Supporting staff to gain UKPSF accreditation

A strategic aim of Teesside 2020 is to develop professional high-quality staff that deliver to student expectations.  The University’s Learning and Teaching Strategic Plan (2016-2020), elaborates further as to how this will be achieved.  This strategy is broken down into two main areas: Student Experience and Learning and Teaching (including assessment and feedback) and a key component is that it will be underpinned by quality staff whereby excellence in learning and teaching will be recognised, celebrated and rewarded.  It continues to state:

‘Staff will be encouraged to become Fellows of the Higher Education Academy and other Professional bodies.  Engagement will influence and encourage innovative approaches to learning and teaching. … Staff will be encouraged to attend courses, seminars and workshops to draw on best practice across the sector as well to highlight best practice at Teesside University.’

Recent research and data analysis and a subsequent article in the Times Higher Education confirms and supports the University’s commitment to staff development in delivering high quality teaching and learning.  According to data collected between 2014 and 2015 from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), detailing universities in England with the most qualified academic staff, Teesside University is in second position with 84% of its staff with a known teaching qualification.

This recognition provides the assurance around the effective institutional strategies and activities in place around initial and continuing professional development of staff that teach and support learning. Teesside University has its own Professional Development Framework which encompasses our PgCLTHE and CPD programmes and is accredited by the Higher Education Academy providing external and independent confirmation that these programmes are aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education (UKPSF).  Our framework provides participants with the opportunity to be professionally recognised through the Higher Education Academy’s fellowship scheme thus allowing University colleagues to ensure their professional practice is UKPSF/HEA recognised either through the Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PgCLTHE) taught Programme and/or the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme. The PgCLTHE provides AFHEA and FHEA recognition and the CPD Programme provides AFHEA, FHEA and SFHEA recognition.

Given we are currently seeking re-accreditation for our Framework it is timely to reflect on the key achievements throughout the last accreditation period.  The table below illustrates the number of fellowship awards made throughout 2014-2017 via our Professional Development Framework.

Number of Fellowship Awards through the University’s Professional Development Framework 2014-2017

Numbers are set to rise further for this academic year for both programmes with a submission opportunity in April 2017 for participants on the CPD Programme and a number of staff currently working towards completing final assessments on the PgCLTHE Programme.

There will be a number of staff briefing sessions around our new framework once it has been successfully re-accredited and we anticipate it coming into effect August 2017. Click here for more information on UKPSF/RELT.