RATE
The Recognising and Advancing Teaching Excellence (RATE) Award scheme was first introduced by Stirling Students' Union in 2010. RATE was born from the Union's desire to recognise the excellent quality of teaching at the University of Stirling and to provide students with the opportunity to identify areas of good practice within their learning experience. This has now expanded to include recognition and celebration of the support not only academic staff provide, but also supporting staff members and Faculty Officers.
The awards have continued to grow in success and popularity since their introduction. On average, we recieve over 1,300 nominations, resulting in the nomination of 420 academic and professional staff to be nominated for an award. Those nominations show that our students value the support that they are given by academic staff, support staff, and Faculty Officers, as well as the time that they dedicate to students. .
With our help and support, University of Stirling staff members have been able to go forward for National Learning and Teaching awards: in 2014, May McCreddie (School of Health Sciences) was shortlisted for the Most Innovative Teacher of the Year Award at the Times Higher Education Awards, using the qualitive data we had received from the RATE Awards as their evidence, and 2016 Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year winner, David Lavaelle (School of Sport) went forward for the THES Outstanding Research Supervisor Award.
The RATE awards depend on student nominations. Your nominations are used to inform the University about what you, as a student body, consider to be the best methods of teaching, student engagement, and student support. They are also used to identify any necessary improvements in learning and teaching, and student support at the University. RATE is intended to empower students to be co-creators in their learning & teaching experience through feeding back about their learning experience at Stirling.
2021 RATE Awards Ceremony
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we are unable to hold an in-person event. The RATE Awards Ceremony will instead be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. It will be open for all staff and students to attend. This is where Lexi our VP Education and fellow Faculty Officers will be announcing the winners and runners-up for the 2021 RATE Awards.
The 2021 RATE Awards Ceremony will be held at 7pm on April 21st via Mircosoft Teams. You can join the teams call by clicking this link.
nominations for 2021
Nominations are now closed. The RATE Awards will be held online on April 21st 2021. Details of how to watch the awards will be released shortly.
Awards Categories 2020-2021
Student Service of the Year
Innovation in Online Connection
Faculty Officer of the Year
Faculty of the Year
Best Tutor Award
Fantastic Feedback Award
Research Postgradaute Supervisor of the Year
Innovation in Postgraduate Teaching Award
Outstanding Admin Award
Excellence in teaching in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities
Excellence in teaching in the Faculty of Social Sciences
Excellence in teaching in the Faculty of Health Science and Sport
Excellence in teaching in the Faculty of Natural Science
Excellence in teaching in the Stirling Management School
Excellence in teaching in INTO
Outstanding Support Award
Dedication to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Dedication to Sustainability
Dedication to Online Accessibility and Inclusion
Kate Howie Lifetime Achievement Award (awarded by the Students' Union)
winners & runners up 2020
You can watch the awards presentation video below or check out the full list of winners and runners up. Congratulations everyone!
You can also view our final report from the RATE Awards 2020 by clicking the image below.
This project was partially funded thanks to the philanthropic support of staff, alumni and friends via the Stirling Fund.
