excellence in Education Awards
Lincoln University has a long and enduring commitment to recognising excellent teaching.
Apply or nominate someone NOW for the 2023 Excellence in Education awards.
Closes Friday 15 September 2023Awards Background
Are you an excellent teacher with a strong and sustained commitment to your subject area?
Do you work in a team and have achieved highly successful educational outcomes with your students?
Are you an inspired, innovative and enthusiastic teacher driven to stimulate quality student learning outcomes?
Do you excel in providing effective support and guidance in inspiring and promoting student success?
If any of these apply to you, then you are strongly encouraged to apply for this year’s Lincoln University Excellence in Education Awards.
Successful applicants in any given year will receive $1000 to support their professional development activities. However, an overall Principal Award may be selected by the committee from the nominations received which will be encouraged to progress to the national awards:
Te Whatu Kairangi | Aotearoa Tertiary Educator Awards
They will also receive $3000 and an additional $2000 to assist them to enhance their applications even further for the National awards.
Wise Words: What makes a great teacher?
Wise Words: What makes a great teacher?

How to Apply
The process takes place in two stages:
- Nominations of individuals or teams of teaching or teaching support staff – CLOSES Friday 15 September 2023.
- Nominations (see link below) can be made by staff (through a Faculty Dean, Director or Manager) or by students. You may choose to apply yourself or encourage a colleague whom you think deserves recognition for their teaching to accept a nomination.
- Submission of supporting materials by the nominee – CLOSES Friday 03 November 2023.
Click the following links to access the nomination, policy and procedures forms:
- LU Excellence in Education Awards Procedures (this includes the nomination form, application forms, and history of tertiary education form which are shown below as separate editable files)
- Portfolio Criteria (Appendix C of the Procedures, for the General and Kaupapa Māori and Supporting Pasifika Learners categories) (PDF file)
- Nomination form (for the General and Kaupapa Māori and Supporting Pasifika Learners categories) (Word docx)
- Application form - General category (Word docx)
- Application form - Kaupapa Māori and Supporting Pasifika Learners category (Word docx)
- History of Tertiary Education form (for the General and Kaupapa Māori and Supporting Pasifika Learners categories) (Word docx)
The relevant dates for the 2023 awards are:
Friday 15 September at 5.00 pm | Nominations close |
Friday 03 November at 5.00 pm | Applications close including submission of portfolio and all supporting material |
Week commencing 20 November | Meeting of the Awards Committee |
Week commencing 04 December | Successful applicants notified |
Annual Staff Awards 2023 | Awards presented |
Graduation 2024 | Principal Award presented |
If you would like to talk about nominating someone, being nominated or require individual assistance with the preparation of the portfolio, please contact:
Tracy-Anne De Silva
Acting Manager – Centre for Learning & Teaching
Room: L005
Email: Tracy-Anne.DeSilva@lincoln.ac.nz
Phone: 03 423 0244
Teaching Portfolios
The Teaching Quality team in the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CeLT) is available to help you prepare your Teaching Portfolio. Workshops are held during the year or you can contact us for individual assistance.
Teaching Portfolios
The Teaching Quality team in the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CeLT) is available to help you prepare your Teaching Portfolio. Workshops are held during the year or you can contact us for individual assistance.

Here is a video providing tips for Creating your Teaching Portfolio. Recorded on Thursday September 26 2019
National Teaching Awards
In 2001, the Government established annual awards for outstanding tertiary teachers. These are administered by Ako Aotearoa – National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence.
These awards aim to recognise and encourage excellence in tertiary teaching and provide an opportunity for teachers to further their careers and share good practice with others.
The selection process is undertaken by a Tertiary Teaching Awards Committee, appointed by the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education), and is supported by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
Recipients of the Lincoln University Awards for Excellence in Teaching will be nominated by the University for the national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards.
Teachers from Lincoln University received these National Awards in 2003 and 2004.
Previous Winners Podcast
Previous Winners Podcast
We acknowledge the contributions of the late Professor Steve Wratten, who features in this video, to the learning and teaching environment at Lincoln University.
Past Winners of the Excellence in Education Award
2022:
- Tim Baird
- Samantha White
2021:
- Jacky Bowring – Principal Award
- Andreas Wesener
Past Winners of the Teaching Excellence Awards
2019:
- Charles and Margaret Brennan – Postgraduate Research Supervision
- Maneesha Mohan – Early Career
- Sylvia Nissen – Early Career
- Suzanne Vallance – Innovation in Teaching
- Mohini Vidwans – Innovation in Teaching
2018:
- Roslyn Kerr – Principal Award Winner and Sustained Excellence Category (3:33)
- Tim Curran – Sustained Excellence
- Christopher Gan – Postgraduate Research Supervision award (2:27)
- Judith van Dijk – Tutor
- Sally Price – Tutor
- Luca Serventi – Early Career (4:06)
2017:
- Lloyd Carpenter – Principal Award Winner and Kaupapa Māori Category (3:45)
- Azadeh (Azi) Nilipour – Early Career
- Pam Benbow – Tutor
- Ani Kartikasari – Educational Support
- Koji Kobayashi – Innovation in Teaching
- Joanna Fountain – Sustained Excellence
- James Ross – Postgraduate Research Supervision
- Stephen Wratten – Postgraduate Research Supervision
2016:
- Roger McLenaghen – Principal Award Winner and Excellence in Tutoring
- Sue Clemes – Educational Support
- Tracy-Anne De Silva – Innovation in Teaching
- Hazel Gatehouse – Educational Support
- Sharon Lucock – Early Career
2015:
- Sharon Forbes – Principal Award Winner and Sustained Excellence
- Ann Brower – Innovation in Teaching
- Stephen Espiner – Postgraduate Research Supervision
- Ken Hughey – Postgraduate Research Supervision
- Eirian Jones – Postgraduate Research Supervision
- Maurice Ward – Educational Support
2014:
- Tim Curran – Principal Award
- John Boereboom
- Jacky Bowring
- Christopher Gan
- Hayley Ridgway
- Gary Steel
- Emma Stewart
2013:
- Mike Barthelmeh – Principal Award
- Roslyn Kerr
- Nic Lees
- Kevin Moore
2011:
- Rainer Hofmann – Principal Award
2010:
- Tracy-Anne De Silva – Principal Award
2009:
- Maria Ignatieva
- Ton Bührs
2008:
- Ravi Gooneratne – Principal Award
- Gillis Maclean and Paul McKeown
2007:
- Grant Edwards – Principal Award
- Crile Doscher
- Christopher Gan
- Sidney Weil
2006:
- Clare Churcher
- Paul Dalziel
2005:
- Graeme Buchan – Sustained Excellence
- Neil Challenger – Excellence in Innovation
2004:
- Stephen Wratten – Sustained Excellence
- David Dean – Excellence in Innovation
2003:
- Derrick Moot – Sustained Excellence – 2004 National Award Winner
- Ravi Gooneratne – Excellence in Innovation
2002:
- Christopher Gan – Sustained Excellence – 2003 National Award Winner
- Pip Lynch – Excellence in Innovation – 2003 National Award Winner