Politics and International Relations Success at the Teaching Awards 2016

Dr Bice Maiguascha won Best Taught Supervisor; Dr Sandra Kröger was runner up in the Innovative Teaching category; and Professor Ian Bateman was runner up in the Best Research Supervisor category.

Our Politics department at the University’s Penryn Campus was also shortlisted in the Best Subject (Penryn) category, and our Politics (Penryn) academic colleague Dr Joanie Willett was shortlisted in the Innovative Teaching category. These nominations really highlight the education strength in Politics and International Relations we have at both our Streatham Campus (Exeter) and our Penryn Campus (Cornwall).

Joanie says of her nomination: “I’d like to say how much I value such positive feedback from the students.  Outside of the nominations, several of them have separately told me how much this module has transformed how they look at politics, and that they appreciated enormously the opportunity to apply the theoretical work that they explored in class, to the community within which they have been living.  The students felt that they were really able to make a difference, and as a university teacher, I’m so happy to have been able to facilitate that!”

Student nominations for Dr Sandra Kröger highlight how she has “consistently come up with unique ways of teaching European Politics this year”; “her biggest innovation and the main reason why she should win this award is the Simulation of the European Legislative Proposal. This exercise over two weeks was the most engagement I have seen from a class and was a unique and exciting way to express the difficulties and nuances of European Politics.”

Run collaboratively by the University of Exeter Students’ Guild and the Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union (FXU); the Students' Guild Teaching Awards were introduced in 2012 to recognise the outstanding dedication and commitment of University staff. They were created to acknowledge staff, who not only provide outstanding academic experiences, but who support their students' wider development.  

Dr Jason Reifler, the department’s Director of Education, said of this achievement: “It’s wonderful to see our students recognising the work of Politics and International Relations colleagues. It highlights how the student experience and the provision of excellent, innovative teaching and supervision we deliver is having such a positive impact. I wish my colleagues congratulations on their achievements and thank all our students who voted.”

Karen Ball, College of Social Sciences and International Studies Registrar said: “Awards, such as The Teaching Awards; particularly as they are organised by the Students’ Guild and FXU and voted for by students; are a great way to celebrate the education experience at Exeter. Student led awards are important because they highlight to us how inspired our students are by our academic staff. It’s wonderful to see our academic staff celebrated in this way.”