National Awards Recognition for College Principal and Students' Union

City College Norwich staff and students were celebrating this week after attending two national awards ceremonies; the LSIS Leading the Learner Voice Awards and the National Union of Students (NUS) Annual Awards.  Principal, Dick Palmer, was named Principal of the Year at the LSIS Awards and the College’s Students’ Union was announced as runner up in the Further Education Union of the Year category at the NUS Awards.  

The LSIS awards, now in their fourth year, and hosted by LSIS – the Learning and Skills Improvement Service – are open to Students both individually and collectively as well as college practitioners, senior managers and providers. The winners were announced at a presentation evening at the Thistle Marble Arch on 6th July.

The various award categories are designed to reflect the different leadership roles vital to ensuring student views are accurately collected, listened to and acted upon in the learning and skills sector.

Principal, Dick Palmer, was rewarded for his innovative thinking in pioneering new methods to engage students with the College.  Putting the student first at City College Norwich is top of the agenda and the judges recognised Dick’s commitment to this. 

Since his appointment as Principal in 2003, Dick has ensured that the Student Voice is at the heart of the decion making and quality assurance processes of the college. As a result of this commitment to the student voice, the college has a series of unique processes which it undertakes to ensure that it is acting on student views. For example the College’s Students Union President is a member of the Colleges Senior Management Team, there are three Student Governors and there is a governors subcommittee which not only looks at student views but is chaired by a Student Governor. 

Dick, has not only ensured that students have the opportunity to feedback he has also given students the opportunity to play other significant roles in the organisation. Students themselves deliver staff development session during the College Learning Weeks to all departments explaining in detail the student representation process. Students have also presented at national conferences and are more recently working in partnership with staff on projects aimed at improving the College. 

City College Norwich Students’ Union also received recognition for their role in ensuring the Student Voice is a priority at the College. The Students’ Union is now regarded as one of the most influential Students’ Union in the Further Education Sector.

The NUS Awards, held in partnership with Endsleigh Insurance, recognise the inspirational work carried out by individual students, student media and students’ unions across the UK in both Higher and Further Education.

The 350 nominations received this year was a record high for the Awards, now in their third year. The winners were announced at a ceremony held at Warwick Students’ Union on the 1st July.  The judging panel included Times Higher Education Editor Anne Mroz, Director of the Helena Kennedy Foundation Ellen Dawson and Managing Director of Endsleigh Ian Passmore.

The Student’s Union were recognised for successfully widening participation and working tirelessly to ensure student voice is not only heard, valued, and responded to, but actively sort as an instrument for positive change. Students’ Union campaigns have prevented a campus-wide smoking ban, secured more outside seating, led to a review of the tutorial framework in consultation with students, secured accountability for catering providers through a student-led Catering Scrutiny Forum, been part of college tendering processes, has representation on Norfolk County Council Committees, led on student consultations regarding the Campus Re-development & organisational strategies, Students are always involved as members of the College Peer Review teams, participating in numerous peer review activities, had a key role in the colleges personalisation learning project and massively increased student involvement in the colleges Course Reviews and Self Assessment Reports.

Dick Palmer, Principal, City College Norwich, said: “My LSIS Leading the Learner Voice award belongs to all of the staff and students at City College Norwich.  Putting the students’ voice at the very centre of the college’s work has been a joint effort, which has been greatly helped by our excellent Students’ Union and the support of our proactive and student-centred governing body.   I am delighted that our Students’ Union has also received recognition from the NUS for being one of the very best in the country.”

Shane Mann, ex-President of Students’ Union, said: “I am really proud of our Principal for achieving this award. Dick has truly transformed the student experience at City College Norwich to the benefit of many. He has a true commitment to the students of the college and ensuring that they are the owners not the customer.  My Students’ Union Executive we may not agree on everything he does, but we could not wish for a better one!

I am also incredibly pleased that our Students’ Union done so well in the awards. I recently left the office of President so the award is a great achievement to mark the end of my presidency. I leave office certain that the new president Tom Grant and his executive will continue to move the Union upwards. Who knows we could win next year.”