NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Aurora College receives Premier's Award for Excellence, Team category

Aurora College's Centre for Learning and Teaching Innovation (CLTI) has been awarded the 2025-2026 Premier's Award for Excellence, Team category. Premier R.J. Simpson recognized the CLTI team on November 3, 2026 during an awards presentation ceremony at the Great Hall of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, the CLTI team supported course development, instructional design, accessibility implementation, educational technology integration, faculty mentoring, and institutional planning for Aurora College programs and divisions. They demonstrated innovation and creativity by designing institution-wide systems, frameworks, and supports that strengthened teaching, accessibility, digital learning, and faculty capacity across the College.

One of the team's most significant leadership contributions was advancing work toward an institution-wide e-learning strategy designed to strengthen Aurora College's long-term approach to online and blended learning. This included stakeholder engagement planning, institutional consultation, and the development of shared frameworks to guide future digital learning priorities.

CLTI incorporated principles of inclusion, accessibility, decolonization, Indigenization, and learner-centred practice throughout its training initiatives, institutional supports, and teaching and learning resources. The team emphasized that accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and inclusive education are foundational to quality teaching and learning within northern and Indigenous-serving educational contexts.

Presented annually by the Premier of the Northwest Territories, the award recognizes public servants who demonstrate innovation, creativity and excellence in their work, collaborate effectively with colleagues and show dedication to the territory and its communities.

Quote:

"The Centre for Learning and Teaching Innovation has done tremendous work to strengthen the skills and confidence of our faculty and staff while helping ensure students have access to effective and engaging learning experiences. Congratulations to the CLTI team, and thank you for your dedication to improving educational technology, online learning and teaching resources across Aurora College."

Dr. Nora Houlahan, Interim President, Aurora College

Quick Facts:

• The team developed sustainable institutional resources including a Moodle Course Template, AI Decision Tree for responsible student AI use, Rethinking Assessment Manual, accessibility guides, and interactive H5P (highly sensitive persons) learning supports.
• CLTI launched Aurora College's first virtual Instructional Design Clinic, providing individualized support in inclusive teaching, UDL (universal design for learning) implementation, accessible course design, assessment redesign, and Moodle development.
• CLTI created institution-wide professional learning opportunities focused on AI in education, accessibility, online learning design, cybersecurity awareness, and digital teaching practices.
• The team embedded inclusive design, responsible AI guidance, and digital learning innovation into institutional planning and faculty practice, helping strengthen Aurora College's readiness for transition to a polytechnic university, and for future teaching and learning needs.
• The team designed and operationalized an institution-wide course evaluation initiative that included the creation of 76 course evaluation forms and program-level templates supporting quality assurance, accreditation readiness, and institutional feedback processes.
• CLTI responded to emerging institutional needs beyond its formal mandate, including support for Student Information System learning resource planning, governance participation, policy discussions, and the exploration of external funding opportunities.