Academic Governance

Sue Napier Postgraduate Fellowship in Education (Rule 136)

Sue Napier was passionate about education - she was a dedicated teacher and mentor to her own students – believing that inspirational teachers and quality teaching were the key to better student outcomes.

As a State Minister for Education and shadow spokesperson for education for a number of years, as well as a former staff member in the UTAS Education Faculty, Sue approached education intuitively. She was a consistent advocate for decreasing class sizes, increasing participation rates and improving learning opportunities for Tasmania’s teachers.

So deep and personal was her commitment to education that shortly before she died Sue set up a trust fund, managed by the University of Tasmania Foundation, to financially support a fellowship program aimed at encouraging practising teachers to develop their skills through postgraduate education. Sue believed that providing this opportunity would empower participating teachers, in her words ‘to make a difference’ for their students.

Sue’s family, friends and academic colleagues have since taken up her idea by initiating a capital raising program to finance a Sue Napier Postgraduate Fellowship in Education to be available annually to Tasmanian teachers to undertake postgraduate study focused on enhancing their classroom teaching and actively improving the outcomes for their students. The UTAS Foundation has assisted by matching the support provided.

The Academic Senate of the University has agreed to the establishment of a fellowship. These are the rules.

Rules

1. An amount of $200,000, together with any donations received or other income (by way of interest earned) from time to time, forms the endowment of the “Sue Napier Postgraduate Fellowship in Education”.

2. The fellowship is to be awarded to a practising teacher in Tasmania who is  enrolled in a postgraduate course in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania and whose study program relates in some way to empowering practising teachers to develop their skills ‘ to make a difference’ in student outcomes.

3. The scholarship will be awarded by a selection committee comprising:

• The Dean of the Faculty of Education, or nominee;
  

• Mr James Napier, while he wishes to be involved, or another representative of Sue Napier’s family;
  

• Dr Marion Myhill, while she wishes to be involved;

• Mrs Robyn Pryce-Jones, while she wishes to be involved;
  

• Mr Malcolm Hales, while he wishes to be involved;
  

• After the end of the involvement of Mr Hales, a nominee of the Tasmanian Principals Association, preferably of a practising teacher in Tasmania.
  

• After the end of the involvement of Dr Myhill and Mrs Pryce-Jones , a nominee of the University Foundation, preferably of a previous recipient of the fellowship.

4. The selection committee will set the detailed selection and performance criteria for the Fellowship, having regard to the intention of the donor.

5. The fellowship is tenable for one year but may be extended for a further year at the discretion of the selection committee.

6. The selection committee may terminate the student’s fellowship or suspend it for one year if it considers, in its absolute discretion, that the student’s progress is unsatisfactory.  If the fellowship is suspended, the selection committee may re-award it to the same student after that year if it considers, in its absolute discretion, that the student’s academic record during the year of suspension justifies that action.

7. The University Foundation will set the annual value of the fellowship having regard to the income of the trust fund of the endowment.

8. The University Foundation will determine all other matters concerning the scholarship, including advertising, application procedures and the method and time of payment.

Made by Academic Senate on March 2 2012