The AEU Anne Nutt SSO Activism Award 

The Anne Nutt SSO Activism Award is an annual award given to an SSO who has made a significant contribution to SSOs. It was launched at the 2018 AEU SSO Conference.

The AEU SA Branch and SSO Consultative Committee acknowledge the significant commitment and contribution of Anne Nutt, SSO member, through an ongoing award presented in her name. Prior to her passing in February 2017, Anne had been a member of the AEU for 19 years. Anne had been on the SSO Consultative Committee since 2008 and had also held the positions of WHS rep, PAC rep, Women’s Contact, SSO Contact and Sub-branch Secretary in her school. She had also been a member of the Curriculum and Professional Development Committee, a long standing Delegate to Branch Council and was elected to hold the SSO position on AEU Executive for a number of years. 

$1000 will be allocated by the AEU SA Branch to the award recipient to provide for Professional Development of their choosing in the areas of Union activism and/or Education/SSO work, as agreed with by the AEU SA Branch Secretary. 

This may be utilised to cover the cost of:

• Release time to attend Professional Development
• Release time for work-shadowing or access to mentoring
• The cost of Professional Development
• Other costs directly incurred in attendance at the Professional Development, work-shadowing, 
  mentoring etc.

It is expected that the award recipient will provide information for a Journal article and/or speak at the SSO Conference the year following their presentation, outlining the impact the award has had, or they anticipate will have in the future, on their work as an SSO and/or their continuing activism as a member of the AEU.

An SSO is eligible to receive the award with membership of the AEU at the time of nomination and for the preceding 10 years. Periods of leave such as maternity, parenting or long service where membership has been suspended will not diminish eligibility. 

As SSO who has made a significant contribution to SSOs and the AEU.  This may include:

• AEU roles undertaken in their workplace/s (PAC Rep, Sub-branch Secretary, SSO Contact, Women’s Contact, HS Rep, WOC)
• Member of AEU Executive
• Delegate/alternate delegate to AEU Branch Council
• Provision of support for SSO colleagues in the workplace
• Attendance at AEU rallies
• Participation in the AEU Sub-branch
• Contributing to AEU publications
• Attendance at the AEU SSO Conference.

Nomination process

An SSO must be nominated and seconded by financial AEU members.

A letter of no greater than 500 words must be included in the nomination outlining how the nominee meets the criteria outlined above. Letters need to be received by the deadline specified each year. 

Nominations will be considered by a panel consisting of the SSO delegate to AEU Branch Executive, an AEU Organiser and Principal Officer with responsibility to SSOs. Where any member of the panel is unable to participate in the process, their position on the panel will be filled by an alternative member of Executive, Organiser or Principal Officer.

The panel will consider all nominations to decide who best meets the criteria outlined above and make a recommendation to AEU Executive for endorsement. 

The panel may choose to contact the nominator for more information if required to assist in the decision making. Successful nominees and those who nominate them will be notified by the panel prior to the annual SSO Conference. 

If a nomination is not successful the person making the nomination will be notified of this decision by the panel.