Fashion Design Leader Receives Recognition

Otago Polytechnic Media Release
For immediate release

Fashion Design Leader Receives National Recognition

Margo Barton, Academic Leader at Otago Polytechnic’s Department of Fashion Design will receive acknowledgement of her outstanding commitment to education in fashion design last night [12 June 2007] in Wellington.

Barton is one of ten educators to be recognised in the NZQA Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards 2007. The Awards are presented to nine recipients who will receive $20,000 each and one recipient of the $30,000 supreme award; the Prime Minister's Award.

“This award is a justified recognition of Margo’s commitment to her subject, her knowledge of the industry and her ability to stimulate the enthusiasm and ability of her students,” says Otago Polytechnic Chief Executive Phil Ker who nominated Barton for the Awards. “The many success stories of our fashion department owe much to her personal dedication.”

In the last year alone many students and graduates of the highly regarded Bachelor of Design (Fashion) programme have presented well-received collections at Dunedin’s Vodafone ID Fashion Week, Vodafone ID Emerging Designer Awards and the Hokonui Fashion Awards among others. Graduates/students were named 2006 Fashion Quarterly Young Designer of the Year and first runner up respectively. Three of the four finalists in the Inspiring New Zealanders in Fashion Programme (2006) were students of the Otago Polytechnic programme.

Under Barton’s direction, students and recent graduates have also been selected for competitions, fashion shows and scholarships internationally.

Portfolios of nominees for the Awards are expected to show they are organised and well prepared, with aims, outcomes and assessment criteria. Above all, it must be evident that the nominee(s) are student focused and committed to advancing understanding of the subject they teach, and to life long learning.

Awardees will be encouraged to share, present and promote good practice within their own and other institutions. The Awards are granted on the condition that the award is spent on activities and/or initiatives designed to enhance the recipient's teaching career and promote best practice.

ENDS

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