The York St John Student Award
Julia Smith
C4C Project Manager & Fellow of SCEPTrE CETL, University of Surrey
C4C (Collaborating for Creativity) Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
York St John University
The intention behind a student award is that they enable students to differentiate their skills and experiences from other graduates who may have similar degrees and classifications. The ambition of the YSJU Student Award, currently under development, is that it would support and encourage students to reflect on and be able to articulate their learning experiences in the broadest sense.
Students will be encouraged to do this through participation in faculty managed work-based learning opportunities and existing extra curricular activities; Careers events, Student Union clubs and societies, mentoring, voluntary and paid work etc.
The YSJ Award would recognise the journey students take in reaching four learning goals: Learning to perform, make meaning, participate and be. These are actions that form the core rationale for the Opportunities Gateway (our virtual and physical portal to accessing opportunities), and underpin the transformative learning agenda here at YSJ.
The award and the processes proposed as contributing to it have a quality enhancement focus and should be seen as adding value to the student experience outside of their course curriculum.
The success of this award rests on the student taking ownership of their progression through it as a learning development opportunity. They will be required to evidence, through reflection in a portfolio, their learning development in the four learning goal areas and to demonstrate a ‘readiness for opportunity’.
