College Medal Guidelines
1.1 Purpose
The College Medal is an annual award that is designed to:
- recognise outstanding contributions to education in any field, level or sector of Australian education; and
- raise awareness among educators and the general public regarding the College’s role in advancing the education profession.
1.2 Recipients
The medal may be awarded to an Australian educator working in this or any other country who has made sustained, outstanding contributions to any field of educational practice, theory or discourse.
1.3 Presentation
Under normal circumstances, the award will be conferred as part of a significant event (e.g. a national ACE Conference). The College will provide assistance where required to enable the Medal recipient to attend the Medal Presentation.
1.4 Nomination
Only those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to education should be put forward for consideration.
1.4.2 The age, experience or position of the candidate should not be the basis for the nomination, nor should they be deterrents to nomination — quality and significance of the contribution are the critical factors.
1.4.3 The contribution may be singular and specific; it may be long, wide-ranging and multi-dimensional. It may be professional, academic or practical.
1.4.4 The contribution may be at any level of education from early childhood to tertiary; it may be in practice or in theory; it may be at local, state or national level; it may be in any field of education as a practitioner, leader, administrator, teacher-educator, author, researcher and may be either within the formal system or without (e.g. in industry, government, community).
1.4.5 A nominee should be an Australian citizen or long-term resident and in general, the substantial contribution should be in or for Australia.
1.5 Procedure
All nominations should be treated as confidential. Nominees should not be informed of their candidature.
1.5.2 Anyone may nominate a candidate for this Award. Members of the College who are nominating candidates are encouraged to submit nominations to their Branch Awards Committee. Members of the College Council may submit nominations directly to the National Awards Committee. Nominations should be seconded by a professional educator.
1.5.3 Those preparing nominations should take particular note of the specific requirements outlined in this document and address the set criteria listed in the Fellowship and Honorary Fellowship Guidelines, especially point 2.1.4 (e.g. explain how this outstanding contribution has been made. An indication of the magnitude of change effected should also be included. The College Medal Cover Sheet and Nomination for the College Medal (see below) should be completed by those making the nomination. Additional space is provided and word limits applying to Fellowship nominations do not apply to College Medal nominations.
1.5.4 Nominations should be in the hands of the Branch Awards Committee by 31 October and forwarded to the Chief Executive Officer by 13 December in any given year. The National Awards Committee will consider all nominations in December.
1.5.5 All enquiries should be directed to the Chief Executive Officer at the National Office of the Australian College of Educators on (03) 9035 5473.
1.5.6 National Awards Committee decisions are confidential and no discussion of decisions made in relation to individual nominations will be entered into.