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The University of Sunderland is accredited by the Higher Education Academy to award Fellowship aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UK PSF). We are able to award Fellowship in all categories - Associate Fellow, Fellow, Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow - to our staff at our four campuses.
FellowshipFellowship of the Higher Education Academy is open to all academic and professional support staff who teach or support student learning. Fellows demonstrates a broad understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as key contributions to high quality student learning.
A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy is likely to be the level of an early career academic or an experienced member of professional support staff who makes a significant contribution to teaching and learning. Fellows typically contribute to student learning through classroom, laboratory, practice setting or clinical teaching although they may also support learning through less formal approaches such as information and study skills support.
Fellows will need to be able to articulate all of the dimensions of practice and in particular to describe their engagement with teaching practices, scholarship of teaching and learning and their own continuing professional development.
Senior Fellow
Senior Fellowship is likely to be appropriate if you have considerable expertise which you have developed over a period of time in supporting student learning. The HEA explains how those at Descriptor 3 will have gained relevant experience through the use of a range of approaches including, mentoring, coordinating, supervising and managing individuals and groups. Individuals will evidence the depth and sophistication of their understanding and demonstrate a sustained and successful engagement with the UK PSF, indicating specifically how such knowledge, understanding and expertise is used in their approach to teaching, mentoring and their leadership roles.
Descriptor 3 recognises extended good practice both within the classroom (or learning environment) and in supporting the student learning experience in a wider context. This would normally include evidence of effective and significant impact on students, on colleagues and on the organisation / institution.
Evidence of a wider sphere of influence than the classroom and the student group (the basic expectation for Descriptor 2), is required here. A relatively limited experience of programme and / or module management, for example, or in mentoring new staff, will not be sufficient to demonstrate Senior Fellowship.
Principal Fellowship
Principal Fellowship is open to academic and professional support staff who have had a sustained impact in the University, nationally or internationally in relation to teaching and / or student learning.
Principal Fellowship is likely to be appropriate for you if you are a highly-experienced professional, able to provide evidence of a sustained and effective record of impact at a strategic level in relation to teaching and learning.
Your sustained impact may be within this institution or wider (inter)national settings. Typically, those likely to be eligible to apply for Principal Fellowship are:
Professional Recognition Scheme
Our Professional Recognition Scheme handbook (.pdf) provides detailed information about the operation of the scheme at the University of Sunderland. The handbook provides information on mentorship, processing applications and appeals processes.
Useful links:
www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship
The University of Sunderland scheme is managed by Alan Tree, FHEA.
Alan Tree, FHEA
Email: alan.tree@sunderland.ac.uk
Tel: 0191 515 2183