Political Science tutor wins excellence award
Joshua James, a tutor in the Political Science and International Relations programme, recently received a Te Rautaki Maruako Tutor Excellence Award.
For the first time, Victoria University's staff excellence awards have also recognised the work of tutors, with the inaugural Te Rautaki Maruako Tutor Excellence Awards. These awards were established under the direction of Dr Chris Eichbaum in his previous capacity as Acting Vice-Provost (Academic and Equity), and recognise the crucial role tutors play in the life of the University.
Joshua James, who has tutored 100-level Political Science and International Relations courses for the past two years, was announced as a recipient of this new award by Vice-Chancellor Grant Guilford on 4 December, 2017.
Josh was humbled and surprised to receive the award. He said that the awards recognise the "vital role of tutors at the university, as they provide both academic guidance and pastoral care to students". This is particularly important for students in their first year as they adjust to the demanding university environment.
Josh also said that "academia needs to reflect the realities of a multicultural New Zealand in the 21st century", and that it is nice to be recognised for making his classroom as accepting and inclusive as possible.
Josh recently graduated with a Master of Strategic Studies, and will start studying a Master of Arts degree at the University of Otago in 2018.
If you are interested in tutoring for the PSIR programme, more information can be found here.