HEA Fellowship CPD route

The HEA Fellowship CPD Route is a teaching recognition and qualification scheme for staff (academic, support, professional, technical) and PGRs with experience of teaching and/or supporting learning in higher education. For further information, please contact kiite@keele.ac.uk

What is the HEA CPD route to Fellowship?

The HEA (part of the UK national teaching and learning sector organisation ‘Advance HE’) oversees and manages the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education (UKPSF), through which individuals can benchmark their experience and expertise in higher education teaching and learning support, at four categories of fellowship:

  • Associate Fellow
  • Fellow
  • Senior Fellow
  • Principal Fellow

Use the Advance HE Fellowship Category Tool to find out what category your role and work is most aligned to.

Keele’s HEA CPD Route enables individuals to gain HEA fellowship status and provides national recognition of commitment to professionalism in teaching and supporting learning. You will be curating an application that provides a personal and reflective account of your professional practice and your continuing development as a teaching and learning professional. For Associate Fellow and Fellow awards this will be a written application and for Senior Fellow and Principal Fellows you can apply for a professional discussion with supplementary evidence or the written application format.

The HEA CPD Route aims to:

  • Align with and promote the UKPSF and reflect the aspirations of the HEA;
  • Contribute to achieving Keele’s strategic objectives for teaching, learning and staff development;
  • Be effective in supporting departmental, school and faculty teaching and learning objectives;
  • Support participants in developing and enhancing their professional practice;
  • Contribute to the enhancement of the student learning experience;
  • Contribute to individuals’ career development and progression
  • Offer a collaborative and supportive professional development route which harnesses expertise from across the institution and provides opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, networking and dissemination. 

How do I apply to the HEA CPD route to gain Fellowship?

KIITE leads and administers the HEA CPD route to gain Fellowship currently under the UKPSF 2011 framework. The last submission point during the academic year 2023/24 under the UKPSF 2011 framework is on Friday 17th May 2024.

Please note that KIITE are no longer taking expressions of interest for the Friday 17th May 2024 submission point. This means that if you are considering gaining Fellowship you will be invited to complete this MS Form to note your interest for the next submission point under the new Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023. You will receive an acknowledgement of your interest however further details i.e. forms/process will be shared with you later in the year once our transition plan has been approved by Advance HE. 

Transition from UKPSF 2011 to Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023

From May 2024 to early 2025 Keele University will undertake their transition to the new Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023 which will include:

  • Evaluating current CPD route to Fellowship
  • Holding a Scholarship Symposium with a Fellowship offering
  • Completing the transition documentation
  • Launching the new PSF 2023
  • Delivering a range of active participatory workshops to empower colleagues in critically reflecting on their practice and learning more about the Fellowship dimensions and descriptors
  • Refreshing the Fellowship KLE site

General enquiries about the HEA CPD route can be sent to kiite@keele.ac.uk.

The Programme Lead for HEA CPD route is Sarah Rhodes, s.rhodes@keele.ac.uk