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The Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO), the UK-based body for security people working in Higher and Further Education around the world, opens its Annual Awards 2025 to entries on Monday, November 11.
Last year the awards, which mark outstanding work by security teams at their institutions, saw a record number of submissions for all categories. The awards are free to enter and are open to AUCSO members. The categories are:
Security Officer of the Year
Awarded to the Security Officer who has consistently performed to a high degree of excellence and professionalism going above and beyond the usual expectations of their job role.
Security Team of the Year
Awarded to the Security Team whose teamwork or involvement in an incident has required them to perform outside the requirements of their job role, displaying courage and determination in dealing with incidents and supporting the Campus community.
Security Manager of the Year
Awarded to the Security Manager how has introduced innovations which have added value to their institution, positively participated in the wider security community, led to positive changes in reducing Security Risks and has consistently demonstrated leadership across the Security Team.
Initiative of the Year
Awarded to the security team who has introduced a unique innovative initiative which has added value to the Security Operation, student community and the institution.
Bill Blythe Award
A new award introduced last year, the Bill Blythe Award, named after the first recognised Chair of AUCSO who worked at the University of Liverpool. This award recognises outstanding service to the industry and is awarded by the chair of AUCSO and not via application. Pictured at the 2024 awarding of the Bill Blythe Award at Easter at the University of Liverpool, from left are chair Ollie Curran, association patron and Martyn’s Law campaigner Figen Murray, AUCSO Chief Operating Officer Julie Barker, and the inaugural winner – Andrew Molloy, head of campus support services at Liverpool, interviewed in the June edition of Professional Security Magazine.
Julie Barker says: โWeโre delighted to announce the opening of our Annual Awards 2025. We are very much looking forward to receiving the many great submissions from our members institutions both in the UK and across the globe. The standard of entries is always incredibly high which makes selecting the shortlist so difficult.โ
The deadline for entries is Sunday, December 29. Then comes the judging in the week of Monday, January 13, 2025 and the shortlist will be announced in the week of Monday, January 27. The winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner on the final evening of AUCSO’s annual conference on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, to be hosted at the University of Warwick.
For more information and details of how to enter the awards, visit www.aucso.org.
