SENIOR FELLOWSHIP AND PRINCIPAL FELLOWSHIP PATHWAY PROGRAMME HANDBOOK
HEA accredited provision January 2016 Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Oxford Brookes University Wheatley Campus Wheatley Oxford OX33 1HX 01865 485910 www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld
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PSF Pathway Handbook for Principal or Senior Fellow of the HEA Welcome to the PSF Pathway – a CPD route accredited by the Higher Education Academy 2015-2018
Welcome onto the PSF Pathway programme to achieve the award of Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. This forms an important element of our Continuing Personal Professional Development Framework and our Strategy to Enhance the Student Experience (SESE). By embarking on this path, you will be joining an established community of colleagues who have already shown a deep and prolonged interest in developing and leading specific aspects of teaching and learning and developing the practices of others.
This handbook outlines the stages of reflecting and recording your development and achievements in higher education professional practice. The range of activities that you may lead on within higher education is broad, and the pathway is intentionally inclusive of all categories of staff involved in supporting and enhancing the learning experience of Brookes students. For this reason, the guidance on how you might evidence your attainment of the Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow is precisely that, namely guidance, not prescription, although there are certain requirements set out in this handbook to which you must adhere.
As PSF Pathway Co-ordinator, I may often be a point of contact for you, but there are many others across the institution to help you achieve the award, not least those that have gone before you on this road. One of my particular roles is to encourage you to demonstrate influence and impact in your field, to engage with the literature, to work with your peers across the University and beyond, and to evaluate current practices and plan for improvements.
Whilst this handbook is certainly useful as a guide, and there is further information on the moodle site for the programme and on the OCSLD website, it is highly advisable to share your reflections on practice with colleagues, including others on the pathway programme, and colleagues within your own Department. I am more than happy to have a conversation with you about your individual pathway, and how you develop and evidence your reflective and critical commentary.
If you want to contact me at any time, email is the easiest route, [email protected]
I look forward to hearing from you,
Neil Currant, SFHEA
PSF Pathway Co-ordinator
OCSLD
January 2016
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Table of Contents
1. What is the UK Professional Standards Framework? ............................................................. 5
2. Why the HEA Fellowship awards at Brookes? ........................................................................ 5
3. Benefits of achieving Senior or Principal Fellow of the HEA ................................................... 6
4. How do these awards differ from Brookes Teaching Fellowships? ......................................... 6
5. How is a Senior Fellow described in the UKPSF?................................................................... 7
6. How is a Principal Fellow described in the UKPSF? ............................................................... 8
7. Who’s who in the PSF Pathway Programme........................................................................... 9
8. Sequence of activities on the Pathway.................................................................................. 10
9. What is my first step on the pathway?................................................................................... 10
10. How will I be supported to achieve the standard? ................................................................. 11
11. How can I demonstrate achievement of the standard? ......................................................... 12
How do I construct my claim? ........................................................................................... 12
What is meant by evidence?............................................................................................. 13
12. How is the claim judged to have met the standard?.............................................................. 14
13. Where can I provide feedback on my experience of the Pathway Programme?................... 15
14. Recommended reading and resources ................................................................................. 16
Appendix 1: Descriptors and Dimensions of the Framework........................................................ 18
Appendix 2: UKPSF Dimensions of Practice Wheel..................................................................... 20
Appendix 2a: Senior Fellow Pathway Initial Audit......................................................................... 22
Appendix 3: Mapping of CPD opportunities to UKPSF................................................................. 27
Appendix 4: Example timescale – for guidance only .................................................................... 30
Appendix 5a: Generative Questions for Senior Fellow of the HEA............................................... 31
Appendix 5b: Generative Questions for Principal Fellow of the HEA ........................................... 32
Appendix 6: Professional Dialogue Protocol................................................................................. 33
Appendix 7: Narrative Submission Protocol ................................................................................. 36
PSF Submission Form.................................................................................................................. 39
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1. What is the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education?
The UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) describes a national benchmark for teaching and learning support in higher education. The framework supports the move towards the professionalisation of teaching and learning in this sector, and it enables individuals and institutions to demonstrate that professional standards are being achieved.
The UKPSF describes the key characteristics of professional performance in four broad categories: Associate Fellow, Fellow, Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Within each category, there are statements that define more closely the expected ‘Dimensions of Practice’ (UKPSF, 2011, see also Appendix 1). These are expressed in relation to:
• areas of activity • core knowledge and • professional values.
This handbook is written for applicants entering the pathway programme to achieve either Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow of the HEA through a supported CPD process.
Note: In addition to the PSF Pathway to HEA Fellowships, Oxford Brookes University offers accredited routes to achieve Associate Fellow (our Associate Teachers’ Course, mapped to Descriptor 1) or Fellow (the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, or Post Graduate Certificate/Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Professional Education, mapped to Descriptor 2).
Full details of the UK Professional Standard Framework are on the Higher Education Academy website at http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ukpsf. The Dimensions of Practice and relevant Descriptors are reproduced in Appendix 1.
2. Why the HEA Fellowship awards at Brookes? Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow awards are an excellent opportunity to gain formal recognition for your achievements in teaching and in enhancing the student learning experience, combined with scholarship and academic leadership. The HEA Fellowships are a portable award that demonstrates your commitment to enhancing Higher Education. The pathway is an encouragement for you to undertake both formal and informal professional development (CPD) and to record this against the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) at a level appropriate for the activities that you undertake. For those who demonstrate sustained effectiveness and academic leadership there is the Senior Fellow, also called Descriptor 3; for those who demonstrate a sustained and effective record of impact at strategic level there is the Principal Fellow, also called Descriptor 4. These standards are defined in the following sections 4 and 5 of this handbook.
The PSF Pathway is co-ordinated by OCSLD with support from Faculty-based colleagues, and is accredited by the Higher Education Academy.
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3. Benefits of achieving Senior or Principal Fellow of the HEA Awards such as these are increasingly important for institutions as evidence of teaching quality and the professionalisation of teaching.
For the individual, they provide evidence that can support bids and promotion applications, for example to the post of Principal Lecturer (Student Experience) or Professorships. Previous candidates on the pathway say that they have valued the opportunity to reflect in a structured yet collegial way about their practices in Higher Education. It has helped them to discover their strengths and gain personal satisfaction from the recognition from colleagues of the influence they have had in a wide range of activities.
Feedback from candidates who have completed the Pathway
One candidate (for PFHEA) says:
"To recollect and recover one’s own achievements and contributions to teaching is a positive learning experience; to hear about and discuss with peers their contributions and ideas is inspiring…One’s colleagues can unmask complex values and originalities that we forget or take for granted."
Another (also PFHEA) says:
“The flexibility offered for how the Claim could be submitted allowed me to find creative ways to map against the required criteria. This flexibility is balanced very well with a carefully structured programme
Another candidate (SFHEA) says:
“I really enjoyed the interview too. It made me realise the importance of sharing not just our overarching philosophy of teaching and learning but also practical techniques.”
All successful candidates have been able to demonstrate, within their own disciplinary or professional area, at either Senior or Principal Fellow how they have impacted on the practices of others with respect to the UKPSF areas of activity, core knowledge and professional values. They have also shown their own continuing professional development through engaging with scholarship, with student learning and student feedback, and their commitment to improving the student learning experience of higher education.
Candidates for either of the categories of Fellowship have thus far come from many different areas of University life, and from a wide variety of roles, including Senior Lecturer, Educational Developers, Principal Lecturers (Student Experience), Programme Leads, Subject Co-ordinators, Head of Department, Pro Vice Chancellor/Dean, Learning Technologist (DMELD), Library, Higher Education manager in an Associate College.
Any of them will be happy to talk to you about their journey.
4. How do these awards differ from Brookes Teaching Fellowships? The award of Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow is made on the basis of the claim that an individual submits for review and recognition. Unlike Brookes Teaching Fellows, these awards
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are not limited in number each year, they are not competitive, nor do they carry a financial reward with them. Gaining the award represents achievement of a professional status relating to leadership of learning and teaching in Higher Education. It is not, therefore in itself a mark of teaching excellence. The Brookes Teaching Excellence Fellowships, on the other hand, are a local scheme to recognise excellence along the lines of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme.
Brookes Teaching Excellence Fellows are encouraged to gain recognition against the Senior Fellowship descriptor by the end of their two-year project phase, and indeed many have been early candidates from when the PSF Pathway Programme was launched in 2012.
5. How is a Senior Fellow described in the UKPSF? The Senior Fellow pathway maps onto the UKPSF at the level of Descriptor 3. The Higher Education Academy states:
Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy is appropriate for you if you have ‘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.’
It is awarded to professionals who can demonstrate, with appropriate evidence, that they meet the criteria of Descriptor 3 of the UK Professional Standard Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
The criteria are:
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 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
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 There is scope for a wide variety of role-holders to gain Senior Fellowship, including those primarily involved in learner support and development. What is important is that you are able to provide evidence against the criteria.
Current Senior Fellows at Brookes include Brookes Teaching Fellow, Principal Lecturer (Student Experience), Programme Lead, Subject Co-ordinator, Educational Developer, Reader and Senior Lecturer.
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6. How is a Principal Fellow described in the UKPSF? The Principal Fellowship pathway maps onto the UKPSF at the level of Descriptor 4. The Higher Education Academy states:
Principal Fellowship 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. It is awarded to professionals who can demonstrate, with appropriate evidence, that they meet the criteria of Descriptor 4 (D4) of the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
The criteria are:
i. Active commitment to and championing of all Dimensions 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.
Examples of staff likely to be at Descriptor 4 (D4) include:
a. Highly experienced and/or senior staff with wide-ranging academic or academic-related strategic leadership responsibilities in connection with key aspects of teaching and supporting learning
b. Staff responsible for institutional strategic leadership and policymaking in the area of teaching and learning
c. Staff who have strategic impact and influence in relation to teaching and learning that extends beyond their own institution
Current Principal Fellows at Brookes include colleagues who are: National Teaching Fellows, Pro-Vice Chancellor/Dean, Head of Department, Associate Dean (Student Experience), Principal Lecturer (Quality), Principal Lecturer (Student Experience).
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7. Who’s who in the PSF Pathway Programme
Candidate
Submits an initial audit, and timeline
Participates in peer coaching meetings
Demonstrates development and accumulates evidence and Reference or Advocate statements
Submits claim for the award
Peer Coach
Usually also a candidate for the same award
Supports candidates in developing their claim
Keeps the Pathway Co-ordinator up-to-date with candidate’s progress
Advocate / Referee Submits an advocacy statement (for PFHEA) or reference (for SFHEA) in support of a candidate’s claim.
Reviewer
Assesses the claim, including CV, audits, written and oral submissions made by the candidate (documented or in dialogue)
Makes judgements about claims for the award
PSF Pathway Co-ordinator and
PSF Faculty Lead
Is a member of the Awards Panel
Manages and promotes engagement with the programme
Feeds back on initial self-assessment audits
Makes judgements about claims for the award
Moderates decisions and makes recommendations to the Awards Panel
PSF Pathway Administrator
Administers the programme
Keeps records of candidates
Services the Awards Panel
Awards Panel member Makes the final recognition decision
Monitors processes of the Programme
Advises on programme developments
External reviewer (external examiner)
Is a member of the Awards Panel
Scrutinises a proportion of claims to ensure the standard is maintained and is aligned with the UKPSF
Makes independent judgements about claims for the award of PFHEA and SFHEA
Reports on standards and consistency
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8. Sequence of activities on the Pathway The PSF Pathway has been designed to support you with peers, at a pace that suits you, to achieve the award. The application stage includes a launch workshop, which covers engagement with the UKPSF and peer coaching principles, with opportunities to practice and reflect on the value of this form of conversation. The following diagram outlines the five stages of the programme, which are then outlined in each of the subsequent sections of this handbook.
9. What is my first step on the pathway?
Those who come into the pathway are required initially to submit an action plan and timescale for achieving the standard. The action plan is derived from a personal evaluation against the relevant Descriptor grid in what is called an Initial Audit (see Appendix 2a and 2b). An example timescale is given in Appendix 4. Your action plan and initial audit is judged against the criteria by the Pathway Co-ordinator, and/or one of the PSF Faculty Leads.
The criteria for acceptance onto the Pathway Programme are:
• significant experience of leading colleagues in teaching or learning support • evidence of engaging in recent professional development • demonstration of scholarship in relation to their learning and teaching and/or leadership
practices • evidence of adapting practices to meet the changing requirements of learners
Apply • Complete your initial audit • Determine your action plan and timescale
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• awareness of the implications of the changing context of higher education, specifically in relation to their own disciplinary teaching or specialism in learning support or management
• willingness to connect with and learn from colleagues both within and external to the University
• feasibility of the proposed action plan and timeline
If you meet the criteria for joining the programme, you receive feedback from the Pathway co-ordinator or Faculty Lead on what has been proposed as an action plan, with suggestions of further development, such as readings, visits or exchanges, research, seminars and web resources that may assist you towards a successful claim.
As a candidate on the pathway, you are required to attend a workshop to strengthen your engagement with the UK Professional Standards Framework and receive formal development in peer coaching. It is normally following this workshop and completion of your audit that you enrol formally and are paired up to support another candidate through the process of peer coaching.
As a candidate on the pathway you will have access to a learning space in Brookes Open Moodle where you are able to access relevant resources, exchange scholarly and professional knowledge, submit your initial audit for feedback, construct your claim and get feedback from your peer coach, as well as raise queries with others on the pathway programme and ultimately submit your claim.
10. How will I be supported to achieve the standard?
Once you have had feedback on your action plan, the Pathway Co-ordinator will discuss with you what is required for you to complete your action plan within your timescale. From this point, submission is normally achieved within a year, and you have a maximum of two years to complete. You are advised to consider undertaking further professional development activity to strengthen the currency of your claim. For an idea of how you might approach this, Appendix 3 offers a mapping of CPD activities to the UK Professional Standards Framework.
As soon as practicably possible, and with agreement on both sides, a colleague will be assigned to you as a peer coach, to support you in meeting the standard and normally you will arrange a series of meetings with your coach or in a group to suit your timetable. The peer coach is most likely also a candidate on the Pathway, or has recently completed. You may wish to work largely independently on your claim, in which case you will be asked as a minimum to submit regular updates to your peer coach. Alternatively, you might wish to be part of an action learning set, which the Pathway Co-ordinator or Faculty Lead can assist in establishing. The peer coach is involved fully at a formative stage of providing feedback on the claim and agreeing with you that the claim is ready for the next stage of review.
As well as the nominated coach, however, the Pathway Programme welcomes your engagement with the teaching development community of other fellows and principal lecturers (student experience), as well as colleagues in your discipline in other institutions. These colleagues are available to motivate you to complete, and offer you support in areas of specialism where appropriate.
Engage • Undertake development to meet the priorities in your action plan • Re<lect on learning and development with aid of coach and peers
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Keep in touch with the PSF Pathway Co-ordinator and/or Faculty Lead, in particular in the run-up to your anticipated submission date, and do not hesitate to ask any general queries about your claim.
11. How can I demonstrate achievement of the standard?
To meet the standard, you need to demonstrate your claim with evidence of your own professional practice and your own development in the context of championing, leading or mentoring colleagues and/or teams in the enhancement of the student learning experience, as set out in the Descriptor statements (Appendix 1 and 2a/2b).
How do I construct my claim? There is no single way to approach your claim, but support for this is provided in the Moodle site for the Pathway and in the appendices of this handbook. Your claim could for example take the form of:
• a recorded professional dialogue (See Appendix 6 for a protocol to support you) • a critical reflective essay or narrative (normally around 7,000 words, see the
protocol in Appendix 7), • an annotated CPD record with reflection, • a video narrative, • a website, or you could choose another equivalent demonstration of your claim.
In all cases, you are urged to be highly selective in what you include and to demonstrate critical reflection on your own development and address all areas of the dimensions of practice in sufficient detail. These three characteristics define a successful claim:
In the first instance, in order to start to work towards demonstrating your claim, you may find it helpful to use the following general questions to guide you in addressing each of the areas of activity, core knowledge and professional values in a reflective and critical way:
What do you do? – roles and responsibilities
How do you do it? – what methods you employ in the context of your discipline or leadership role
Why do you do it in those ways? – theoretical and professional rationale, demonstrating scholarship and your reflection on the professional values
What resources or support do you need? – networks, informants, training or development, mentoring etc.
Re<lect • Prepare your claim demonstrating impact of your leadership • Provide evidence through examples and testimonials
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How do you know your approaches are effective? – evidence of impact, student/colleague feedback, enhancement data
How might you improve what you do? – planned innovations, reflection and professional development
What is meant by evidence? The types of evidence required to substantiate the claims will vary according to the individual submission. Evidence is likely, however, to include some of the following:
o personal reflective statements on development activities, o peer and student feedback on practice o testimonials of your successful impact o external examiner reports, o email exchanges, o departmental reports, o institutional project leadership, o academic papers, academic reviews, o contributions to learning and teaching enhancement events or their planning, o policy formulation, o programme documentation, o advice to students or colleagues on learning, o active membership of relevant external networks or organisations, o statistical data, o results of surveys or other forms of evaluating practice, o action research or other pedagogic research projects.
Essential Evidence The HEA require that you produce a claim in which you reflect on your professional practice and development in relation to the relevant Descriptor. The claim comprises an evaluative commentary on your developing practice supported by evidence.
For Senior Fellow of the HEA, your evidence must include:
2 references that verify that your claim is accurate and that it meets the requirements of the Senior Fellow descriptor
For Principal Fellow of the HEA, your evidence must include:
3 advocate statements that support and recommend you for the award. One of these must be external to your organisation, and one of them must already be a Fellow (or Senior or Principal Fellow) of the HEA. Within the 3 statements, at least one must advocate how you have influenced their own practice.
Sample reference letters and advocate statements are available within the Moodle site as a guide.
The areas of activity, core knowledge and professional values mentioned above are shown in Appendix 1, and the Descriptor for the relevant category of Fellowship is in the self-assessment
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audit in Appendix 2a and 2b. This is how you can map your own development and activities and set yourself a target date to achieve each element of the descriptor for Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow.
Appendix 5a for Senior Fellow and 5b for Principal Fellow offer a set of questions that address the UKPSF holistically. These questions have proven to be extremely useful to help candidates work through with their peer coach as you proceed to develop your claim. They have been found to be particularly useful in helping prepare candidates for professional dialogue.
12. How is the claim judged to have met the standard?
The assessment process for the pathway is one of informal peer feedback prior to submission, and formal review to assess claims. For each submission, there is a two-stage process where colleagues will examine and comment on your claim. If successful, your name will then be recommended to the Awards Panel for recognition.
In Appendix 6 and Appendix 7 you will find specific protocols to support you and your reviewer if you choose to submit through the professional dialogue route, or to submit a critically reflective essay or narrative.
Informal Peer Feedback and Formal Review
The first stage is conducted by your peer coach, who has been supporting the development of your claim as you have been supporting the development of theirs; the purpose of this informal stage is to assure that your claim is ready for submission and that you have suitable advocate statements or references as required by the HEA. Without these supporting documents, you will not be able to proceed. Once this is achieved, you and/or your peer coach contact the PSF Pathway Co-ordinator or PSF Pathway Lead to declare that you are ready for recognition. The Co-ordinator will then allocate suitable reviewers to assess your claim.
The second stage is a formal review of your claim by 3 reviewers, in accordance with Section 3.2 of the Establishing and operating HEA accredited provision policy.
Your claim is reviewed by:
1. A reviewer from the institutional set of SFHEAs and PFHEAs 2. A member of the PSF Pathway team, which comprises the PSF Co-ordinator and four
Faculty PSF Leads, all of whom are SFHEA or PFHEA. The member will not be from the same Faculty or Directorate as yourself, in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
3. The external reviewer independently assesses claims for Senior Fellowship.
A decision is reached through discussion amongst the reviewers and the result is either:
Review • Peer review and improve • Prepare for submission
Submit • Submit your claim to the Programme Co-‐ordinator • Receive the award of Senior Fellowship or Principal Fellowship
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a. a joint recommendation is made to the Awards Panel for the award to be made, or b. guidance on what further development is required.
Feedback is provided against each of the elements of the relevant descriptor, whatever mode of submission you make.
In cases where the reviewers do not feel that you have yet met the standard and further development is required, you will receive this in your feedback with a deadline for completion, as described in the following section.
What if my claim has not met the standard?
The two-stage review process starts with peer coaching support and generally means that claims are at the appropriate standard when they are put forward for the second stage, and are already complete with references or advocate statements. At the second stage, if there are areas where the reviewers feel that you have not fully met the standard, then they will indicate this clearly on the feedback form you receive, with a date by which you should complete them.
The reviewer feedback will state what further development of your claim is expected. This will be supplemental to the professional dialogue, narrative account or other work you have submitted. In the case of professional dialogue in particular, our experience is that a re-submission is best dealt with as a paper submission, rather than a re-assessment via the dialogue route, therefore you will be asked to submit a written statement of 500 words for each identified element. Your name is only put forward to the Awards Panel once the reviewers have agreed that the standard has been met.
Your claim will then be recommended for recognition at the relevant category of Fellowship at the next Awards Panel for the PSF Pathway.
Recognition by the Awards Panel
The Awards Panel for the PSF Pathway is constituted with terms of reference that are reviewed annually (available on request). As well as ratifying the recommendations for recognition, the panel assures the quality of the programme, and considers responses to institutional and external drivers with regard to the UKPSF.
The Panel is chaired by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience), and members include the Head of OCSLD (or nominee), a National Teaching Fellow, and current Brookes Teaching Fellows from at least two Faculties. The external reviewer also sits as a member of the Awards Panel. An up-to-date list of members is available through the Moodle site for the Pathway.
Panel members between them have a wide range of experience of reviewing and recognising all categories of HEA Fellowship and more than meets the requirements of the Higher Education Academy on making recognition decisions. Members of the panel are supported in their role through regular updates and pre-panel briefings in order to keep their knowledge of the UKPSF current. The Awards Panel normally meets twice a year, but has the flexibility to convene more often to meet higher demand where necessary.
13. Where can I provide feedback on my experience of the Pathway Programme?
Feedback can be provided directly to the Pathway Co-ordinator, or in the moodle discussion forum. You are welcome to call on the Co-ordinator, Faculty Lead or the Administrator to clarify any uncertainties with the process or with one’s own progress. If the coaching relationship is not working for you, then alert the Pathway Co-ordinator and an alternative will be found.
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Quality and standards of the programme are considered at the Awards Panel meetings, and actions are reported to the Higher Education Subject Committee in the School of Education. Feedback from candidates is solicited in advance of the Subject Committee meeting, along with other courses in the subject area, such as the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education.
For details of the university conduct, appeals and complaints procedures please go to http://www.brookes.ac.uk/regulations/current/appeals-complaints-conduct/
14. Recommended reading and resources There are numerous resources in the library and on the web to support your professional development as a leader in higher education. As well as resources within your discipline and generic resources within Brookes which you are already familiar, including the highly recommended PETAL website https://sites.google.com/a/brookes.ac.uk/petal/, we advise that you regularly consult the following sites for updates:
• HEFCE (www.hefce.ac.uk) for national policy and trends in funding, regulation and monitoring;
• The Higher Education Academy (www.heacademy.ac.uk) for learning, teaching and the student experience;
• Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (www.lfhe.ac.uk) for leadership, governance and change;
• Times Higher Educational Supplement (http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/) for political commentary on current HE affairs.
For specific academic leadership resources we recommend an Australian site at Griffith University, which draws together materials also from Curtin and Queensland: http://www.griffith.edu.au/learning-teaching/professional-development
For exhaustive and inspiring collections of bibliographies on a wide range of HE pedagogies and innovations, largely centred around research and scholarship in teaching, Mick Healey’s personal site is a goldmine: http://www.mickhealey.co.uk/resources
Journal articles and books (selected)
Arum, R. and J. Roksa (2011). Academically adrift : limited learning on college campuses. Chicago, Ill., University of Chicago Press ; Bristol : University Presses Marketing [distributor].
Barnett, R. (2009). "Knowing and becoming in the higher education curriculum." Studies in Higher Education 34(4): 429-440.
Billot, J. (2011). "The changing research context: implications for leadership." Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management 33(1): 37-46.
Cousin, G. (2009). Researching learning in higher education : an introduction to contemporary methods and approaches. London, Routledge.
Fullan, M. and G. Scott (2009). Turnaround leadership for higher education. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
Gibbs, G (2010) Dimensions of Quality (HEA, 2010) available at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/evidence_informed_practice/Dimensions_of_Quality. Accessed August 2013.
Gibbs, G (2012) Implications of ‘Dimensions of quality’ in a market environment (HEA, 2012) available at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/evidence_informed_practice/Implications_of_Dimensions_of_quality. Accessed August 2013
Gunn, V. and Fisk, A. (2013) Considering Teaching Excellence in Higher Education: 2007-2013 Higher Education Academy. Available from: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/resources/TELR_final_acknowledgements.pdf
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Accessed April 2015 Jones, S., G. Lefoe, et al. (2012). "Distributed leadership: a collaborative framework for academics,
executives and professionals in higher education." Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management 34(1): 67-78.
Land, R and Gordon, G (2013) Enhancing Quality in Higher Education: International Perspectives. New York and London: Routledge International Higher Education Series
Lord, L. A. and A. Preston (2009). "Understanding leadership experiences: the need for story sharing and feminist literature as a survival manual for leadership." Gender & Education 21(6): 769-777.
Neary, M. and G. Saunders (2011). "Leadership and Learning Landscapes: the Struggle for the Idea of the University." Higher Education Quarterly 65(4): 333-352.
Saunders, M., P. Trowler, et al. (2011). Reconceptualising evaluation in higher education : the practice turn. Maidenhead, Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
Schon, D. A. (1991). The reflective practitioner : how professionals think in action. Aldershot, Avebury. Trowler, P., M. Saunders, et al. (2012). Tribes and territories in the 21st-century : rethinking the
significance of disciplines in higher education. London, Routledge. Watson, D. (2009). The question of morale : managing happiness and unhappiness in university life.
Maidenhead, McGrraw-Hill/Open University Press.
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Appendix 1: Descriptors and Dimensions of the Framework
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Descriptors for Senior and Principal Fellow of the HEA
The Higher Education Academy’s Professional Recognition for Senior Fellow aligns to the Dimensions of The UK Professional Standards Framework and focuses on Descriptor 3:
An individual working in this category demonstrates a thorough understanding of effective approaches to learning and teaching 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 academic or professional practices;
vii. successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to learning and teaching.
The Higher Education Academy’s Professional Recognition Scheme for Principal Fellow aligns to the dimensions of The UK Professional Standards Framework and focuses on Descriptor 4:
An individual working in this category demonstrates a sustained record of effective leadership in academic practice and academic development as a key contribution to high quality student learning. Individuals should be able to provide evidence of:
i. Active commitment to and championing of all Dimensions 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.
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Appendix 2: UKPSF Dimensions of Practice Wheel Inner segm
entI have thought about this; I have experience of doing it; m
y evidence is lim
ited.
Second segm
entI have reflected on this; I have experience of developing m
y practice; I have som
e evidence.
Outer segm
entI have researched relevant literature; I have reflected on a range of experiences; I have good exam
ples of evidence to support m
y claims.
Using the segm
ents, note where your strengths
are, and identify areas to work on
Locating your practice w
ithin the UK
PS
F
A1 Designing & planning
learning activities/program
mes of study
A2 Teaching and/or
supporting student
learning
A3 Assessment and
giving feedback
to learners
A4 Developing effective
environments, student
support & guidance
A5 CPD in subjects/ disciplines and their pedagogy & evaluation of practice
Areas of Activity
K1Your subject m
aterial
K2 Meth
ods f
or te
achin
g
and a
sses
sing
in th
e
subje
ct are
a/at
the
level
K3 H
ow s
tude
nts
lear
n
gene
rally
& w
ithin
you
r
subj
ect a
rea
K4 U
se a
nd v
alue
of
appr
opria
te le
arni
ngte
chno
logi
esK5
Met
hods
for e
valua
ting
the
effec
tiven
ess
of te
achin
g
K6 Implications of
quality a
ssurance and
enha
ncement for practice
with a f
ocus on teaching
Core
Kno
wle
dge
UKPSF+ e.g.
collaboration in teaching
of strengthAny additional areas
V1 Respect individual learners and diverselearning communitiesV2 Promote participation
in HE and equality of
opportunity for learners V3 Use evidence-informed
approaches & outcomes
of research, scholarship
and CPD
V4 Acknowledge w
ider context
in which H
E operates,
recognising implications
for professional practiceU
KP
SF: W
here am I today?Professional Values
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Dimensions exercise: Reflections on the Dimensions of Practice Wheel – Areas of Activity, Core Knowledge and Professional Values
Three areas of the UKPSF where I show particular strengths are:
Three areas of the UKPSF where I could usefully do some more focused thinking and development of practice are:
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Appendix 2a: Senior Fellow Pathway Initial Audit In preparing to develop your claim for Senior Fellow of the HEA, please first complete the following initial audit of yourself and send to the Pathway Co-ordinator.
Senior Fellow (Descriptor 3) states that the candidate:
Demonstrates a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning.
Please refer to the Dimension of the Framework (Appendix 1) for precise statements of Areas of Activity, Core knowledge and Professional Values
Evidence of: Examples of activity or outcomes that I can cite as evidence of this
Reflection on how I meet these statements in my practice
Achieved? If not, then when/how?
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
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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 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
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learning
Action Planning towards Senior Fellow of the HEA
Priority action to address gaps
What will I do? Which Dimension(s) of Practice or Criteria will this address
By when?
Planned date of completion: ……………………………………………
Note: The Awards Panel normally meets twice yearly to recognise claims that have been successfully reviewed.
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Appendix 2b: Principal Fellow Pathway Initial Audit In preparing to develop your claim for Principal Fellow of the HEA, please complete the following initial audit and send to the Pathway Co-ordinator.
Principal Fellow (Descriptor 4) states that the candidate:
Demonstrates a sustained record of effective strategic leadership in academic practice and academic development as a key contribution to high quality student learning.
Please refer to the Dimension of the Framework (Appendix 1) for precise statements of Areas of Activity, Core knowledge and Professional Values
Evidence of: Examples of activity or outcomes that I can cite as evidence of this
Reflection on how I meet these statements in my practice
Achieved? If not, then when/how?
i Active commitment to and championing of all Dimensions 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 organizational policies and/or strategies for supporting and promoting others
(e.g. through mentoring, coaching) in delivering high quality teaching and support for learning.
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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 successfulcommitment to, and engagement in, continuing professional development related to academic, institutional and/or other professional practices
Action Planning towards Principal Fellow of the HEA
Priority action to address gaps
What will I do? Which Dimension(s) of Practice or Criteria will this address
By when?
Planned date of completion: ……………………………………………
Note: The Awards Panel normally meets twice yearly to recognise claims that have been successfully reviewed
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Appendix 3: Mapping of CPD opportunities to UKPSF Most of the CPD opportunities in this table are not formally assessed. The PSF Pathway offers you prompts to reflect on and record your learning from participation in learning activities, and from work-based observations, enquiry into practice, and reading.
NOTE: For Senior and Principal Fellow of the HEA it is expected that you also actively initiate CPD for your own working teams, and lead the enhancement of teaching and learning within your respective areas.
Personal Notes
Areas of Activity Suggestions of available CPD
A1 Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
• Course team awaydays • Course Design Intensive (CDI) • PETAL enquiry • “Designing and delivering an
international curriculum” (online course)
A2 Teach and/or support learning • PETAL enquiry or observations • Student engagement projects • Dissertation supervision
workshop • FSLT – First steps in Learning
and Teaching – open online course
A3 Assess and give feedback to learners • “TOOC - Teaching open online course”
• Trials with ASKe 123 methods • Feedback forums • “Successful Supervising”
(online course) • Annual plagiarism conference
A4 Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance
• PETAL groupwork or enquiry • Academic advising online
course and workshop • Teaching and learning
seminars • Coaching course
A5 Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practices
• Course Design Intensive (CDI) • PETAL groupwork or enquiry • Write a guide for colleagues on
an aspect of teaching • Disciplinary teaching circles • Peer reviewer for teaching and
learning journal • Pathway to Senior Fellow of
the HEA
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• Education Doctorate or MA studies
Core knowledge
K1 The subject material • Engaging in research & development projects
• Research seminars • Civic engagement project • Disciplinary conferences and
journals
K2 Appropriate methods for teaching and learning in the subject area and at the level of the academic programme
• Annual learning and teaching conference
• Student engagement projects • Mentoring colleagues in
teaching and learning • Disciplinary teaching journals • Minerva seminars
K3 How students learn, both generally and within their subject/disciplinary area(s)
• Pedagogic research into your own setting
• PETAL groupwork or enquiry • Student feedback forums • Reading HE research literature
K4 The use and value of appropriate learning technologies
• Annual learning and teaching conference & exhibition
• Observations and discussions with online tutors
• TOOC – teaching online open course
• Course Design Intensive (CDI) • Moodle and google workshops
K5 Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching
• Pedagogic research seminars • Engagement in research &
development projects • Maintain a learning journal of
your own teaching • Peer observation and
discussion
K6 The implications of quality assurance and quality enhancement for academic and professional practice with a particular focus on teaching
• Participation in quality assurance processes
• Reading and applying the Quality & Standards Handbook
• Undertaking module review Workshops offered by the Quality Office (APQO), such as: Introduction to QA in HE
Professional values
V1 Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities
• Departmental and subject awaydays
• Network involvement, such as Centre for International Curriculum Inquiry and Networking (CICIN), ASKe
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Pedagogy Centre • Mentoring colleagues in
teaching and learning • Leadership and management
development and reflection
V2 Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunity for learners
• Associate College Partnership conference
• Inclusive teaching guidelines • Mentoring colleagues in
teaching and learning • Participation in school liaison
activities
V3 Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research, scholarship and continuing professional development
• PETAL groupwork and enquiry • Publishing in Brookes eJournal
of Learning and Teaching (BeJLT)
• Participating in internal communities of those in similar roles
• Present summaries of relevant literature for your colleagues
•
V4 Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates recognising the implications for professional practice
• Engage in business and community projects
• External examining • Undertake the PCTHE • Reading (eg HEFCE and other
national reports on UK HE)
Additional mechanisms for CPD at Brookes include: self-directed reflection, professional dialogue, personal development review, job shadowing, guest lecturing, team teaching, peer observation of teaching, policy development, working groups for committees, volunteering, staff exchanges, support for applicants for teaching awards, visits to other relevant sites, Sese-hub social network, many other web-based learning and teaching guides and references.
In addition, the CPD framework encourages fostering disciplinary and pedagogical networks, and contributing actively to these communities nationally in order to enhance dimensions of practice locally.
More ideas and examples are available on the PETAL website, accessed via OCSLD http://www.brookes.ac.uk/ocsld/
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Appendix 4: Example timescale – for guidance only Once you have sent in your initial audit and been put in touch with a peer coach, you might expect to complete the PSF Pathway within 6 to 12 months. You are expected to complete within a maximum of 2 years.
Meetings/interventions Tasks
September Launch workshop Coaching session
Complete the initial audit Develop an action plan
October First meeting with peer coach Initiate professional development
activities and reflect on audit feedback
November Development activities or deeper reflection
Further prepare claim and gather evidence
December Second meeting with peer coach Reflect on learning and
development
January Progress checkpoint:
Have you got your references/ advocate statements?
Further prepare claim and gather evidence; adjust action plan
February Third meeting with peer coach Reflect on learning and
development and plan submission
March Peer coach confirms your readiness to submit
Finalise and submit the claim for peer review/prepare for dialogue
April Progress checkpoint; Have I met the standard?
Receive feedback from reviewers and confirmation of standard or improve your claim (if required)
May Reviewer informs Pathway co-ordinator of the outcome; submission confirmed
Await next Awards Panel meeting
June Panel approves the award
Recognition awarded and certified by the HEA - myAcademy
September Graduation ceremony
Attend and receive applause
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Appendix 5a: Generative Questions for Senior Fellow of the HEA
The following questions may be useful in helping you to formulate your claim. If you are entering your claim through the professional dialogue route, your reviewer may use these questions to ascertain that all areas of the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF are covered.
1. What is your discipline or specialism, and what is your current professional role?
2. Can you explain your teaching philosophy and give two or three examples where it comes through in your work? [this is an opportunity to talk about values and your approach to teaching/learning, items i and iii]
3. How do you work with your colleagues to enhance teaching, learning or assessment practices? [this is an opportunity to demonstrate how you support others in developing teaching/learning practices, item iv, vii]
4. Where do you know that you have had influence outside of the delivery of your own programmes?
[here you can demonstrate impact in teaching/learning practices beyond your own course, item vii]
5. Can you tell me about a significant external factor that is affecting teaching and learning in your disciplinary area at the moment, and what your response has been to this?
[this is a chance to evidence scholarship of your discipline, as well as strategic thinking in relation to academic development, items ii and v]
6. What reflections do you have on your ongoing professional development with regard to learning, teaching and learning support?
[your personal commitment to CPD comes here, item vi]
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Appendix 5b: Generative Questions for Principal Fellow of the HEA
The following questions may be useful in helping you to formulate your claim. If you are entering your claim through the professional dialogue route, your reviewer may use these questions to ascertain that all areas of the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF are covered.
1. What is your discipline or specialism, and what is your current professional role?
2. Can you tell me about your teaching philosophy, and give two or three examples where it is most evident in your work? [this is an opportunity to talk about values and your approach to teaching/learning, items i]
3. Which aspects of higher education practice would you say you championed? [this is an invitation to present and evidence your leadership in bringing together research/teaching/scholarship/administration, item iv ]
4. What do you consider to be significant factors in providing a high quality student learning experience and how do you ensure these factors are in place?
[here you need to evidence your understanding of high quality student learning and demonstrate you have put effective delivery mechanisms in place, item iii]
5. How do you see yourself as a leader in academic practice, and can you give at least two examples where you have had particular strategic influence both within the institution, and at national or international level? [this is an opportunity to evidence your strategic leadership, item ii]
6. Can you tell me about external factors that are affecting teaching and learning in your sphere at the moment, and what your strategic response has been to this? [here you demonstrate that you can respond strategically to changing environment, and your commitment to institutional, academic or professional development of others, item v]
7. What reflections do you have on your own ongoing professional development with regard to academic or other professional development?
[your personal commitment to CPD comes here, item v]
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Appendix 6: Professional Dialogue Protocol This protocol is written as a guide for both reviewers and candidates to help them conduct a fair and reliable assessment process and to enable a judgement to be reached. The professional dialogue is an oral assessment of how the candidate has achieved the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF and is conducted by one of three reviewers of each claim, including the external reviewer.
Before arranging the professional dialogue, candidates will have:
a) submitted an initial audit to the Pathway co-ordinator, mapping themselves against the relevant descriptor and been accepted onto the PSF Pathway Programme.
b) worked together with a peer coach to develop a reflective account of their practice, and agreed with that coach that they are ready to undertake the professional dialogue – and that their claim is selective, reflective and complete in coverage of the relevant descriptor
c) informed the Pathway co-ordinator that they are prepared for this stage in the process
d) submitted a revised and updated audit, including the necessary letters of reference or advocate statements and an up-to-date CV. It is expected that these will be submitted in Moodle. These will be passed to the reviewers in preparation for the dialogue.
The dialogue will normally last between 40-60 minutes. The professional dialogue is intended to be a collegial conversation about Higher Education teaching practices and professional development. Many of us like to talk beyond the time available, but we need to keep the dialogue to time, so please let the reviewer (not the candidate) lead the questioning and interrupt the candidate if they feel that the response is not contributing further to the claim. The questions in Appendix 5a and 5b are useful for preparing you for the dialogue, both as a candidate and as a reviewer.
The reviewer will provide feedback on the professional dialogue within a week of the event.
Where there is further development to be undertaken, this will be indicated against the relevant element of the descriptor. The candidate will then need to provide a written statement of 500 words for each of the identified elements by an agreed deadline. This will be supplemental to the professional dialogue, narrative account or other work submitted.
Reviewers will need to agree that the standard has been met in this way before the claim is recommended for recognition at the relevant category of Fellowship at the next Awards Panel for the PSF Pathway.
Candidate Preparation for the Professional Dialogue – note for candidates As a candidate, you are expected to have considered in detail how you meet the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF. You are advised to bring with you some written or visual notes to ensure that you say all that you want to say. Your account of your own practice needs to be critically reflective and indicate areas of future development.
Remember that you are asserting that you have achieved a professional standard. You need to demonstrate through your reflections that you are aware of what that standard means, including
34
explicit reference to the UK Professional Standards Framework, and how you meet it in your own current practices.
You must demonstrate your practices with examples of evidence. This normally means that you bring with you some artefacts from your practice, or you will bring an electronic device and guide the reviewer to view relevant web resources, annual review data or reports, external examiner comments etc. In all cases, the evidence will need to be carefully selected, readily presentable during the dialogue, and clearly relevant to an aspect of the standard descriptor.
All areas of the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF will be covered, and the guiding question sets (see Appendix 5a and 5b) are intended to generate a more holistic approach.
You, the candidate, need to complete and submit the PSF Submission Form in the PSF Pathway Programme moodle site in order to be put forward to the next available Awards Panel.
Reviewer Preparation for the Professional Dialogue Notes for the reviewer holding the dialogue In advance of the dialogue, you will receive an updated audit, reference letters (SFHEA) or advocacy statements (PFHEA), and a CV, so that you can gain prior insight into the nature of the conversation to be held.
Agree a time and place for the professional dialogue to take place where it is quiet and likely to be undisturbed for the duration of the dialogue.
Normally, it is the task of the reviewer to arrange the recording equipment, possibly with the support of a DMELD, or with the loan of equipment from OBIS. Make sure that recording equipment is fully charged, set up and tested beforehand. It is recommended to have two recording devices in case one of them should fail.
Spend the first 5-10 minutes without recording, just getting to familiarise yourselves with each other and an outline of the claim that is being made by the candidate. ie – both of your disciplinary areas, get them to outline their teaching interests, recent developments that they may refer to in the dialogue, evidence they will bring to bear.
While you are conducting the dialogue, ensure that you have complete coverage of the relevant descriptor. Save a few minutes towards the end of the dialogue for a re-cap of what you have heard them say about each of the elements of the descriptor.
At the end of the professional dialogue, you, the reviewer, should be in a position to decide that you are able, or not yet able, to sign the form that states:
"that the candidate has given an account of their practice that meets the relevant descriptor and is critically reflective, selective of their practice and complete in coverage."
You may want to reflect further on the dialogue before completing the form and making your judgement on achievement of the standard. You record the strengths of the candidate's responses on the form "Principal/Senior Fellow Reviewer Feedback". Please include examples from what you have spoken about. You have up to a week to do this.
If there are areas where you feel that the candidate has not fully met the standard, then indicate this clearly on the feedback form. Further work to address each area of concern may be submitted for review at a future date that is agreed between the reviewers, by means of a written statement of 500 words.
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You need to send a signed and completed feedback form and the recording, preferably in mp4 format, to the Pathway Co-ordinator within a week of the professional dialogue having taken place.
Notes for the other reviewers observing the dialogue The recorded dialogue and the accompanying materials for the claim will be available for you to make your assessment. After observing the dialogue you should be in a position to decide that you are able, or not yet able, to sign off the form that states:
"that the candidate has given an account of their practice that meets the relevant descriptor and is critically reflective, selective of their practice and complete in coverage."
You record the strengths of the candidate's responses on the form "Principal/Senior Fellow Reviewer Feedback". Please include examples from what has been spoken about. You have up to a week to do this.
If there are areas where you feel that the candidate has not fully met the standard, then indicate this clearly on the feedback form. Further work to address each area of concern may be submitted for review at a future date that is agreed between the reviewers, by means of a written statement of 500 words.
You reach a decision through discussion with the other reviewers and the result is either to recommend the award, or to require further development on the part of the candidate.
Environment The professional dialogue will take place in a dedicated space to avoid interruptions. The Pathway co-ordinator should be informed at all times of any disruption to the process.
The dialogue will be recorded, either as a video or audio, and the recording will be captured in a format that can be shared.
Claim submission Once the reviewers have agreed their decision, including accepting additional statements to address feedback, the claim is deemed to be complete. The documented review process is sent to the PSF Pathway Co-ordinator. Successful claims are recommended to the next Awards Panel for recognition as HEA Fellow, in the appropriate category. The claim may be subject to further scrutiny by the Awards Panel.
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Appendix 7: Narrative Submission Protocol This protocol is written as a guide for both reviewers and candidates to help them conduct a fair and reliable assessment process and to enable a judgement to be reached based on a narrative submission. The narrative submission is a claim of around 7,000 words that the candidate has achieved the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF. The judgement is verified by another internal moderator and the external reviewer, who have access to the submission.
Before submitting their narrative account, candidates will have:
a) submitted an initial audit to the Pathway co-ordinator, mapping themselves against the relevant descriptor and been accepted onto the PSF Pathway Programme.
b) worked together with a peer coach to develop a reflective narrative of their practice, and agreed with that coach that their written claim is selective, reflective and complete in coverage of the relevant descriptor
c) obtained the necessary letters of reference or advocate statements, and an up-to-date CV
The narrative account will normally be around 7,000 words. It is expected that the narrative account, letters of reference for SFHEA, or advocate statements for PFHEA, and an up-to-date CV will be submitted in Moodle. The questions in Appendix 5a and 5b are useful for making sure that the narrative covers all aspects of the descriptor, both for a candidate and for a reviewer.
Candidate Preparation for a Narrative Submission As a candidate, you are expected to have considered in detail how you meet the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF. You are advised to be critically reflective and indicate areas of future development.
Remember that you are asserting that you have achieved a professional standard. You need to demonstrate through your reflections that you are aware of what that standard means, including explicit reference to the UK Professional Standards Framework, and how you meet it in your own current practices.
You must demonstrate your practices with some examples of evidence. This normally means that you refer to relevant web resources, annual review data or reports, external examiner comments etc. In all cases, the evidence will need to be carefully selected, readily presentable within the narrative, and clearly relevant to an aspect of the standard descriptor.
All areas of the relevant descriptor of the UKPSF will be covered, and the guiding question sets (see Appendix 5a and 5b) are intended to generate a more holistic approach.
You, the candidate, need to complete and submit the PSF Submission Form in the PSF Pathway Programme moodle site in order to be put forward to the next available Awards Panel.
Reviewer Preparation for Assessing a Narrative Submission The submission will be a narrative account of around 7,000 words, reference letters (SFHEA) or advocacy statements (PFHEA), and a CV. These should provide full coverage of the relevant descriptor and you are expected to provide judgement on how the candidate has met the standard. You record the strengths of the candidate's responses on the form "Principal/Senior Fellow Reviewer Feedback". Please include examples from what you have read. You have up to two weeks to do this.
37
You, the reviewer, should be in a position to decide that you are able, or not yet able, to sign off the form that states:
"that the candidate has given an account of their practice that meets the relevant descriptor and is critically reflective, selective of their practice and complete in coverage."
If there are areas where you feel that the candidate has not fully met the standard, then indicate this clearly on the feedback form. Further work to address each area of concern may be submitted for review at a future date that is agreed between the reviewers, by means of a written statement of 500 words.
You reach a decision through discussion with the other reviewers and the result is either to recommend the award, or to require further development on the part of the candidate.
Claim submission Once the reviewers have agreed their decision, including accepting additional statements to address feedback, the claim is deemed to be complete. The documented review process is sent to the PSF Pathway Co-ordinator. Successful claims are recommended to the next Awards Panel for recognition as HEA Fellow, in the appropriate category. The claim may be subject to further scrutiny by the Awards Panel.
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39
PSF Submission Form
My claim for Principal Fellow / Senior Fellow [delete as appropriate] of the Higher Education Academy has been demonstrated in the following way:
[ eg recorded professional dialogue/critical reflective essay/annotated CPD record with reflection/video narrative/website – with some guidance for an assessor to make sense of your claim ]
I developed and reviewed my claim using the peer processes as follows:
[ ie a brief and reflective description of the process of peer coaching and reviewing that you have undergone ]
Signed …………………………………………………..
Name (printed)…………………………………………..
Date ……………………………………………………..
