Hallam Award

Here are some questions that we are often asked regarding the Hallam Award.  If you can’t find the answer to your query within these Hallam Award pages, please do contact us for more information.

What do I need to do to take part in the Hallam Award?

To be eligible for the Hallam Award you need to be involved in a voluntary activity within the Union or Sheffield Hallam University.  This could be as part of a committee, or helping with a campaign, or even as a course rep.  For a list of our recognised activities please look at the Hallam Award page.  If you volunteer with an activity that is not listed please do check with us if you can use it for your Hallam Award.  Remember the Hallam Award is about developing skills that will help in future careers.

Can I get a Hallam Award for work I do outside of the Union?

Yes, from 2011/2012 we are allowing voluntary work from outside of SHU to count toward the Hallam Award.  If you would like to register an external activity, then please complete a Registration of Hallam Award Activity form.

Many opportunities within SHU (but outside of the Union) can also count.  Please check out the list of activities on the Hallam Union website or speak to a member of staff in the Activities Pod.

All work included in the Hallam Award must be voluntary, so we are unable to consider roles such as Student Ambassadors for the University because these are paid roles.

What skills can I develop?

Any skill that could be useful to you in the future.  Some examples you might want to consider are: organisation skills, leadership skills, communication skills, public speaking, teamwork, time management, interpersonal skills, and negotiation.

These are quite general skills, but there may be more specific skills that relate to your specific activity and future career aspirations.  For example, working with children, working with vulnerable adults, technical skills, and representation.

These are not the only skills you can choose from, so think carefully about your voluntary role and what skills you are likely to develop.  If you are unsure which skills you should include on your registration form, please speak to the Union staff member involved in your activity.

What should I write about in my log sheet?

You should include everything that you do for your voluntary activity.  This could be your contributions at meetings, emails you send, conversations you have (decisions you make), and events you attend.  Remember that this is your Hallam Award not that of your group, so try to only write about what you yourself have done.

How much should I write in my log sheet?

Not too much and not too little.  A sentence about what the activity/email/discussion was about, then a bit about what you personally did.  In the skills column it’s advisable to briefly explain how you used your skills in this activity, try to avoid just listing the skills you used.  Finally for each entry you should write a small evaluation of how you felt your skills were applied, perhaps you learned something, or perhaps you could improve on something for next time?

What should I use as a key activity?

Anything that you want to highlight, and provide more information on.  This could be an event that you had been planning, perhaps a problem came up that you were able to resolve, or maybe it was something that really helped you to develop your skills.

How much time should I put into my Hallam Award?

We appreciate that you are already committing a lot of your time to the voluntary activity that enables you to do the Hallam Award.  Therefore we recommend about 10 hours in total to complete the forms.  It’s much easier to update the log sheets and key activity forms throughout the year, rather than trying to remember back at the end of the year to everything you’ve done.

The forms are not designed to be filled in with essays about what you have done.  We only need brief summaries of your involvement, and clear evidence of how you applied your skills and what you have learned.

Can I get help with my Hallam Award?

Yes, we are happy to help.  We can offer advice and guidance for what to include and we can read over your work at anytime to give you feedback.  The best times to get help are at our regular drop-in sessions.  You can simply turn up on the day, there is no need to book one of these sessions.  If you cannot make it to a drop-in session but would like help, then please let us know and we can arrange another time to meet you.

If my involvement in the Union only lasts one semester can I still get a Hallam Award?

Yes.  You will need to complete two key activity forms for that one semester, and hand these in with the rest of your forms before the final deadline in June.  The Hallam Award is designed to reward involvement and personal development, not necessarily the amount of time spent taking part in something.

What are the deadlines?

The first deadline is on Friday 13th January 2012.  All forms handed in by this date will be marked to give you an idea of what level of award you are currently working towards.  We will give you feedback about how to improve for the final deadline, which is on Friday 15th June 2012.

Will I be contacted about deadlines?

Deadlines are published on the website, and on Blackboard.  You can find them in the calendars on both sites as well.  The dates are also included in the guide The Hallam Award – Your Questions Answered.  We aim to send out a reminder about a week or two before the deadlines as well.

What do I need to hand in at the end of the year?

Assuming that you have handed in your work for semester one in January, then you only need to submit log sheets and at least one key activity form for semester two, and the final summary report.  If you have chosen to make changes to work that you submitted in January, which you are welcome to do, then do remember to submit the revised forms.

If you haven’t submitted anything in January then you must remember to hand in the forms for semester one as well (log sheet and at least one key activity form).

How and where do I submit my work for the Hallam Award?

You must submit the forms in hard copy to the Activities Pod in the Hubs. We will then be able to give you a receipt for them.  However, if you have difficulty doing this, please speak to a member of staff in advance of the deadline. 

When do I get my Hallam Award?

The final marking takes place in June/July, and we will notify you of your award in August.  You can then choose to receive your award at a presentation evening in September or to have it posted to you.  Your Hallam Award will also be announced at your graduation.

Can I get my submission back when I finish?

Yes, of course.  If you would like a copy of your forms returned to you, please just let us know.  We keep your Hallam Award submissions for three years.