What is HEA Fellowship?What’s the UK PSF?

Background information to prepare you for your application for Fellowship

Swansea Application Route (SAR)

What is HEA Fellowship?

The formal recognition of staff adhering to the principles of the United

Kingdom UK Professional Standards

Framework (UK PSF)

Different categories of Fellowship according to

your length of employment in HE AND also your role in leading

change within your subject area, College,

within the institution or nationally

The UK PSF Dimensions

Areas of Activity

Professional Values

CoreKnowledge

Click each circle to find out more about the dimensions

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The UK PSF Dimensions

• A1 - Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study• A2 - Teach and/or support learning• A3 - Assess and give feedback to learners• A4 - Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support

and guidance• A5 - Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines and

their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practices

Areas of Activity

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The UK PSF Dimensions

• K1 – The subject material• K2 – Appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the subject area

and at the level of the academic programme• K3 – How students learn, both generally and within their subject disciplinary

area(s)• K4 – The use and value of appropriate learning technologies• K5 – Methods of evaluating the effectiveness of teaching• K6 – The implications of quality assurance and quality enhancement for academic

and professional practice with a particular focus on teaching

Core Knowledge

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The UK PSF Dimensions

• V1 – Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities• V2 – Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunity for

learners• V3 – Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research,

scholarship and continuing professional development• V4 – Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates,

recognising the implications for professional practice

ProfessionalValues

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Why is Fellowship important?• National recognition of your commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning

in higher education• Demonstration that your practice is aligned with the United Kingdom Professional

Standards Framework (UK PSF)• Its portability with UK-wide relevance and is increasingly recognised across the sector• Facilitation of participation in professional networks, including discipline based

networks• Indication of your professional identity for higher education practitioners, including

the entitlement to use post-nominal letters:

Associate Fellow of the

Higher Education Academy

(Descriptor 1)

AFHEA

Fellow of the Higher

Education Academy

(Descriptor 2)

FHEA

Senior Fellow of the Higher

Education Academy

(Descriptor 3)

SFHEA

Principal Fellow of the Higher

Education Academy

(Descriptor 4)

PFHEA

Recognising your excellence at Swansea University

Fellowship is considered favourably within the promotions criteria for those on teaching career pathways

The application process and the reflection it requires will provide personal benefits to you as a teacher

Fellowship is embedded within the University’s strategic goals of “Research Led Learning and Inspiring Teaching”

Fellowship Options

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Introduction

The category of fellowship depends on the depth of understanding and practice of learning, teaching and assessment and scope of leadership you have demonstrated.

The SAR currently doesn’t support the Principal Fellowship option.

However the SALT team can advise and support you in your direct application to the HEA.

Click on the titles to the right to read about the Fellowship categories

Fellowship Options

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wAssociate Fellow• Understanding of Learning, Teaching & Assessment• At least 2 of the 5 areas of activity• A commitment to appropriate Professional Values• Appropriate Core Knowledge and understanding of at least K1 and K2• Relevant professional practices, subject and pedagogic research and/or

scholarship within the above activities• Successful engagement, where appropriate, in professional development

activity related to teaching, learning and assessment responsibilitiesAsso

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Likely Staff Groups• Early career researchers with some teaching responsibilities (eg PhD

students, GTAs, contract researchers/post doctoral students etc)• Staff new to teaching (including those with part-time academic

responsibilities)• Staff who support academic provision (eg. Learning technologists, learning

developers and learning resource/library staff)• Staff who undertake demonstrator/technician roles that incorporate some

teaching related responsibilities• Experienced staff in relevant professional areas who may be new to

teaching and/or supporting learning, or who have a limited teaching portfolio

Paraphrased from the UK PSF

Fellowship Options

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• Broader understanding of Learning, Teaching and Assessment Issues• Successful Engagement in all five Areas of Activity• Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core

Knowledge• A commitment to all the Professional Values• Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or

scholarship• Successful engagement in CPD related to teaching, learning, assessment

and, where appropriate, related professional Practices

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Likely Staff Groups• Early career academics• Academic-related and/or support staff holding substantive teaching and

learning responsibilities• Experienced academics relatively new to UK higher education• Staff with (sometimes significant) teaching-only responsibilities including,

for example, within work-based settings

Paraphrased from the UK PSF

Fellowship Options

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• Thorough understanding of LTA issues• Successful engagement in all five Areas of Activity; Appropriate knowledge

and understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge• A commitment to all the Professional Values• Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or

scholarship• Successful engagement in CPD related to teaching, learning, assessment

and, where appropriate, related professional practices• Successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management

and/or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning

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Likely Staff Groups• Experienced staff able to demonstrate, impact and influence through, for

example, responsibility for leading, managing or organising programmes, subjects and/or disciplinary areas

• Experienced subject mentors and staff who support those new to teaching• Experienced staff with departmental and/or wider teaching and learning

support advisory responsibilities within an institution

Paraphrased from the UK PSF

Item in bold is the key descriptor differentiating this from Fellow.

Fellowship Options

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llow Principal Fellow

• Sustained record of effective strategic leadership• Active commitment to and championing of all Dimensions of the

Framework• Successful, strategic leadership to enhance student learning and teaching

quality in institutional, and/or (inter)national settings• Establishing effective organisational policies and/or strategies for

supporting and promoting others• Championing, within institutional and/or wider settings, an integrated

approach to academic practice• A sustained and successful commitment to, and engagement in, CPD

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Likely Staff Groups• Highly experienced and/or senior staff with wide ranging academic or

academic-related strategic leadership responsibilities• Staff responsible for institutional strategic leadership and policymaking in

the area of teaching and learning• Staff who have strategic impact and influence in relation to teaching and

learning that extends beyond their own institution

Paraphrased from the UK PSF

Please note that this is not currently supported by the Swansea Application Route – requires direct application to the HEA

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Ready to Apply?

• Review the “How to apply?” video and related web pages on our Website.

• Want more information? Contact salt@swansea.ac.uk and/or come along to one of our HEA information sessions (details and booking on our website)

For more detailsSee the SALT web-site for:

Links to the HEA Fellowship Descriptors

and UK PSF

Information on how to apply

List of Indicative Activities that the assessors refer to

Guidance for Referees