AdvanceHE (formerly the Higher Education Academy - HEA) awards four different categories of Fellowship: Associate Fellowship (AFHEA), Fellowship (FHEA), Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) and Principal Fellowship (PFHEA).
These four categories reflect the wide range of professional practice carried out by individuals who teach and/or support learning in higher education; from those who have a partial role in teaching/supporting learning through to senior professionals with strategic impact on teaching and learning in an organisational, national and/or international setting.
The four categories of Fellowship are awarded on the basis of evidence of personal professional practice which meets the requirements of one of the four Descriptors of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). The UKPSF has been developed as a standards framework for the higher education sector that sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours demonstrated by those teaching and/or supporting higher education learning.
Supports the initial and continuing professional development of staff engaged in teaching and supporting learning;
Fosters dynamic approaches to teaching and learning through creativity, innovation and continuous development in diverse academic and/or professional settings;
Demonstrates to students and other stakeholders the professionalism that staff and institutions bring to teaching and support for student learning;
Acknowledges the variety and quality of teaching, learning and assessment practices that support and underpin student learning;
Facilitates individuals and institutions in gaining formal recognition for quality enhanced approaches to teaching and supporting learning, often as part of wider responsibilities that may include research and/or management activities.
Fellowships are awarded on the basis of a successful and effective demonstration of one of the four UKPSF Descriptors. In deciding which category of Fellowship to apply for at this stage in your career, you will need to determine which of the four Descriptors of the UKPSF is most appropriate to your practice and professional experience:
If you are able to provide evidence of effectiveness in relation to your professional role which will typically include at least some teaching and/or learning support responsibilities, by applying for Associate Fellowship you will present an understanding of specific aspects of effective teaching, learning support methods and student learning.
The descriptors do not indicate a hierarchy, they are simply categories of Fellowship that reflect the multiple roles and experiences achieved by those teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
For information on Workshops for specific Fellowship categories, please visit the CELT HEA Workshops page.
For further information please contact:
Lyndsey Muir.
TSL@USW Scheme Lead.
01443 654850.
We run three rounds of deadlines and panels every calendar year in February, June and October.
Applications are submitted via Blackboard and you will need to be given access to the relevant organisation before you are able to submit. If you have not attended a workshop and still wish to submit, please email fellow@southwales.ac.uk to request access.
USW staff must book on sessions via MyInformation. Click on the title you wish to attend below, and it will take you to the MyInformation log-in screen.
When you click through to My Information you will be asked for your username and password.
This introductory 2-hour session is for colleagues who are interested in developing a claim for Associate Fellowship/Fellowship or Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
This session will introduce you to and explore both the UKPSF and the TSL@USW CPD scheme; its pathways and elements. Fellowships are awarded on the basis of a successful and effective demonstration of one of the four UKPSF Descriptors. This session will enable you to decide which category of Fellowship to apply for at this stage in your career. We will discuss three of the four Descriptors of the UKPSFenabling you to select the most appropriate to your practice and professional experience.
This 2-hour workshop is for colleagues who, having attended an introductory Intro to the UKPSF for claimants workshop, are now in a position to undertake focused development towards their Associate Fellow/Fellow/Senior Fellow claim making. We will explore the ins and outs of claim making for this category and help you think about the evidence and case you will need to build for your claim to be successful.
This 3-hour workshop is for colleagues who require a safe, quiet place for focused writing for the development of their UKPSF claim. Facilitated by CELT, this workshop will include access to resources such as books, articles, discussion and peer feedback.
TSL@USW, the new HEA Recognition scheme for USW, uses mentors to help claimants write a good claim. This 2-hour workshop is mainly for colleagues who have been nominated by their Faculty / Professional Service/ Partner College to be a TSL@USW Mentor, but may also be of interest for those who would like to be a mentor in the future. The highly interactive workshop will explore approaches to mentoring that will enable mentees to maximise the potential of their claims for HEA recognition against the UKPSF.
Facilitated by CELT, this time is set aside for TSL@USW mentors; to come and discuss, receive support and advice in the efforts to mentor USW colleagues with their UKPSF claim making.
This is an introductory 1.5-hour workshop for colleagues who are interested in developing a claim for Principal Fellowship of the HEA.
This 2-hour workshop is for colleagues who, having attended an introductory PFHEA workshop, are now in a position to undertake focused development towards their claim making. Facilitated by CELT, this workshop will involve focussed writing, discussion and peer feedback against the PF Descriptor.
“I feel proud to be a part of the Higher Education Academy family. By having the recognition of Associate Fellow reminds me of how I have supported students in the past, but that this has also motivated me to think of innovate methods of supporting students going forward through administrative services.”
“The Fellowship reflective process allowed me to consider the ways learning and teaching has been pivotal to my role as a careers practitioner, manager and employability developer. The confidence I took from this in terms of networking with academics has built significant momentum in embedding employability within the curriculum at USW. Many of the USW employability development team have now followed in my footsteps to further enhance their own confidence and professional credibility.”
“As a recent successful Senior Fellow of the HEA, it feels good to have achieved recognition among a committed academic community built upon the shared goal of enhancing and developing teaching & learning. On a personal level, I feel that this recognition will help to enhance my future development and career progression in Higher Education.”
“Working with colleagues to highlight the significance of HEA recognition has enabled me to share in the practice of many inspiring people. It has been a privilege to engage in rich conversations about academic practice in higher education and to ensure that our policies reflect the disciplinary context within which we deliver our student experiences.”
Role: Senior Lecturer (Photography), Faculty of Creative Industries.
TSL role: TSL@USW Mentor.
Fellowship category: Senior Fellow.
“I have been privileged to work with some fabulous mentors over the years, who have invested so much of their time and expertise in helping me build my career. It’s an absolute delight to be a mentor myself now, and to help staff to reflect, evaluate and reveal their strengths as they prepare a claim. Also, it’s a two-way street: I learn a great deal from my mentees, and make valuable new cross-disciplinary connections as well!”
If you teach on a USW Higher Education course you are eligible and welcome to make an application for professional recognition through TSL@USW.
The main requirements are that you are teaching/supporting USW Higher Education learners and that the range and extent of your contribution to learning and teaching is sufficient to meet the descriptors for your chosen fellowship category.
Contact: fellow@southwales.ac.uk