Professional Recognition
Quality Teaching | Meaningful Learning
Fellowships
Fellowship Focus
We are offering Fellowship Focus drop-in sessions over the summer for colleagues interested in applying for Associate Fellowship, Fellowship or Senior Fellowship of the HEA. Dr Erica Morris (Head of Academic Practice) will be at the drop in area on the second floor of the Learning Hub on the following dates:
- Tuesday 6 August, 2.00 – 3.00 pm.
- Thursday 15 August, 2.00 – 3.00 pm
- Thursday 22 August, 10.00 – 11.00 am.
Please just come along, there is no need to book.
Nationally recognised professional recognition for staff in Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education is a process by which individuals can be awarded one of four categories of Fellowship of the HEA in acknowledgement that their practice evidences successful engagement with the dimensions of the UKPSF.
The four categories of Fellowship are:
- Associate Fellow
- Fellow
- Senior Fellow
- Principal Fellow
Staff at the University of Northampton can apply for Associate Fellow, Fellow and Senior Fellow through the university CPD Scheme C@N-DO – contact lte@northampton.ac.uk
Applications for Principal Fellow must be made as direct submissions to Advance HE – contact lte@northampton.ac.uk
Downloads
Professional Recognition
Professional recognition is valuable to individuals because it offers:
- national recognition of your commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning associated with higher education;
- demonstration that your practice is aligned with the UKPSF;
- an indicator of professional identity for higher education practitioners, including the entitlement to use post-nominal letters;
- a portable asset, that has UK-wide relevance and which is increasingly recognized by higher and further education institutions nationally and internationally.
To gain professional recognition individuals must provide evidence of successful engagement with the Dimensions of Practice outlined in the UKPSF and demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the assessment criteria for the relevant Descriptor within their own Learning and Teaching practice.
How can I become an HEA Fellow?
You can become a Fellow of the HEA by making an application through the institutional CPD Scheme, C@N-DO. Applications involve completion of certain assessment tasks (see downloads) and applications made by university staff through C@N-DO are free of charge.
Steps towards HEA Fellowship (AFHEA, FHEA, SFHEA):
Step 1
Go to the fellowship category tool to determine which HEA Fellowship category is right for you.
Step 2
Before submitting, arrange a ‘check’ of your application by your local (Faculty or Subject) Fellowship Champion and ensure you obtain, and include references.
This guidance provides the detail about the mentor role and the mentee role.
| FAST | FBL | FHES | Professional Services |
| Emma Whewell | Amin Hosseinian-Farr | Dominic Murphy | Emma Kimberley |
| James Smith | Dilshad Sarwar | Julian Brown | |
| Dinusha Boteju | Kimberley Hill | ||
| Liz Vokes | Rachel Maunder | ||
| Ouarda Dsouli | Roshni Khatri | ||
| Sally Laurie | Tracey Ali | ||
| Sarah Jones | |||
| Simon Sneddon |
Step 3
Request access to the NILE Organisation titled ‘Fellowship Panel Submission’ by emailing lte@northampton.ac.uk stating your username. Once you have been added, submit your application, between the dates indicated below.
- 17th July – 7th August 2023
- 16th October – 6th November 2023
- 5th February – 26th February 2024
- 3rd June – 24th June 2024
UK Professional Standards Framework – UKPSF
C@N-DO is aligned to the UKPSF and you can apply through C@N-DO for HEA Fellowship at AFHEA, FHEA or SFHEA.
Applications for Principal Fellow (D4) should be made directly to Advance HE.
We will be aligning the CPD provision to the revised PSF 2023. Further information will be provided when the provision has been reaccredited in 2024.
The UKPSF Dimensions of the Framework
There are three sets of ‘Dimensions’:
- Areas of Activity – the things you do in your professional work in teaching and supporting learning.
- Core Knowledge – the knowledge and understanding you use and apply in carrying out those areas of activity.
- Professional Values – the values you hold which underpin the way you carry out those areas of activity.
Referees for Fellowship Applications
What is the role of the referees?
Every application for HEA Fellowship should be accompanied by two references, each from a separate referee.
The role of the referees is that they should give ‘an informed peer review of your eligibility for Fellowship (in the selected category) using their knowledge of your work and the context in which you teach and/or support learning’ (Advance HE).
You should provide each referee with:
- a copy of your assessment submission for Fellowship, so that they can read it and comment directly on what you have written. They can also make additional comments relevant to your application if they wish.
- a copy of the UKPSF.
- a copy of the relevant Advance HE Referee Guidance Notes and associated links.
Make sure you allow sufficient time for your referees to write your references before the C@N-DO Assessment Panel. We are all under pressure of work and it is unfair to request your reference and send the relevant documents too close to the deadline.
Who should you choose?
Referees should be experienced staff and be able to comment, knowledgeably, and from first-hand experience on your current role and any other relevant activities recently undertaken. At least one of your references should either be a Fellow (or Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow) of the Higher Education Academy, or an appropriate experienced member of staff working for a higher education provider. All referees need to be familiar with the UKPSF.
Please remember also that in selecting a referee there should not be a conflict of interest; do not, for example, choose a family member to be your referee.
N.B. Following standard Advance HE quality practices, spot checks will be made of references from time to time.