HEA CPD route

Requirements for Fellowship Category

What does your application need to demonstrate?

Examples of staff who may wish to apply

Associate Fellow (AFHEA)

Some teaching and/or supporting learning responsibilities

In order to apply for Associate Fellowship of the HEA through Keele’s HEA Fellowship CPD Route, you will need to be a member of staff or a doctoral researcher, with a minimum of 6 months experience in a role which includes teaching and/or supporting learning responsibilities*, and with at least 25 hours experience of front-line delivery to learners.

D1 is suitable for individuals whose practice with learners enables them to evidence some Dimensions.

• How impactful your teaching and learning support approaches have been
• Critical evaluation and reflection on your practice examples and appropriate evidence provided for specified dimensions as listed below
•  Effectiveness of practice in teaching and/or support of high-quality learning is demonstrated through evidence of:

D1.1: use of appropriate Professional Values, including at least V1 and V3

D1.2: application of appropriate Core Knowledge, including at least K1, K2 and K3

D1.3: effective and inclusive practice in at least two of the five Areas of Activity

• Staff new to teaching, with a limited teaching portfolio, teaching part-time & sessional teachers.
• Early career researchers with some teaching responsibilities, e.g. PhD students, Graduate Teaching Assistants, contract researchers, post-doctoral researchers, research associates, etc.
• Staff who support academic provision and/or have some teaching-related responsibilities, e.g. learning technologists, technicians, demonstrators, learning developers, library staff.

Please note: if you are already undertaking the Introduction to Teaching and Demonstrating (ITAD) programme you will receive HEA Associate Fellowship status upon successful completion of pathway 2 assessment.

The key difference between the Associate Fellow and Fellow category is that Associate Fellows are likely to have some teaching and/or supporting learning responsibilities within their job roles (which may be undertaken with the assistance of more experienced teaching staff), whereas Fellows will have more substantive and broad-based teaching and supporting learning roles and are likely to have greater autonomy and responsibility for: planning learning environments, activities and assessment methods; providing feedback to learners; evaluating teaching effectiveness; and, engaging in quality assurance and enhancement processes. Associate Fellows are likely to be able to demonstrate an understanding of specific aspects of effective teaching and learning support methods, whereas Fellows should be able to demonstrate breadth and depth in the effectiveness of their teaching and learning support practice, including how students learn, both generally and within their subject/discipline area.

Fellow (FHEA)

Broad-based experience of teaching and/or supporting learning

In order to apply for Fellowship of the HEA through Keele’s HEA CPD Route, you will need to be a member of staff with a minimum of two years’ broad-based experience of teaching and/or supporting learning.

D2 is suitable for individuals whose practice with learners has breadth and depth, enabling them to evidence all Dimensions.

• How impactful your teaching and learning support approaches have been
• Critical evaluation and reflection on your practice examples and appropriate evidence provided for all 15 dimensions
• Effectiveness of practice in teaching and/or support of high quality learning is demonstrated through evidence of:

D2.1 use of all five Professional Values

D2.2 application of all five forms of Core Knowledge

D2.3 effective and inclusive practice in all five Areas of Activity.

• Early career academics.
• Staff who support academic provision (e.g. learning technologists, technicians, demonstrators, learning developers, library staff) and hold substantive teaching and learning responsibilities.
• Experienced academics relatively new to UK higher education.

Please note: if you are already undertaking Module 1 and 2 of the PgCert Higher Education Practice, you will receive HEA Fellowship status upon successful completion.

The key difference between the Fellow and Senior Fellow category is that Senior Fellows will have leadership and influencing roles and responsibilities that Fellows do not. This means that Senior Fellows will lead and/or influence specific aspects of teaching and learning provisions and will be able to demonstrate their comprehensive understanding and effective practice that provides a basis for their work in leading or influencing’ the teaching and/or support of learning practices of others (whether individuals or teams). Crucially, Senior Fellows must be able to evidence that through their leadership roles/responsibilities they have had an impact on the teaching and/or supporting learning practice of others that they work with. Although Fellows may have some leadership roles/responsibilities, for Senior Fellows leadership will be the central focus of the application.

Senior Fellow (SFHEA)

Leadership and influencing roles/responsibilities related to teaching and/or supporting learning

In order to apply for Senior Fellowship of the HEA through Keele’s HEA CPD Route, you will need to be a member of staff with substantial experience of leadership roles/responsibilities related to teaching and/or supporting learning.

Descriptor 3 is suitable for individuals whose comprehensive understanding and effective practice provides a basis from which they lead or influence those who teach and/or support high-quality learning.

• The effectiveness and inclusiveness of your leadership and influence in relation to others who teach and/support high-quality learning
• How impactful your leadership and influence of others in relation to high-quality learning has been
• Critical evaluation and reflection on your leadership and influencing practice examples and appropriate evidence provide for all 15 dimensions

Individuals are able to evidence:

D3.1: a sustained record of leading or influencing the practice of those who teach and/or support high quality learning

D3.2: practice that is effective, inclusive and integrates all Dimensions

D3.3: practice that extends significantly beyond direct teaching and/or direct support for learning

• Experienced academic staff with significant responsibility for organising, leading, and/or managing specific aspects of teaching and learning provisions.
• Experienced subject mentors and staff who support those new to teaching.
• Experienced staff with departmental or wider teaching and learning support/management/ advisory responsibilities within an institution.
• Staff who support academic provision and have substantive teaching and/or supporting learning, as well as leadership

The key difference between the Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow category is that the leadership roles and responsibilities of Principal Fellows will be at a more strategic level within the university than those of Senior Fellows. Whereas Senior Fellows are likely to have leadership roles/responsibilities at the school, discipline or programme level, Principal Fellows will have responsibilities which have extensive impact across the institution, and/or will be able to demonstrate the influence of their teaching scholarship nationally, internationally and/or organisationally (e.g. within a discipline/professional body).

Principal Fellow (PFHEA)

Strategic leadership roles/responsibilities related to teaching and/or supporting learning

In order to apply for Principal Fellowship of the HEA through Keele’s HEA CPD Route, you will need to be a member of staff with substantial experience of strategic leadership roles/responsibilities related to teaching and/or supporting learning (at the institutional, national, international and/or organisational level).

Descriptor 4 is suitable for highly experienced individuals whose practice involves a sustained record of effectiveness in strategic leadership of high-quality learning. Their impact is extensive.

Individuals are able to evidence through:

• The effectiveness and inclusiveness of your strategic leadership and influence in relation to others who teach and/support high-quality learning (at the institutional, national, international and/or organisational level)
• Demonstratable evidence of extensive impact through your strategic leadership of high-quality learning
• Critical evaluation and reflection of your strategic leadership practice examples and appropriate evidence provided for all 15 dimensions
• Your practice to evidence all three descriptor points of PSF 2023 Descriptor 4 (D4) as outlined below:

D4.1: sustained and effective strategic leadership of higher education practice, with extensive impact on high-quality learning: within or beyond an institution, or across a discipline or profession

D4.2: development and implementation of effective and inclusive: strategies, or policies, or procedures, or initiatives, to enhance practice and outcomes for learners

D4.3: active commitment to, and integration of, all Dimensions in the strategic leadership of academic or professional practices.

• Highly experienced/senior staff with wide-ranging academic or academic-related strategic leadership responsibilities in relation to teaching and supporting learning.
• Staff responsible for institutional strategic leadership and policymaking in the area of teaching and learning.
• Staff who can evidence extensive impact and influence in relation to teaching and learning at the institutional, national, international or organisational level.