USQ provides staff with the opportunity for recognition for their support of student learning and for excellent teaching through its awards, citations and Fellowships. Overall there is a considerable resource allocation both in the funding provided to successful recipients and in the workload required to undertake credible selection processes. Added to this resource input is the support given to those who nominate for the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) awards and citations. There is no doubt that these various awards provide an opportunity for staff to showcase their work and build their portfolios. The reward and recognition programs at USQ, the faculty awards and USQ awards, align with OLT guidelines. Most universities have taken this approach as it provides stepping-stones to journey towards a national award/citation nomination while reducing the workload by requiring the same paperwork for internal and OLT awards and citations. Faculty Awards for Teaching Excellence, faculty Awards for Teaching Excellence (Early Career) and faculty Awards for Programs or Services that Enhance Learning make up the portfolio of faculty awards. Since 2009, the majority of these awards have

gone to teaching excellence. Two of the faculties have awarded recipients in all four years, two faculties in three out of the four years and one faculty in two of the four years. The guidelines and requirements for individuals and teams are developed from the OLT Teaching Excellence Award Guidelines. The Program Guidelines are based on the OLT Programs that Enhance Learning Guidelines which means that the faculty awards demand much the same of nominees as the OLT and USQ University Teaching Excellence Awards and the University Awards for Programs and Services that Enhance Learning. Recipients of faculty awards receive $2000 for individuals and $400o for teams. In addition to the USQ Awards: University Awards for Teaching Excellence and University awards for Programs and Services that Enhance Learning, the university offers University Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning to recognise "staff who have made an outstanding contribution to the quality of student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period. Citations will be awarded for a wide range of contributions to student learning, both direct and indirect". These citations are valued at $2000, though they require less documentation than faculty awards.

The USQ Academy offers the university a group of experienced and committed academics. These academics can bring expertise from different disciplines and interests in the university. The Academy could provide a sounding board around learning and teaching issues, and bring a broad university perspective to learning and teaching policy renewal. There is also the potential to build up a mentorship program for grant applicants and award nominees using the Academy.

There is, though, a risk that those belonging to the Academy become overloaded with additional work expectations while gaining few rewards from belonging to the Academy. To reduce this risk it is important to find a way to ensure balance between rewards and expectations. One way this might be achieved is to consult with the membership about how they envisage their contribution and what they wish to gain from Academy membership.