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Professional Standards Framework
Aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and
Supporting Learning in Higher Education (UKPSF)
Handbook
Valid from February 2018
Education Development Service
Accredited by the Higher Education Academy
(now part of Advance HE)
Appendix E1.2
Page 2 of 45
Contents
Welcome .................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 4
Key Contacts .............................................................................................................................. 4
Faculty Leads .............................................................................................................................. 5
Why do we have a scheme? ...................................................................................................... 6
Aims and Principles .................................................................................................................... 7
Embedding a Values Approach .................................................................................................. 7
The Institutional Context ........................................................................................................... 7
How do I get started? ................................................................................................................ 8
Who is it for? ............................................................................................................................ 11
Costs ......................................................................................................................................... 12
What are the benefits? ............................................................................................................ 12
What is the UKPSF? .................................................................................................................. 13
Dimensions of the UKPSF ......................................................................................................... 13
UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in HE .............. 15
Which Descriptor is right for me? ............................................................................................ 16
What does the scheme involve? .............................................................................................. 16
Certificated or experiential: how do I decide which route to follow? .................................... 16
Descriptor 1: Associate Fellow ................................................................................................. 18
Descriptor 2: Fellow ................................................................................................................. 18
Descriptor 3: Senior Fellow ...................................................................................................... 19
What support will I get? .......................................................................................................... 19
How will judgements be made? .............................................................................................. 21
What are the criteria? .............................................................................................................. 22
What is the process for review of my application? ................................................................. 23
Can I appeal against a judgement? .......................................................................................... 25
Can I appeal directly to the HEA? ............................................................................................ 25
Who writes my Supporting Statements and what should they say? ...................................... 25
What is the role of the Confirmation Board? .......................................................................... 26
What are the Quality Assurance Processes? ........................................................................... 27
Final certification and post nominal letters ............................................................................. 28
“Remaining in Good Standing” ................................................................................................ 28
What next? ............................................................................................................................... 28
Useful resources ...................................................................................................................... 29
Appendices............................................................................................................................... 30
Role description for EDS Funded Academic Leads for Educational Development .................. 31
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: HEA Fellowship ................................. 31
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: PGCert (HE) ....................................... 31
Professional Standards Framework (PSF) ................................................................................ 44
Peer Reviewer Application ....................................................................................................... 44
Page 3 of 45
Welcome
Congratulations on your decision to seek recognition for your professional practice in teaching in HE.
The UKPSF (UK Professional Standards Framework) has been compiled by colleagues across the sector
to express the knowledge, skills and professional values embodied by those who teach and support
learning in UK HE. It is a shared understanding of what it means to be professional in our field and is
intended to include all those whose work impacts on student learning.
BCU's recognition scheme, as described in this handbook, is accredited by the HEA (Higher Education
Academy) so that on successful recognition, you will automatically be eligible for Fellowship of the HEA
according the relevant descriptor. This recognition is nationally recognised and growing in international
standing.
As importantly, the application process itself is a valuable undertaking. In making space to reflect on
your experience, your actions, and their impact on students, many find that they learn much about
themselves, develop a deeper understanding of their role, and gain assurance in their practice.
The team is on hand to assist you what should be an insightful and rewarding journey.
Best wishes,
Professor Rachel Scudamore
Page 4 of 45
Introduction
The Professional Standards Framework (PSF) Birmingham City University’s scheme to recognise your
Continuous Professional Development (CPD). This handbook has been designed to guide and support you
in your development as a teacher and/or supporter of learning and to help you achieve the Descriptors
of the UK Professional Development Framework (UKPSF) 1and subsequent Fellowship of the Higher
Education Academy (HEA).
The scheme is designed to provide a flexible framework enabling academic, support staff and students
to develop and evidence educational practice, knowledge and professional values. One essential aim of
the framework is to encourage you to reflect upon your practice and engagement with learning and
teaching and to plan further career developments. The framework has, therefore, been designed to
provide a holistic, challenging, supportive, reflective and progressive structure for all those involved in
teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
It has been recognised that the University’s provision for CPD for staff and students involved in teaching
and supporting learning would be enhanced by a stronger and more holistic strategy that aligns more
closely to University priorities and initiatives and the UKPSF. The framework therefore is designed to
provide nationally accredited routes for any staff or student of BCU who teach or support learning. The
focus is on academic practice, supporting the learning process, learning, teaching and assessing rather
than discipline knowledge though this will provide the context for your academic practice.
The scheme integrates the educational development opportunities for all staff and student partners into
a structure which encompasses the Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
(PGCLTHE) and other SEDA accredited provision through a taught pathway and an experiential route. The
pathways are not intended to be mutually exclusive, but to provide opportunities which can be better
matched to your role and development, rather than being linked purely to probation requirements, as
with PGCLTHE. This relationship with career development will continue to evolve in line with the Human
Resources ongoing review of institutional reward and recognition descriptors and associated IPR
processes.
This handbook focuses on the experiential routes but also shows the mapping of accredited provision to
the framework. Specific details relating to assessment, criteria and submission can be found in the
individual descriptor handbooks.
Key Contacts
The PSF is coordinated by the Education Development Service (EDS).
Advance HE Convenor Luke Millard PFHEA [email protected] 0121 331 5244
BCU Coordinator Jamie Morris FHEA [email protected] tel: 0121 331 6968
Initial contact please use the PSF mail box [email protected]
1 https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/downloads/uk_professional_standards_framework.pdf
Page 5 of 45
Faculty Leads
The Faculty Leads for Educational Development: HEA Fellowships will be responsible for reviewing
mentor grids, helping you decide on the appropriate level of fellowship, allocate you a mentor and
provide further ongoing support. There is also a Faculty Lead for Educational Development: PGCert
(HE), who provide support to faculty colleagues during the PGCert (HE). They will be the liaison with the
Convenor and PSF Coordinator, for details of these roles please see appendix 1.
Arts, Design and Media
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: HEA Fellowship
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: PGCert (HE)
Business, Law and Social Sciences
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: HEA Fellowship
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: PGCert (HE)
Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: HEA Fellowship
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: PGCert (HE)
Health, Education and Life Sciences
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: HEA Fellowship
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: PGCert (HE)
Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in HE (including SEDA certificated
Supporting Learning and Teaching for Early Career Academics)
Course Leader: Ethan Connor FHEA [email protected] tel: 0121 331 5126
Course Leader – Online version: David Foster FHEA [email protected] tel: 0121 331 6389
SEDA Certificated Programmes:
Programme Coordinator: Dr Rachel Curzon SFHEA [email protected] tel: 0121 331 6412
Page 6 of 45
Why do we have a scheme?
Higher education is, by its nature, transformative and aspirational. We want our students to have life-changing experiences and our academic staff, researchers and Professional Service staff to be part of this process of transformation. (BCU Strategic Plan 2014 p 3)
The University is committed to excellence in learning and teaching and is therefore dedicated to
supporting and enabling colleagues to demonstrate their contribution to, and professionalism in, higher
education practices.
The scheme is designed to provide a means for you to achieve credit and recognition for your role in
teaching and supporting learning. In implementing a CPD framework we are providing scaffolding and
support for you to identify and evidence your practice through the development of two routes to achieve
recognition at descriptors D1-D3 of the UKPSF.
In designing the scheme it has been important to both recognise the educational practice, knowledge and professional values that you currently bring to your practice and to provide time and space to allow this to develop. The scheme therefore is designed to:
Reflect the national standards for the educational practice, knowledge and professional values
required to teach and support learning in UK higher education (UKPSF 2011);
Provide a description of the knowledge, skills and values which BCU staff and student partners
are expected to demonstrate, appropriate to their role, through alignment with the Values
Framework and Strategic Plan2
Stimulate individual development through peer dialogue and through the sharing of good
practice;
Promote critical engagement with higher education and related literature informed by the
scholarship of learning and teaching, both generic and within the discipline.
As stated in the introduction the framework integrates the current educational development
opportunities into a construct encompassing the existing certificated provision, the existing CPD
opportunities and the experiential pathway into a coherent whole institution programme aligning with
and exceeding the expectations of the UKPSF. The programme consists of flexible pathways that support
and promote your CPD. The pathways enable you to move through the framework as your roles and
responsibilities change and develop encouraging engagement with a range of opportunities and activities
to reflect upon and enhance practice.
2 https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/HR/Excellence-through-values/Our-core-values and http://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-
us/corporate-information/corporate-publications
Page 7 of 45
Aims and Principles
The key aims/principles of the scheme reflect the national standards for the educational practice,
knowledge and professional values required of those working in the HE sector.
We believe that everyone involved in educating and supporting our students should:
be appropriately trained to undertake the role asked of them and be able to evidence their
commitment to achieving an excellent student learning experience;
promote a culture of entitlement to, and individual responsibility for, continuous professional
development and improvement in practice;
develop and evidence knowledge, skills and values through a variety of routes including practice-
based activities and/or completing appropriate courses;
work in partnership with students to promote participation and equality of opportunity.
Embedding a Values Approach
Birmingham City University staff and student community is characterised by our values. The Core Values
Framework sets out a shared understanding of what we stand for as a University and how we will work
with each other, our students and wider partners. They define the qualities most important to us and
provide guidance for all that we do in order to enrich our teaching and learning environment. Positioned
at the core of our work they support us in the delivery of a high quality student experience and in
establishing a distinctive position in the market place that is critical to our future success and are
currently embedded within the IPR process. The values are embedded into our working practices across
all parts of the University.
The PGCert (HE) and SEDA provision integrate a values approach as a core component of each
programme. Activities relating to embedding values in practice are undertaken in face-to-face sessions
and you will be expected to map your developmental journey to the UKPSF, BCU Values framework and
where applicable SEDA values and outcomes. Thus values are at the heart of the scheme and should be
embedded in our practices.
Table 1 below provides a mapping for the Values framework.
The Institutional Context
You should also consider the context of working at Birmingham City University and/or your institution
and make reference to the institutional vision, mission and core values:
Our vision: "To be the leading university for creative and professional practice inspired by
innovation and enquiry."
Our mission: "To transform the prospects of individuals, employers and society through
excellence in practice-based education, research and knowledge exchange."
Page 8 of 45
How do I get started?
Before reading further it would be a good idea to take a look at our iCity page
https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/celt/Learning-and-Teaching/UKPSF/Index and follow the below steps:
1.
Do some Research via the Advance HE website to decide on which level of Fellowship is
appropriate for you. You may want to discuss this with a senior colleague or line
manager.
2. Attend an introductory workshop run by the Education Development Service (details
on iCity).
3. Contact your Faculty Lead for HEA Fellowships to register your interest and indicate what level of fellowship you think is appropriate for you.
4. Provide your Faculty Lead for HEA Fellowships with a draft of your EPA grid.
5. Your Faculty Lead will review your EPA grid and agree with you the appropriate
category of Fellowship you should be applying for.
6. Your Faculty Lead will then allocate you a mentor to support your writing of the
application.
UKPSF values SEDA values BCU values Supporting Behaviours
V1 Respect individual learners
and diverse learning
communities
V1 Developing understanding
of how people learn
V3 Working with and
developing learning
communities
People Focused We value everyone, recognising that what we do is for the benefit of all those connected with the University Fairness and Integrity We take a fair and balanced approach to our activities and are mindful of the impact of our actions.
Value each other’s contribution and the diversity this brings
Celebrate success and recognise achievements at all levels
Support our students and each other to develop, learn and work together to be successful
Listen to each other’s point of view and give constructive feedback
Behave respectfully towards each other and encourage a sense of belonging
Uphold high professional and academic standards
Take responsibility and are accountable for our actions
Be open and transparent in what we do
Use our resources wisely and behave responsibly towards the each other and the environment
V2 Promote participation in
higher education and equality
of opportunity for learners
V4 Valuing diversity and
promoting inclusivity
V5 Continually reflecting on
practice to develop ourselves,
others and processes
People Focused We value everyone, recognising that what we do is for the benefit of all those connected with the University Fairness and Integrity We take a fair and balanced approach to our activities and are mindful of the impact of our actions.
Value each other’s contribution and the diversity this brings
Celebrate success and recognise achievements at all levels
Support our students and each other to develop, learn and work together to be successful
Listen to each other’s point of view and give constructive feedback
Uphold high professional and academic standards
Take responsibility and are accountable for our actions
Be open and transparent in what we do
Use our resources wisely and behave responsibly towards the each other and the environment
Page 10 of 45
V3 Use evidence-informed
approaches and the outcomes
from research, scholarship and
continuing professional
development
V2 Practicing in ways that are
scholarly, professional and
ethical
Excellence We take pride in ensuring the highest quality standards of academic achievement and professional service delivery.
Seek and act on feedback to improve the quality of what we do
Learn from and share best practice in our quest to continuously improve
Encourage innovation, being forward thinking, creative and taking rational risks
Be open to new ideas and embrace change positively
V4 Acknowledge the wider
context in which higher
education operates recognising
the implications for
professional practice
V5 Continually reflecting on
practice to develop ourselves,
others and processes.
Partnership Working We work constructively with each other, our students and wider University community to create strong and successful working relationships. Excellence We take pride in ensuring the highest quality standards of academic achievement and professional service delivery.
Put our students at the forefront of what we do, engaging with them as active partners
Foster effective team working and work co-operatively across departments
Collaborate in each other’s learning and share ideas and approaches
Communicate and involve others in a timely and effective way
Seek and act on feedback to improve the quality of what we do
Learn from and share best practice in our quest to continuously improve
Encourage innovation, being forward thinking, creative and taking rational risks
Be open to new ideas and embrace change positively
Table 1: HEA, SEDA and Birmingham City University Values Alignment
Page 11 of 45
Who is it for?
The scheme is open to any member of staff, associate staff or student of BCU who teach or support learning.
This might include academic staff, postgraduate researchers who teach, technicians, lab demonstrators,
lecturers, visiting lecturers, library staff, student services, student interns, and student academic partners. It
also includes colleagues from partner and franchise provision who teach and support BCU students3. The
main requirement is that the range and extent of your contribution to teaching and supporting learning in
higher education is sufficient to meet the criteria. The focus is on academic practice, supporting the learning
process, learning, teaching and assessment rather than discipline/subject knowledge though this will provide
a context for your academic practice. It should be noted that individual job titles have no bearing on
appropriate Categories of Fellowship. The roles and responsibilities that an individual undertakes regarding
teaching and learning is seen as the main factor influencing the appropriate Category of Fellowship, not their
professional status.
Engaging with the scheme leads to recognition at Descriptors D1-D3 of the UKPSF and an additional DS
(Student Fellow) a BCU specific award.
Table 2: The descriptors and awards
DS Student Fellow Birmingham City University is rightly proud of its status as a leading institution in the area
of student engagement and participation. As a student partner or intern you are as much a part of the
learning and teaching strategy as staff and we wish to reward you for this. We have therefore created a DS
Descriptor provision for our student partners and interns in order to set you off on a journey through
teaching and supporting learning. This is an internal award accredited by SEDA and not part of the UKPSF
or HEA Fellowship.
D1 HEA Associate Fellow is awarded to individuals who are able to provide clear evidence of success and
effectiveness in relation to their professional roles which typically, will include some teaching and/or learning
support responsibilities
3 A fee may be payable to the HEA if the institution does not have membership
Descriptor Recognition awarded
DS BCU Student Fellow
D1 Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
D2 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
D3 Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Page 12 of 45
D2 HEA Fellow is awarded to individuals who hold a more substantive teaching and/or supporting learning
role and who are able to provide clear evidence of a broad understanding of effective approaches to teaching
and supporting learning
D3 HEA Senior Fellow is awarded to those who can demonstrate a sustained track record of success and
effectiveness in relation to teaching and supporting learning and/or academic leadership in teaching and
enhancing the student learning experience. You will need to demonstrate a thorough understanding of
effective approaches to teaching and supporting learning as a key contributor to high quality student
learning.
D4 Principal Fellow is appropriate for you if in institutional, national and/or international settings you can
demonstrate:
A sustained and effective record of impact at strategic level
A wider commitment to academic practice and strategic leadership in teaching and enhancing the student learning experience.
The assessment of D4 Principal Fellow is not available within the BCU scheme. However, D4 candidates are supported by the University to make an individual application directly to the HEA. In support we will offer you a mentor, you will also be invited to the writing retreats and BCU will pay the HEA fees.
Costs
For staff employed by Birmingham City University, all costs are covered by EDS as part of our service to the
university. This includes provision of mentors and reviewers, and the final accreditation costs to the HEA.
For staff at partner institutions we will provide a similar level of support regarding mentoring and review of
submissions. However, costs of accreditation must be met by individual staff or their sponsoring institution.
Currently these costs are:
D1 Associate Fellow – £100
D2 Fellow – £200
D3 Senior Fellow – £300
D4 Principal Fellow - £500
What are the benefits?
As learning and teaching quality continues to increase in importance across the sector, participation in the
framework (and achieving HEA Fellowship) will provide the following benefits:
national recognition of your commitment to professionalism in teaching and supporting learning in
higher education;
recognition of your contribution to teaching and supporting learning at Birmingham City University;
Page 13 of 45
an opportunity to plan and receive guidance on your professional development for the learning and
teaching aspects of your role;
the opportunity to support, guide and monitor the recognition process;
the prospect of linking Fellowship levels with other internal recognition and reward processes.
What is the UKPSF?
The UKPSF provides a general description of the main dimensions and expectations of the roles of teaching
and supporting learning within the HE environment. It is written from the perspective of the practitioner
and outlines a national Framework for comprehensively recognising and benchmarking teaching and
learning support roles within Higher Education. The UKPSF has two components:
The Dimensions of Practice: these are a set of statements outlining the:
Areas of Activity undertaken by teachers and supporters of learning within HE;
Core Knowledge that is needed to carry out those activities at the appropriate level;
Professional Values that someone performing these activities should embrace and exemplify.
Dimensions of the UKPSF
Diagram 1: Dimensions of Practice
Areas of Activity
A1 Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of
study
A2 Teach and/or support learning
A3 Assess and give feedback to learners
A4 Develop effective learning environments and approaches
to student support and guidance
A5 Engage in continuing professional development in
subjects/disciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating
research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional
practices
Core Knowledge
K1 The subject material
K2 Appropriate methods for
teaching, learning and
assessing in the subject area
and at the level of the
academic programme
K3 How students learn, both
generally and within their
subject/disciplinary area(s)
K4 The use and value of
appropriate learning
technologies
K5 Methods for evaluating the
effectiveness of teaching
K6 The implications of quality
assurance and quality
enhancement for academic
and professional practice
with a particular focus on
teaching
Professional Values
V1 Respect individual learners and diverse
learning communities
V2 Promote participation in higher education and
equality of opportunity for learners
V3 Use evidence-informed approaches and the
outcomes from research, scholarship and
continuing professional development
V4 Acknowledge the wider context in which
higher education operates recognising the
implications for professional practice
Knowledge needed to carry out
the activities
Values which someone
performing these
activities should
embrace
Activities undertaken by
teachers and supporters of
learning
Page 14 of 45
The Descriptors: these are a set of statements outlining the key characteristics of someone performing four broad categories of typical teaching and learning support roles within Higher Education. Each Descriptor begins with a general statement addressed to the practitioner, which briefly indicates the
level of understanding required for the performance of teaching and learning support role of that type at an
appropriate standard within a higher education institution. This is followed by a series of between five and
seven further statements which draw on the Dimensions of Practice to identify what someone performing
such roles should be able to evidence.
For example, if you work in a role encompassed by Descriptor 2, you would be expected to be able to provide
evidence of successful engagement across all five Areas of Activity and of appropriate knowledge and
understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge etc.
The general statements for Descriptors 1 to 3 are very similar; differing only in the depth and breadth of
understanding required with some additional detailed differences in construction. They have a number of
key features in common. Descriptor 4 is rather different in character.
The Descriptors are intended to provide coverage of the full range of teaching and supporting learning roles
within higher education.
Descriptor 1 is for you if your role in teaching and/or supporting learning is focused on at least two, but
not all, of the Areas of Activity. You are expected to possess the appropriate Core Knowledge (at least
K1 and K2) and be committed to appropriate Professional Values. You need to demonstrate an
understanding of specific aspects of teaching, learning support methods and student learning.
Descriptor 2 relates to staff with a more substantive teaching and supporting learning role(s) covering
all of the Areas of Activity, Core Knowledge and Professional Values. You will need to demonstrate a
broad understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as key contributions to
high quality student learning.
Descriptor 3 brings in a strong educational leadership (which may not necessarily be managerial)
dimension and as such you must demonstrate a thorough understanding of effective approaches to
teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning.
Descriptor 4 is designed for highly experienced staff who have made a sustained and substantial impact
at a strategic level in relation to teaching and learning support. You need to show a sustained record of
effective strategic leadership in academic practice and academic development as a key contribution to
high quality student learning.
Page 15 of 45
Table 3: The Descriptors
UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in HE
D1: Associate Fellow D2: Fellow D3: Senior Fellow D4: Principal Fellow
I. Successful engagement with at least two of the five Areas of Activity; II. Successful engagement in appropriate teaching and practices related to these Areas of Activity; III. Appropriate Core Knowledge and understanding of at least K1 and K2; IV. A commitment to appropriate Professional Values in facilitating others’ learning; V. Relevant professional practices, subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within the above activities; VI. Successful engagement, where appropriate, in professional development activity related to teaching, learning and assessment responsibilities.
I. Successful engagement across all five Areas of Activity; II. Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge; III. A commitment to all the Professional Values; IV. Successful engagement in appropriate teaching practices related to the Areas of Activity; V. Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within the above activities, as part of an integrated approach to academic practice; VI. Successful engagement in continuing professional development in relation to teaching, learning, assessment and, where appropriate, related professional practices.
I. Successful engagement across all five Areas of Activity; II. Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge; III. A commitment to all the Professional Values; IV. Successful engagement in appropriate teaching practices related to the Aras of Activity; V. Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within the above activities, as part of an integrated approach to academic practice; VI. Successful engagement in continuing professional development in relation to teaching, learning, assessment and, where appropriate, related professional practices; VII. Successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning.
I. Active commitment to and championing of all Dimension of the Framework, through work with students and staff, and in institutional developments; II. Successful, strategic leadership to enhance student learning, with a particular, but not necessarily exclusive, focus on enhancing teaching quality in institutional and/or (inter)national settings; III. Establishing effective organisational policies and/or strategies for supporting and promoting others (e.g. through mentoring, coaching) in delivering high quality teaching and support for learning; IV. Championing, within institutional and/or wider settings, an integrated approach to academic practice (incorporating, for example, teaching, learning, research, scholarship, administration etc.); V. A sustained and successful commitment to, and engagement in, continuing professional development related to academic, institutional and/or other professional practices
Page 16 of 45
Which Descriptor is right for me?
In the UKPSF the Descriptors are not hierarchical or dependent upon the achievement of gaining
one before another. Rather it is dependent on the roles and responsibilities pertaining to your
work, they are not aligned to titles but to practice. This will be highlighted through the completion
of an Evidence of Professional Activity (EPA) grid and will be discussed in the workshops. It will then
be up to you (with the support of your mentor) to identify and provide evidence for the descriptor.
You may also consider the Descriptors to be aspirational for setting the direction of your
development in academic practice.
What does the scheme involve?
DS Student Fellow (separate SEDA Award)
D1 Associate Fellow
D2 Fellow
D3 Senior Fellow
D4 Principal Fellow (submitted direct to HEA)
Certificated Route
SEDA PDF Programme SKILL And 1 Reference
SEDA PDF Programme PPGHE4 + authentication of practice
PGCert Learning and Teaching in HE ( credit bearing 60 M level) + authentication of practice
N/A
Experiential route
N/A
Individual narrative + CDP review and plan And 2 Supporting statements
Individual narrative including 1 case study + CPD review and plan And 2 Supporting statements
Individual narrative including 2 case studies + CPD review and plan And 2 Supporting statements
Record of Educational Impact + individual narrative. And 3 supporting statements
Table 4: The Routes and Pathways
Certificated or experiential: how do I decide which route to follow?
This is dependent upon your experience, responsibilities and your contractual obligations. This will
initially be discussed in the workshops to ensure that you are on the correct route for your
circumstances. We have aligned the certificated programmes to the UKPSF and have confidence that
the integrated assessment tasks of the certificated routes ensure that successful completion thereof
provides sufficient evidence of practice at D1 and D2 respectively.
Descriptor Student: the only route to Student Fellow is through the SEDA accredited programme
Student Knowledge in Learning and Leadership (SKILL) which is run by EDS.
4 Preparing Postgraduate Researchers to Teach in Higher Education
Page 17 of 45
D1 D2 D3
Certificated
Route
SEDA PDF Programmes-non-credit bearing
Preparing Postgraduate Researchers to Teach in HE
(PPG)
PGCert Learning and Teaching in HE
(credit bearing 60 M level)
N/A
Who should
apply?
(Certificated
Route)
Mandatory for early career researchers with some
teaching responsibilities, PhD student, GTRA, contract
or post doc researchers
Mandatory for all new academic staff with
fewer than 3 years HE teaching
experience
Experienced academics with no HE
teaching qualification
Those who can demonstrate a sustained
track record of success and effectiveness
in relation to teaching and supporting
learning and/or academic leadership in
teaching and enhancing the student
learning experience.
Experiential
Route
Individual narrative + CDP review and plan
And
2 Supporting statements
Individual narrative including 1 case
study + CPD review and plan
And
2 Supporting statements
Individual narrative including 2 case
studies + CPD review and plan
And
2 Supporting statement
This route is
suitable for
those who:
(Experiential
Route)
are new to teaching with part-time academic
responsibilities or you support academic
provision such as learning technologist, library,
careers, ASK or other student facing roles.
are in demonstrator/ technician roles and
library staff who have some teaching related
responsibilities
experienced member of staff who may have a
limited teaching portfolio, you may be involved
in research and your teaching activities limited
to supervising students through their
dissertation or PhD studies
are Student Success Advisors, Student
Academic Partner with some teaching.
are in an academic-related or support role with substantial teaching and learning responsibilities
are experienced academics with no HE teaching qualification or relatively new to UK Higher Education
have significant teaching-only responsibilities including, for example, within work-based setting
• are experienced member of staff
who can demonstrate impact and
influence through, for example,
responsibility for leading,
managing or organising
programmes, subjects and/or
disciplinary areas
• are experienced in supporting and
mentoring colleagues
• have departmental and/or wider
teaching and learning support
advisory responsibilities within the
University
Diagram 2 Overview-people and routes
Page 18 of 45
Descriptor 1: Associate Fellow
At D1 the range of participants is wide ranging as can be seen in diagram 2. For many the experiential
route will be the most appropriate helping you build upon your experience in teaching and/or
supporting learning to date. The initial workshop and conversations with the convenor and your
mentor will help you identify the appropriate Areas of Activity and the amount and type of
appropriate practice/reaching/supporting learning to enable you to make a successful claim.
If you are a PhD student /research student with some teaching responsibilities or are a Graduate
Research Teaching Assistant then you should apply for the SEDA/HEA accredited Preparing
Postgraduate Researchers to Teach in Higher Education. For PhD students with teaching
responsibilities it is a condition of the University that you undertake this programme before
commencing teaching.
The details of the PPG can be found on iCity https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/celt/Learning-and-
Teaching/SEDA-Courses
Descriptor 2: Fellow
At D2 we strongly advise applicants to have 30 hours or more teaching commitments per year and
have at least three year’s teaching experience in higher education before applying for Fellowship
through the experiential route.
Staff who have less teaching experience or are new to BCU should take the Postgraduate Certificate
Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE) as this is a requirement of probation.
Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in HE:
All staff new to the University with less than three years full time teaching experience in higher
education are required to complete the PGCLTHE in the first two years of employment. The course is
made up of two elements.
1. Prior to commencing the PGCLTHE you must complete the SEDA accredited Supporting
Learning and Teaching for Early Career Academics, this is a non-credit bearing short course
taken between September and December that provides the foundations for the PG Cert.
2. The PGCLTHE commences in January and comprises one 60 credit level 7 module of which
there are three components and which through the integrated assignment map to D2. For full
details of the PGCLTHE please see the information on iCity and the handbook.
During the programme you will have developed a deep understanding of relevant issues, theory and
scholarship and been provided with extensive opportunity to apply this to your practice. On
completion you will be provided with feedback on your achievement against the PGCLTHE criteria
and the UKPSF and guidance as to how you can further this in the future.
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Descriptor 3: Senior Fellow
If you wish to make an application for attainment of D3 you will be expected to show a considerable level of
expertise, developed over time, in supporting high quality student learning in all Dimensions of the
Framework. Having gained relevant experience through the use of a range of approaches including,
mentoring, coordinating, supervising and managing individuals and groups you will evidence the depth and
sophistication of your understanding and demonstrate a sustained and successful engagement with the
UKPSF, indicating specifically how such knowledge, understanding and expertise is used in their approach to
teaching, mentoring and your leadership roles. This level of experience will be recognised through the
workshops or 1:1 meetings, through the EPA and further mentor discussions.
There are no taught courses that will be sufficient to provide evidence for these descriptors, however the
MEd Academic Practice in Higher Education (see iCity) is strongly situated within the participants’ work base,
and the assessments require self-reflection and improvements to practice and so may provide evidence for
case studies at D3. Each module has been mapped to the UKPSF to show where alignment occurs and it will
be part of the role of the mentor to help decide if this is sufficient evidence for you to go forward with this.
Similarly some of the SEDA Professional Development Framework (PDF) programmes may provide case
studies within D3
What support will I get?
Whether you are working on BCU campuses or in collaborative institutions you will receive the same level
of support. Following your initial research on the level of fellowship you want to apply for, you must attend
an introductory workshop ran by the Education Development Service. This environment will provide an
introduction to the BCU UKPSF scheme and allow you generate potential evidence for your submission. For
partner staff in BCUIC or colleges you may attend the workshops at BCU or if there are sufficient numbers
we will hold the workshop at your institution. For Overseas partners your link tutor, who is a fully trained
mentor and reviewer holding the appropriate category of HEA Fellowship, will arrange either face-to-face
discussions or workshops depending on numbers wishing to take part.
The group workshops are held to get you started and to provide peer support as you put together your
application. There will be a maximum number of 12 participants and you will have the opportunity to
consider the evidence you already have, identify any gaps and make a decision as to the appropriate
descriptor and route. Following the workshop, you will send the updated EPA to the Faculty Lead in HEA
Fellowships who will consider this and agree, initially, the descriptor and route. If the best option is to do
the certificated route you will be directed to the PGCLTHE or PPG course leader. If the experiential route is
the most appropriate way forward the EPA will be sent to the Faculty Lead Mentor who will allocate a
mentor to guide and support you through the process. For collaborative partners, if your institution has a
fully trained mentor then they will provide your support. If there are as yet no mentors then EDS will
undertake this role. For central service staff EDS will again provide the support until such time as we have
trained mentors in your area.
To further aid you in your application for Fellowship we offer writing retreats, providing you with the
opportunity to get away from all the emails, telephone calls and interruptions that are part of daily life.
The writing retreats take place over two days and are scheduled for either March or July (see dates on
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iCity). You will be supported by others who have been through the process. Before attending a retreat you
must have done the following:
Attended a workshop (or met face-to-face with your Faculty Lead)
Completed the EPA and formally registered on the scheme
For Fellow and Senior Fellow have identified appropriate case studies
Identified advocates
It is expected that following the retreat you will complete and submit your application within the year.
Further information and guidance are available through the EDS pages on iCity. The Advance HE Convenor
Luke Millard, the coordinator Jamie Morris and the Faculty Leads are also available for advice and
guidance.
What does a mentor do?
The role of the mentor is to offer formative feedback and advice to you throughout the application process.
They are someone with whom you can discuss your evidence, development and presentation, and who can
offer sensible advice and an independent view point.
Mentors will:
work with you formatively on the draft application
help you reflect on, articulate and evidence your academic practice,
agree with you when your application is ready for review,
work with you on feedback if you have conditions or are referred
Mentors will not
be part of the summative review of your work5
The mentors are drawn from a variety of backgrounds and roles and are there to enable increased objectivity
and allow for different perspectives to be considered when supporting the process. All our mentors hold the
requisite category of fellowship and are fully trained in their role and in the UKPSF.
As noted above you will not be allocated to a mentor until you have filled in the EPA and either attended a
workshop or met with your Faculty Lead. If you wish to have a mentor from outside your faculty then a
member of EDS will be appointed. Once allocated to a mentor you will be expected to submit your
application within a year. If this is not possible you may either withdraw temporarily from the PSF, continue
your application by attending drop in reconnect workshops, continue on your own or negotiate an extension.
5 Although they may be one of your advocates if they are in a position to comment on your practice
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How will judgements be made?6
The process of reviewing your application will be dependent upon the route and descriptor chosen. Diagrams
1 and 2 provide an overview of the pathways and tasks and more specific information can be found in the
appendices, individual descriptor handbooks and additional materials through iCity and Moodle.
For the certificated route (DS-D2) the UKPSF is firmly embedded in the programmes and in attending the
sessions and carrying out the summative (and formative) assessment tasks you will have covered not only
the learning outcomes of the programmes but also evidenced the relevant values, knowledge and activities
required by the UKPSF. Each programme has its own handbook and assessment guide that will clearly show
the links to the UKPSF and how you achieve the standards. Your work will be assessed by two internal
markers (who hold an appropriate fellowship category) and a selection sent to an External Examiner who
will be conversant with the programme (SEDA or PGCert) and the UKPSF.
The experiential route
In accordance with HEA requirements you will submit your written account mapped to the UKPSF,
supported by two advocate statements to [email protected]. Your application will then be reviewed by a
minimum of two trained internal reviewers for D1 and D2 or three internal at D3. All reviewers hold the
requisite category of Fellowship (D1 at least Fellow, D2 and D3 at least Senior Fellow) and have taken part
in initial and ongoing training. A percentage of applications is then selected for moderation. At D1 and D2
all refers and an additional 10% (or 5 whichever is greater) will be moderated by a named member of EDS
who will not have been one of the original reviewers and who holds the requisite category of fellowship.
For D3 all refers and the same percentage will be sent for External moderation. Reviewers will be from a
different School/Department to you and will be asked to declare any conflict of interest which may result
in recusal from that application review prior to allocation. The External Moderator is an experienced
practitioner who is conversant with UKPSF requirements and who holds a minimum of SFHEA
All decisions will then be ratified by a Confirmation Board.
Whichever route you choose your work will be a reflective account of your teaching/learning support based
firmly on evidence gathered (e.g. student evaluations, peer review, discussions with colleagues, internal and
external awards etc.). The format of the framework helps you to do this, it is not just a “tick-box” exercise
badging your experience and expertise. This in-depth approach ensures the robustness of the framework
providing an indication of the value of the Student Fellow/Associate Fellow/Fellow/Senior Fellow status and
ensure comparability with similar schemes across the UK and direct application to the HEA.
You are expected to keep up-to-date with recent research and developments in learning and teaching.
Although you are not expected to become education research specialists, you will be expected to make
reference to some literature base in the applications and demonstrate how it informs and underpins your
practice. We do not expect an academic essay but do need to see that your application is rooted in evidenced
informed approaches utilising the outcomes from research scholarship and CPD (V3, A5).There are a number
of resources noted below that you may find useful.
6 Full details of the requirements for each descriptor and the relevant criteria may be found in the individual descriptor documenation
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Important to Note
All “evidence” is contained within the written/oral accounts, we do not accept footnotes or appendices. You
must stick to the word count for whichever category you are aiming, submissions that are over by 10% will
be returned to you for editing and it may be that you have to wait for the next round of reviews.
What are the criteria?
The criteria against which recommendations/decisions will be made for individual applications are in broad
terms:
Sufficient engagement with the UKPSF commensurate with the category of fellowship for which you are
applying;
Breadth in the application in terms of the dimensions of practice of the UKPSF, relevant to the applicant’s
context. For example, is this authentic and sufficient or are there are areas that are weak or require further
development;
Demonstration of and appropriate effectiveness and impact relevant to the application being made. For
example, is the applicant operating at the desired descriptor? Does the supporting statement(s)
substantiate this?
Reflection and self-awareness of development needs. Is their development underpinned by appropriate
and adequate scholarly activity? How self-aware are they of the UKPSF? How does this feature in their own
development needs?
The above criteria have been broken down into more detail relating to each of the Descriptors and can be
found in the descriptor handbooks.
What are the decisions?7
The review panels make one of three decisions:
Award: The panel consider that the submission you have presented provides clear evidence that you have achieved
all the dimensions and descriptors and therefore you are awarded DS, D1, D2 or D3 and thus the requisite category
of Fellowship
Award Pending Conditions (APC): The panel consider that there is good evidence to suggest that you are operating
at the level for which you are making a claim, however there are minor gaps which need to be addressed so that the
panel are fully confident in the award. The reviewers will identify in the feedback those points on which they require
further clarity. You will be invited to a 20-30-minute discussion with the reviewers to cover the additional evidence
focussing on the identified areas. This should take place within one month of the initial decision. If after the
conversation the panel feel that the areas are still not addressed and the evidence does not cover the dimensions or
descriptor you will be referred. You will then be offered a one hour tutorial with one of the assessors or the
7 A more detailed explanation may be found in the appendices
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convenor. At this meeting full and detailed feedback will be given and a scrutiny of the evidence undertaken. You will
then be given the opportunity to either rewrite the application or write to a more appropriate category.
Refer: Your submission does not provide sufficient evidence to cover all the elements of the UKPSF at the level for
which you have applied. There are two situations that may lead to a referral.
Reviewers agree that you either:
demonstrate that you meet most of the relevant descriptors but some areas of the UKPSF are
absent and that this will require you to re-write parts of the application (e.g. one case study) and
provide further supporting evidence. You will receive support from your mentor and are
recommended to resubmit at the next submission point.
Or
your application suggests that you may not be working at the level required for the category of
Fellowship you have applied for. Therefore, you may either:
re-write the application ensuring that all the evidence is provided to make the claim
for the chosen descriptor
defer submitting a claim till such times as you have the evidence to make the claim
rewrite the application to target a different category of fellowship
In other words, the reviewers are not sure that you can readily meet all the descriptors and require a
resubmission to make this judgement. However, if it is felt that you have written an application to D2 but
the panel see that there is sufficient evidence for D1 you may be offered this category or choose to
resubmit at a later point.
The re-submission will either be accepted or rejected. If you should need further resubmissions contact the
convenor to negotiate a further hand-in
What is the process for review of my application?
A minimum of two opportunities for recognition for the experiential route will be offered per
academic year in January and August.
At the point where you and your mentor believe you are ready you should submit your narrative
for review
Submission of your application will be via to the [email protected] email address. Guidelines for submitting your application and all forms can be found on the iCity site, and in the individual descriptor handbook
All recognition decisions will involve a minimum of two (D1and D2) or three (D3) trained
reviewers
Each application will be reviewed independently and recommendations separately recorded on
the appropriate pro-forma. A Lead Reviewer will collate the feedback which will highlight the
strengths, and where appropriate the weaknesses of the application in terms of meeting the
UKPSF and what improvements are needed to fully meet the criteria. Reviewers who will be
making the judgements will themselves be working at or beyond that Descriptor. Reviewers will
be from a different School/Department to you, although they may be from the same Faculty
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For D1 and D2 assessment of applications will take place through scrutiny of submitted
evidence, recognition decisions will involve a minimum of two trained reviewers. Reviewers will
normally hold the same or a higher level of fellowship than the participant. Evidence will be
triangulated against the dimensions of the UK PSF commensurate with the descriptor. A sample
of applications will be moderated by a named member of EDS and a small sample sent to the
external moderator. The recognition decision made by the reviewers will be presented to and
confirmed by the PSF Confirmation Board.
For D3 assessment of applications will take place through scrutiny of submitted evidence, each
application will be reviewed independently by three internal reviewers and a sample moderated
by an external panel member.
Reviewers who will be making the judgements for D3 will themselves have or be above that
descriptor. Evidence will be triangulated against the dimensions of the UK PSF commensurate
with Descriptor 3. The recognition decision made by the reviewers will be presented to and
confirmed by the PSF Confirmation Board.
The feedback will highlight the strengths, and where appropriate the weaknesses of the
application in terms of meeting the criteria and what improvements are needed to fully meet the
criteria.
All scheme recognition decisions will be undertaken by a team of trained reviewers, and endorsed
by the Confirmation Board. The Board will be chaired by the Dean of Students and Learning, or
their chosen representative, and include members of the scheme, together with external
representation8. All panel members will be fully trained as Professional Standards Framework
reviewers.
Where there is an agreed outcome of “Award Pending Conditions” between the reviewers, i.e.
you are operating at the category for which you are making a claim, but have not provided clarity
or sufficient evidence, you will be invited to a 20 minute discussion with the reviewers to address
the additional points
Where there is an agreement that the application is “refer” then you will be given detailed
feedback and asked to resubmit as and when appropriate. When “refer” decisions are made you
will be provided with a mentor (either the same or if preferred a different one) to support the
resubmission process. Together you will define what needs to be done, taking into account the
reviewer/panel feedback, and draw up a timeline for delivery.
If a recommendation cannot be reached the PSF convenor will be involved in the moderation
The Confirmation Board will consider the recommendations of the reviewers, confirm the
feedback to the applicants and request the PSF Convenor, or their representative, to notify the
Higher Education Academy
All feedback and outcomes from the board will be made available to you normally within 7
working days from the board date
Guidance notes, terms of reference and training for the board will be provided.
8 For D3 a reviewer external to the University will be appointed who will be an experienced practitioner and Senior/Principal Fellow of the HEA fully conversant with the UKPSF
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Can I appeal against a judgement?
You cannot appeal against the judgement of the Confirmation Board however, mirroring the University
Guidelines for Academic Queries and Appeals you can raise a query or submit an appeal if we have not
followed our procedures properly and this has clearly affected the outcome (this is called a procedural
irregularity). You cannot appeal if you are questioning academic judgment, that is, the decision made by
PSF reviewers on the quality of the work itself or the criteria being applied to review the work (rather than
the review process). There are two stages to follow if you think we have made the wrong decision. In the
first instance a query may be raised with the Convenor who will deal with this quickly and effectively at a
local level. This needs to be done as soon as the query arises. If the convenor cannot resolve the query, and
if there are relevant grounds for taking the matter further, you can submit an academic appeal, to be dealt
with formally by the PSF Advisory Board. The appeal must be submitted within 20 working days of the
decision that is being questioned. Following a successful appeal, the application would normally then be
considered for the next Confirmation Board.
Can I appeal directly to the HEA?
It is expected that your first avenue is the procedure outlined above. If you make a complaint directly to
the HEA regarding your experience on the accredited programme, the HEA will direct you to the appeals
procedure noted above. The HEA will not intervene in matters between an institution and participant
relating to institutional policy or procedure, but may intervene in instances where a complaint/appeal
might relate to HEA standards or policy requirements or deviation from an accredited process.
Should a complaint relate to a potential compromise of HEA accredited process, policy requirements or
standards, the HEA will investigate in line with the HEA Complaints Policy and reserves the right to apply
appropriate sanctions, up to and including suspension of a programme’s accreditation. The HEA Code of
Practice sets out principles and expectations for HEA Fellows and the HEA reserves the right to remove an
individual’s HEA Fellowship on the grounds of academic or professional misconduct following formal
investigation by the HEA and associated HEA disciplinary procedures.
Who writes my Supporting Statements and what should they say?
Your application must be accompanied by two supporting statements from people, advocates, who are in a position to comment from first-hand experience on your professional achievements in relation to teaching and/or supporting students’ learning in the higher education sector. Your advocates will need to:
verify what you have written and add comments based on their knowledge of your work and on how
you meet the criteria for the Descriptor against which you are making a claim;
provide practical examples to support your comments where possible and include reference to
innovative practise, contributions at departmental/faculty or institutional level and any national
initiatives in which you have been involved.
At least one of your advocates needs to be an employee of your institution and who knows you and what
you do. At least one of your referees should be a Fellow, Senior or Principal Fellow OR be an appropriate,
experienced member of staff working for the institution.
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Guidance notes and a template have been created for Advocates and these may be found on the UKPSF iCity
pages, and in the descriptor handbooks provided by the HEA.
It is your responsibility to:
Identify your advocates in a timely fashion9
Provide your advocates with the ‘Guidance notes for Advocates’
Make sure that your advocates have seen your application, or a good draft;
Collect the signed supporting statements. These will either have to be electronic or scanned so they
can be sent over along with your application form;
Make sure advocates know they may be contacted by the reviewers concerning the supporting
statement they have provided.
What is the role of the Confirmation Board?
The purpose of the Confirmation Board is to agree and confirm the decision for each applicant based on
the recommendations received from the review panels.
The panels and board must ensure that:
Expectations of the UKPSF and HEA are met
That the BCUPSF processes and procedures are followed
Candidates applications are considered and awarded against the BCUPSF/UKPSF criteria
The Confirmation Board will have access at the meeting to all the applications and feedback sheets from
the review panels.
The Confirmation Board’s terms of reference are:
1. To receive the recommendations from the review process for the experiential route
2. To agree and confirm each candidates outcome of Award, Award Pending Conditions (APC) or Refer
3. To set the terms and conditions for resubmissions for APC and Refer
4. To receive the outcomes from the certificated routes-PGCert Learning and Teaching in HE, SEDA
accredited Awards Supporting Learning and Teaching for Early Career Academics, Preparing
Postgraduate Researchers to Teach in HE and Supporting Learning and Teaching for Visiting Tutors
5. To ensure that successful outcomes are recorded with the HEA
The Confirmation Board has the following membership
UKPSF Chair
PSF convenor
Lead reviewer from each of the panels
Module leaders from the certificated programmes
An external reviewer
Clerk administrator of the PSF
9 We cannot review your application without the advocate statements so please make sure you give them enough notice
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All members of the Confirmation Board have the requisite category of fellowship
What are the Quality Assurance Processes?
The reviewers, mentors and board members will be trained to ensure equity and consistency in the
judgement making process and interpretation of the criteria. Procedures for QA will include:
Sample reviewing and moderation of decisions based on applications. There will be a minimum of 5
sampled from each Descriptor or 10%, whichever is the greater. All applications which are referred
will be in addition to the sample being reviewed. For the certificated pathway scrutiny will be
carried out by the University appointed external examiners under the relevant regulations.
The appointment of an external moderator to the University for any decisions being made for D3.
The criteria for selecting an external moderator is in line with the University’s criteria for
appointments of external examiners. In addition the individual will need to be at D3 or D4 having
demonstrated familiarity with the UKPSF. In addition they will have strong experience of working
with Professional Development Programmes and Frameworks leading to accreditation; they will
have sufficient years of experience in learning and teaching and programme development, in
supporting staff in their learning and teaching development, and in the assessment of evidence and
reflective practice
The role of the external moderator is to review a sample of applications at each review point prior to
the final fellowship judgement being made, to attend the Confirmation Board and provide both an
oral and written report. The external moderator will focus upon the appropriateness of the internal
decision making in order to ensure that the criteria of the descriptors are reliably met before
fellowship is awarded. A formal report on the QA and QE processes relating to the participant
experience and appropriateness of fellowship judgements will be sent to the PSF convenor and a
response given that will show resultant actions to be taken. The criteria for selecting an external
assessor is in line with the University’s criteria for external appointments, such as examiners. In
addition the individual will need to be at D3 or D4 having demonstrated familiarity with the UKPSF
and in good standing; they will have experience of working with Professional Development
Programmes and Frameworks leading to accreditation and be suitably experienced in making HEA
fellowship judgments ; they will have sufficient years of experience in learning and teaching and
programme development, in supporting staff in their learning and teaching development, and in
the assessment of evidence and reflective practice. They will also be free from any reciprocal
external relationships and perceived (or actual) conflict of interest.
Reviewers will be assigned applications from outside their own School or Department and we will
ensure that there are no conflict of interests
The minutes and outcomes from the Confirmation Board will be recorded and following discussion by
SELTC securely kept for 3 years
All applications and claims will be held on Sharepoint and only the PSF convenor and administrator
will have access with access granted to the HEA is required.
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Final certification and post nominal letters
Once your application has been deemed successful you will be notified and the Higher Education Academy
(HEA) will be informed of your award and a certificate issued. HEA fellowships allow you to use post-
nominal letters: AFHEA, FHEA, SFHEA depending on the category achieved.
“Remaining in Good Standing”
This is not the end of your journey, the HEA and the University expect you to remain in good standing as a
Fellow.
The HEA defines remaining in good standing as “continuing to work in accordance with the
standard indicated by the relevant Fellow Descriptor of the UKPSF”
BCU is committed to developing reflective practitioners and we will strive to assist you to
reach your potential and engage in continuing professional development. By engaging with
the scheme we will endeavour to support you to achieve professional recognition, remain in
good standing and provide opportunities for you to progress your academic practice though
your IPR.
It is for this reason that part of your application is a CPD review and action plan which links to our appraisal
scheme for appropriate teaching and/or supporting learning roles particularly in relation to remaining in
good standing. HEA recognition will be an expectation for internal promotion to appropriate roles.
The HEA also expect all Fellows to abide by the Code of Practice which establishes a set of principles and
expectations for individuals gaining HEA Fellowship. It has been widely welcomed within the sector. The
code of practice embodies the values of teaching professionals in relation to professional practice, learners
and colleagues.
Adherence to the code and a commitment to professional development are crucial to gaining and
maintaining fellowship of the HEA. Remaining in good standing is a fundamental element of professional
development and the code of practice is a useful point of reference for HE teachers.
The HEA code of practice fully aligns to the University’s core values, strategic plan and academic plan. Once
you have achieved a Fellowship through the scheme you will be expected to abide by the code of practice
and BCU’s values.
Further information about the HEA Code of Practice can be found at
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/downloads/code_of_practice_28.06.pdf
What next?
We are keen to involve successful applicants within the scheme. Possible ways of doing this include acting
as a mentor or ‘champion’ in your department or training to be a reviewer. It is hoped that having achieved
your Fellowship you will become a mentor/reviewer. Full training will be provided and we will contact you
following acceptance from the Confirmation Board. For further information about these roles please see
the relevant guidance booklets and appendix 4 for a Peer Reviewer Application form.
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Useful resources
Websites:
www.heacademy.ac.uk
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ukpsf this is the list to the UKPSF standards document
http://www.cemp.ac.uk/people/jennymoon.php - on this website you can access useful resources on
‘Reflective learning’ and ‘Critical thinking’ written by Jenny Moon
Useful key teaching and learning texts:
Appleby, Y and Pilkington, R Developing Critical Professional Practice in Education. Leicester naice
Biggs, J (2003): Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does. Maidenhead, Open
University Press.
Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2011) Teaching for Quality Learning at University (4th edn.), Maidenhead, Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press. Cleaver, E., Lintern, M and McLinden, M (2014) Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Disciplinary Approaches to Educational Enquiry. London Sage Lea, J (2015) (ed) Enhancing Learning and Tecahing in Higher Education: Engaging with the Dimensions of Practice. Maidenhead OUP Pokorny, H and Warren, D (eds) (2016) Enhancing Teaching Practice in Higher Education London Sage Publications Race, P (2007): The Lecturer's Toolkit: a practical guide to assessment, learning and teaching. 3rd ed. Abingdon, Routledge. Race, P (2010): Making Learning Happen: A Guide for Post-Compulsory Education. 2nd ed. London, Sage. Weller, S (2016) Academic Practice: Developing as a Professional in Higher Education. London Sage
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Appendices
1: Role of Lead Academics-Subject Area Coach and Faculty Lead Mentor
2: Requirements for each Descriptor
3: Clarification of Award Decisions for Reviewers
4: Peer Reviewer Application
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Appendix 1 Faculty Lead Academics
Role description for EDS Funded Academic Leads for Educational Development
As the Education Development Service (EDS) repositions itself to take more specific focus on educational
development work related to the key TEF metrics of learning & teaching, retention and employability, the
roles of the Lead Academic(s) needs to change to reflect this.
As a result, there are now two funded faculty roles, one as a Lead Academic for Educational Development:
PG Cert (HE) and the other as the Lead Academic for Educational Development: HEA Fellowships. These
roles are either fulfilled by one member or academic staff, or split into two separate roles. They will report
directly to both the Deputy Head of EDS and the faculty Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching). Line
management responsibility (including IPR) will sit with the faculty.
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: HEA Fellowship
Key tasks/activities for this role will include:
Agree with the Faculty Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching) and/or Heads of School targets for
HEA fellowships and manage the process of ensuring those targets are met.
Keep accurate records of faculty staff who have achieved, or are seeking to apply for, each level of
HEA fellowship.
Encourage and monitor the availability of mentors and reviewers.
Review EPA grids from faculty staff who wish to register with the scheme and suggest appropriate
category of Fellowship.
Ensure all registered applicants are provided with a mentor.
Ensure that sufficient reviewers are made available for review panels
Act personally as both a mentor and reviewer.
In consultation with the Professional Standards Framework Co-ordinator, organise and facilitate
faculty workshops for new and existing mentors and reviewers.
In consultation with the Professional Standards Framework Co-ordinator, organise and facilitate
writing retreats for applicants.
Attend regular meetings with the Professional Standards Framework Co-ordinator and other Lead
Academics.
Attend Professional Standards Framework confirmation boards.
Share good practice with other Lead Academics.
Report on progress to EDS and faculty management and university committees as requested.
Faculty Lead Academic for Educational Development: PGCert (HE)
Key tasks/activities for this role will include:
Support faculty colleagues through the process of enrolling on, studying for, and completing the
PGCert (HE)
In consultation with the Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching), Heads of School, line managers and
course director, support the local resolution of any issues relating to attendance, submission of
summative assessments and/or release time of colleagues on the PGCert (HE)
Keep the faculty (via the Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching) and Heads of School), and course
director fully informed about progress of colleagues on the PGCert (HE)
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Support colleagues on the PGCert (HE) through the process of peer observation, ensuring all are
able to both observe and be observed
In consultation with the course director, provide locally arranged sessions or workshops related to
faculty or school priorities
Act in a supervisory and support role for staff carrying out action research projects
Monitor the ethics process for the action research projects
Mark components of the summative assignment submission
Attend module and course exam boards
Report on progress to EDS and faculty management and university committees as requested
EDS will pay £48k (equivalent to 1.0 FTE at lower end of USL) to faculties to fund academic leads and the
role could be filled by up to two people maximum.
Any person taking up these roles would need to:
Have experience of learning, teaching & assessment at level 7
Have excellent communication and personal skills and be able to work across the whole faculty,
irrespective of local specialism
Be committed to educational development work
Have Senior or Principal Fellow of the HEA status (or be very close to achieving such)
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Appendix 2: Requirements for Descriptors
Below you will find a summary for each of the Descriptors, full details and criteria may be found in the
individual descriptor guidance booklets.
Before we start – a word about evidence
In all the descriptors we talk about evidencing your case so it is perhaps apposite to say what constitutes
evidence and to emphasise that what you will be presenting are reflections on your role as a teacher and/or
supporter of learning.
Evidence can take a variety of forms including:10
peer feedback e.g. the Teaching and Learning Observation (TALO) Scheme used in some faculties
summarised student feedback e.g. from the BCU student module evaluation forms or other means
examples of materials, including assessment, used with students
example Moodle content including activities such as quizzes and journal keeping
feedback from external examiners, employers and other interested parties
testimonials (including emails) from students, peer group, managers and other appropriate professionals
At whatever category your reflective account will draw on and be informed by a range of different materials
or ‘evidence’, such as student evaluations, peer review of teaching forms, IPR (appraisal) forms, project
reports, references to the literature and so on. However, evidence is presented in narrative form. You do
not need to provide original documents.
Your writing/presentation should demonstrate that you have engaged in purposeful reflection about the
learning and teaching processes of your discipline, referencing ideas, models etc. from the literature as
appropriate to support your discussion.
The reflective account is about you telling the reviewers about what you have done, why you did it that way (this could be based on evidence from the literature), how it aligns to the UKPSF and what impact it had on students’ learning and colleagues’ learning and teaching practice in the case of D3. You do not need to provide proof that you have done these activities by including all the forms and
paperwork associated with that exercise in your application. However, you will need to keep electronic/hard
copies of these materials / evidence in case further details are required at some stage or in cases where
some discrepancy leads the reviewers to question the veracity of the claim.
10 For further information see alos https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/making-evidence-count-web_0.pdf http://www.promoteteaching.com/resources.html
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DS Student Fellow (certificated route only)
It is acknowledged that the role of the student is central to activities at BCU and is informed by the Partners
for Success initiative and also the university’s core values framework (Excellence, People Focussed,
Partnership working and Fairness and Integrity).
Many student partners have an impact on student experience, the learning environment and the creation of learning resources. This places them in a unique position to enhance the learning and teaching experience for other students both now and in the future. Student partners play a variety of key roles within the university, some examples are listed below. We have therefore created a new level within the framework that of DS (Student Fellow) in order for the University to recognise and reward the many students that support the learning experience. This also introduces the student to the wider context of Higher Education beyond BCU and also to the UKPSF. Many of the activities and values embedded in DS are transferable to other contexts and would be beneficial to students in the development of their CVs and experience, increasing employability and also offer external and internal recognition.
The development of DS follows the format and structure of the UKPSF as set out below.
To become a Student Fellow you will be required to complete the SEDA accredited Student Knowledge in
Learning and Leadership (SKILL) programme for further details of this contact one of the following:
Dr Rachel Curzon SFHEA Senior Education Developer Education Development Service [email protected] Jamie Morris FHEA
Education Developer Education Development Service [email protected]
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Dimensions of the Framework:
Descriptor Student (DS)
Areas of Activity A1 Design and plan learning activities
and /or programmes of study A2 Facilitate or support learning A3 Provide formative feedback to
learners A4 Develop effective learning
environments and approaches to student support and guidance
Core Knowledge K1 The subject material K2 Appropriate methods for facilitating
learning and assessing in the subject area
K3 How students learn, both generally
and within their subject / disciplinary area(s)
K4 The use and value of appropriate
learning technologies K5 Methods for evaluating the
effectiveness of learning support
Activities undertaken by
teachers and supporters
of learning
Knowledge needed to carry out
the activities
Professional Values V1 Respect individual learners
and diverse learning communities
V2 Working effectively with
diversity and promoting inclusivity
V3 Operate in a professional
and ethical manner and undertake developmental activities
V4 Continuing reflection on
professional practice within the context of Birmingham City University
Values which someone
performing these activities
should embrace
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Descriptor Student (DS): Student Fellow
Demonstrates an understanding of effective learning support methods and student learning within the context of Higher Education. Individuals should be able to provide evidence of:
I. Successful engagement with at least two of the five Areas of Activity (1: Design and plan learning activities and /or programmes of study, 2: Facilitate or support learning, 3: Provide formative feedback to learners, 4: Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance).
II. Successful engagement in appropriate
learning and / or teaching practices related to these Areas of Activity.
III. Appropriate Core Knowledge and
understanding of K1 (subject material)
IV. Achieve at least two further Core Knowledge Dimensions (K2: Appropriate methods for facilitating learning and assessing in the subject area, K3: How students learn, both generally and within their subject / disciplinary area(s), K4: use and value of appropriate learning technologies or K5: methods for evaluating effectiveness of learning support).
V. Awareness of appropriate Professional Values in facilitating learning as related to V1-4.
VI. Relevant professional and ethical practices
and developmental activity within the above activities.
Typical individual role/career stage Individuals able to provide evidence of effectiveness in relation to their role(s), which will typically include learning support responsibilities. This learning support role may sometimes be undertaken with the assistance of more experienced mentors and teachers. Typically those likely to be at Descriptor Student (DS) include:
a. project management (including administration, networking, event organisation) which relate to the student experience
b. range of creative roles (e.g. film production, social media management) that relate to student experience and satisfaction
c. creation of new materials for use in the
classroom or remotely by students
d. student-led research (data gathering and analysis) into various aspects of the student experience
e. various forms of academic mentoring
delivered through workshops and individual tutorials
f. demonstrator role to support guided
learning activity
g. variety of representative roles (School, Faculty and Course level all included)
h. Students’ Union elected representatives
i. Plus, university ambassador roles for
applicant days, open days and school visits
j. And roles supporting new students through transition, induction and welcome activities.
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D1 Associate Fellow
To become an Associate Fellow you need to do one of the following:
1) Complete the accredited course that leads to Associate Fellowship Preparing Postgraduate Researchers to Teach in
HE,
2) Submit an application to the Professional Standards Framework that provides:
a. Evidence of effectiveness in your professional role(s) commensurate with Descriptor 1;
b. Evidence that you have aligned your practice, to some extent, with BCU’s values statements
Descriptor Typical Role Example Activities
Demonstrates an understanding of
specific aspects of effective teaching,
learning support methods and student
learning. Individuals should be able to
provide evidence of:
I. Successful engagement with at least two of the five Areas of Activity
II. Successful engagement in
appropriate teaching and practices related to these Areas of Activity
III. Appropriate Core Knowledge and
understanding of at least K1 and K2
IV. A commitment to appropriate
Professional Values in facilitating others’ learning
V. Relevant professional practices,
subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within the above activities
VI. Successful engagement, where
appropriate, in professional development activity related to teaching, learning and assessment responsibilities
Teaching and/or learning support and /or
mentoring responsibilities. These activities
may be undertaken with the assistance of
more experienced teachers or mentors.
a. Early career researchers with
some teaching responsibilities (e.g. PhD students, GTAs, contract researchers/post-doctoral
students etc.)
b. Staff new to teaching (including
those with part-time academic responsibilities)
c. Staff who support academic
provision (e.g. learning technologists, learning developers and learning resource/library staff)
d. Staff who undertake demonstrator/
technician roles that incorporate some teaching-related responsibilities
e. Experienced staff in relevant
professional areas who may be new to teaching and/or supporting learning, or who have a limited teaching portfolio
Teaching and /or mentoring responsibilities as a team member within an established programme
Assessment and related activities,
including providing feedback
Providing constructive feedback (formative and summative) to students in teaching / facilitation roles
Contributing to skills development of learners/students, e.g. introducing the use of techniques and/or equipment
Contributing to the development of learners professional practice e.g. in relation to professional codes of conduct
Developing learning and teaching materials, resources, methods and approaches
Using a range of technologies to support the learning of others and one’s own professional development in relation to teaching
Evaluation of sessions or activities
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Format of your application for Associate Fellow
Written Narrative: this should contain
A reflective narrative account of professional practice (1500 words) which illustrates how at least two elements of the areas of activity and relevant aspects of core knowledge (K1 and K2 as a minimum)and professional values are integrated, embedded and demonstrated in your claim based upon at least two examples per area of activity, for example:
Teaching observation (being observed by an experienced colleague with a discussion afterwards to help frame and structure the applicant’s reflective narrative/account around the relevant dimensions of practice.
Contribution to a teaching and learning development project
Development/contribution of an effective learning environment to support student learning for example development of online resources/Moodle pages
Development of effective assessment and feedback practices
Supporting students learning on placement
Effective practice in research supervision
Plus:
A CPD review and plan addressing A5 specifically (600-750 words)
Plus: two supporting advocate statement.
Further details of the format of your narrative and advice for advocates can be found in the D1 Guidance
and Template
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D2 Fellow
To become a Fellow you would have to do one of the following:
1) Complete an accredited course that leads to Fellowship status e.g. Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in
HE
2) Submit an application to the Professional Standards Framework that provides:
a. clear evidence of broadly based effectiveness in more substantive teaching and learning support role(s)
commensurate with Descriptor 2. You will need to have gathered this evidence over a period of at least
three years in a role which involves teaching and/or supporting learning in Higher Education. Your
application may combine evidence drawn from experiential and/or certificated learning.
b. Evidence that you have aligned your practice with the BCU’s values framework
Description Typical Role Example Activities
Demonstrates a broad understanding
of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as key contributions to high quality student learning. Individuals should be able to provide evidence of:
I. Successful engagement across all
five Areas of Activity
II. Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge
III. A commitment to all the
Professional Values
IV. Successful engagement in
appropriate teaching practices related to the Areas of Activity
V. Successful incorporation of subject
and pedagogic research and/ or scholarship within the above activities, as part of an integrated approach to academic practice
VI. Successful engagement in
continuing professional development in relation to teaching, learning, assessment and, where appropriate, related professional practices
Individuals able to provide evidence of broadly based effectiveness in more substantive teaching and supporting learning role(s). Such individuals are likely to be established members of one or more academic and/or academic-related teams.
Early career academics
b. Academic-related and/or support staff
holding substantive teaching and learning responsibilities
c. Experienced academics relatively
new to UK higher education
d. Staff with (sometimes significant)
teaching-only responsibilities including, for example, within work-based settings
Identifying the learning needs of students and writing appropriate learning outcomes
Ensuring alignment between the content, learning and teaching methods and materials, and the learning outcomes
Selecting and developing appropriate teaching methods and materials for a variety of scenarios (ranging from small group tutorials to large lectures)
Selecting and utilizing appropriate technologies to support and enhance approaches to learning, teaching and assessment
Selecting and utilizing relevant assessment instruments and criteria for both formative and summative assessment
Providing critical and constructive feedback and guidance to learners
Supervising students work in learning, teaching and/or research activities
Using reflection to develop personal teaching, eg modifying practice in response to student and peer review/feedback, analysis of the effectiveness of teaching design & delivery
Participating in teaching-related observations and mentoring activities to improve professional practice
Engaging with formal internal quality assurance processes mediated by an external examiner.
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Format of your application for Fellow
Written Narrative A reflective narrative account of professional practice comprising within it a Reflective Account of Practice and 1 case study which between them evidences all dimensions of the framework (areas of activity, core knowledge and professional values) and illustrates how they are integrated, embedded and demonstrated in your practice The application must include one case study based upon any from the following suggested examples or similar
Contribution to a teaching and learning development project/activity
Development and/ or sustained effective learning environment to support student learning, e.g. development of online resources
A reflective approach to teaching and learning and the impact on student learning
Demonstrating how research and teaching are linked
Designing a unit/section/course
Involvement in other activities such as accreditation, staff-student liaison committee work, links with industry, NSS reviews etc.
Other
Plus: A CPD review and plan addressing A5 specifically
(total max word count = 3500)
Plus: two supporting statement. Advocates writing supporting statements for this Descriptor have to meet certain criteria. Further details of the format of the narrative, the professional dialogue and advocate statements can be
found in the D2 Guidance and Template
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D3 Senior Fellow
To become a Senior Fellow you would have to submit an application to the Professional Standards Framework that
provides:
1) Clear evidence throughout of a record of sustained effectiveness in relation to teaching and learning that demonstrates that you are developing your strategic leadership role, incorporating for example, the organisation, leadership and/or management of specific aspects of teaching and learning provision, mentoring and leadership of others commensurate with Descriptor 3. You will need to have gathered this evidence over a sustained period of time in a role which involves leadership of a teaching and/or supporting learning team in Higher Education. Your application may combine evidence drawn from experiential and/or certificated learning but all dimensions of practice need to be covered as well as evidence aligning to the D3 descriptor statements
2) Evidence that you have aligned your practice with the BCU values statement
Description Typical Role Example Activities
Demonstrates a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning. Individuals should be able to provide evidence of:
I. Successful engagement across all five
Areas of Activity II. Appropriate knowledge and
understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge
III. A commitment to all the Professional
Values IV. Successful engagement in
appropriate teaching practices related to the Areas of Activity
V. Successful incorporation of subject
and pedagogic research and/ or scholarship within the above activities, as part of an integrated approach to academic practice
VI. Successful engagement in continuing
professional development in relation to teaching, learning, assessment, scholarship and, as appropriate, related to academic or professional practices
VII. Successful co-ordination, support,
supervision, management and/ or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning
Individuals able to provide evidence of a sustained record of effectiveness in relation to teaching and learning, incorporating for example, the organisation, leadership and/or management of specific aspects of teaching and learning provision. Such individuals are likely to lead or be members of established academic teams. Typically, those likely to be at Descriptor 3 (D3) include: a. Experienced staff able to
demonstrate, impact and influence through, for example, responsibility for leading, managing or organising programmes, subjects and/or disciplinary areas
b. Experienced subject mentors and
staff who support those new to teaching
c. Experienced staff with
departmental and/or wider teaching and learning support advisory responsibilities within an institution
Demonstrating leadership in the design, delivery and evaluation of programmes of study, at various levels
Designing and utilizing innovative teaching approaches and materials, incorporating the use of technology where appropriate
Incorporation of discipline and pedagogic research and/ or scholarship into learning and teaching, and evaluating its effectiveness.
Ensuring that programme design and delivery complies with relevant quality standards and regulations
Successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/ or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning
Operational leadership within own institutional setting (e.g. in developing and/or leading local policy implementation, participating in relevant committees; participating in peer review of programme validation and subject review, participation in the PREP Framework Review Board)
Providing pedagogic leadership in initiatives/ projects, providing peer feedback eg as a mentor education developer
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Format of your application for Senior Fellow
Written Narrative A reflective narrative account of professional practice (max 6000 words) comprising within it 2 case studies which evidences all dimensions of the framework (areas of activity, core knowledge and professional values) and illustrates how they are integrated, embedded and demonstrated in your practice. It is vital that applicants provide evidence of D3vii throughout their application and not just in one particular section. It should be evident throughout that applicants have successfully influenced the teaching/and or supporting learning practice of colleagues in order to enhance the student learning experience. The application must include two case studies which may be based upon the following:
A peer - to - peer review of teaching discussing what has been learnt from observing or discussing with a peer the review of your practice; how the peer was supported to engage with the UKPSF to help them frame and structure their reflection on that aspect of their practice being reviewed. (Forms and guidance for the review of teaching practice aligned with the UKPSF will be made available to all involved)
Successful co-ordination, support, supervision management and/or mentoring of other staff
An example of sustained contribution/effectiveness using learning technologies and the impact this has had on teaching and learning in your context (dept/faculty/discipline)
An example of leading, managing, and enhancing the curriculum of programmes in the subject and/or discipline area where influence and impact are demonstrated
Leading a successful internal or externally funded Teaching and Learning project
Statement and rationale of individual’s teaching and learning/educational philosophy
Reflection on being nominated for a Teaching and Learning award (eg Extra Mile, or professional body award)
Other NB: All case studies need to demonstrate engagement with the relevant learning and teaching literature, a deep understanding of pedagogical issues both generally and within your discipline, an informed rationale for the approach to teaching and learning and the synergy between research, scholarship and professional activities regarding your teaching and students’ learning experiences.
Plus: A CPD review and plan addressing A5 specifically (500 words + action plan)
Plus: two supporting statement. Advocates writing supporting statements for this Descriptor have to meet certain
criteria
Further details of the format of the narrative and advocate statements can be found in the D3 Guidance and
Template
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Appendix 3 Clarification of Award Decisions for Reviewers
Guidance notes for reviewers in making decisions
As reviewers your panel can make one of three decisions award, award with conditions or refer. If you
decide to award you need to be sure that candidates have met the descriptor statements. If you feel that
the application has exceeded expectations then please comment on this on the feedback form as we pass
these comments back to the candidates.
Award: the panel consider that the submission presented provides clear evidence that the applicant has
achieved all the dimensions and descriptors and therefore should be awarded DS, D1, D2 or D3 and
thus the requisite category of Fellowship
Award Pending Conditions (APC): the panel consider that there is good evidence to suggest that the applicant is
operating at the level for which they are making a claim, however there are minor gaps which need to be addressed
so that you are fully confident in the award. You will identify in the feedback those points on which you require
further clarity. The candidate should be invited to a 20-30-minute discussion with the reviewers to cover the
additional evidence focussing on the identified areas. This should take place within one month of the initial decision.
If after the conversation you feel that the areas are still not addressed and the evidence does not cover the
dimensions or descriptor the candidate will be referred. They will then be offered a one hour tutorial with one of the
assessors or the convenor. At this meeting full and detailed feedback will be given and a scrutiny of the evidence
undertaken. They will then be given the opportunity to either rewrite the application or write to a more appropriate
category.
Refer: The submission does not provide sufficient evidence to cover all the elements of the UKPSF at the
level for which has been applied for. There are two situations that may lead to a referral.
Reviewers agree that the candidate either:
demonstrates that they meet most of the relevant descriptors but some areas of the UKPSF are
absent and that this will require them to re-write parts of the application (e.g. one case study) and
provide further supporting evidence. They will receive support from their mentor and should be
recommended to resubmit at the next submission point.
Or
the application suggests that they may not be working at the level required for the category of
Fellowship they have applied for. Therefore, they should be advised to either:
re-write the application ensuring that all the evidence is provided to make the claim
for the chosen descriptor
defer submitting a claim till such times as they have the evidence to make the claim
rewrite the application to target a different category of fellowship.
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Appendix 4 Peer Reviewer Application
Professional Standards Framework (PSF)
Peer Reviewer Application What's involved in being a PSF Peer Reviewer?
You will be required to review and make preliminary decisions/recommendations on applications submitted to the PSF. Depending on your experience and category of HEA Fellowhip, you may make decisions/recommendations on applications for Associate Fellow (D1), Fellow (D2), and Senior Fellow (D3)
What’s in for me?
This is a professional development activity which may help you in your own application for recognition. You will be able to find out about things that are happening in other departments and this may result in future collaborations. You may learn about new projects and ways to enhance your own practice.
What do I need to become a PSF Peer Reviewer?
To become a PSF Peer Reviewer, you will
have recognition in the category of UKPSF D2, D3 or D4
be familiar with the current UKPSF and BCU PSF Scheme
have experience in assessment processes and skills in making criterion-based decisions
be willing to contribute to a Review Panel and agree a final collective decision and when possible attend the Confirmation Board
write feedback in a perceptive and developmental manner
be aware of the sensitive nature of judging colleagues work
have a minimum of 3 years’ experience teaching and/or supporting learning in HE
be fully committed to the values encapsulated within the UKPSF, BCU values and Strategic Plan
take part in annual and ongoing training
How will I be supported?
To become a PSF Peer Reviewer you will need to attend a training event. Following attendance at the training workshop, you will act as 3rd reviewer with two experienced colleagues in the first instance in order to develop your confidence in this process, and facilitate a thorough understanding of the decision making process.
Are you interested?
If you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer for the PSF, you are required to initially attend a training workshop which gives you an insight as to what is involved. Dates for training can be found on iCity
To become a peer reviewer, please complete the following details and send through to [email protected]. Once confirmed, we will inform you of the dates of the next training event
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Name:
please state which category of fellowship you currently hold eg AFHEA, FHEA, SFHEA, PFHEA
Faculty/Department/School:
Email:
I meet several of the requirements to become a BCU PSF Reviewer-please state which
