REPORT FROM EXECUTIVE BOARD TO SENATE
17 MARCH 2015
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY UK PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FRAMEWORK
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME
The attached report updates Senate on progress in implementing the Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) scheme for Newcastle staff who teach. The ultimate aim is
to support improvement in the student experience at Newcastle. Initially, however, we have
needed to establish a Higher Education Academy (HEA) accredited scheme and our current
position on staff with Academic Teaching Qualifications.
Good progress has been made in improving the recording of staff teaching qualifications and
increasing the number of new academic staff who obtain a teaching qualification.
Comparator data will be released by HEFCE in due course.
Senate is asked to note the progress and support engagement with the scheme.
Veryan Johnston
Executive Director of HR
On behalf of Executive Board
4 March 2015
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Report to Senate on Newcastle University’s UK Professional Standards Framework
Continuing Professional Development Scheme 2013-14 and to present
Background
1. Newcastle University’s UKPSF (UK Professional Standards Framework) Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) Scheme was accredited by the Higher Education
Academy (HEA) at Associate/Fellow level (D1/D2) for a period of 3 years in 2013.
The CPD Scheme enables Newcastle staff who teach to both develop and be
recognised for their learning and teaching skills in higher education. Embedding of
the scheme contributes to the Learning and Teaching and Student Experience
Strategy, in particular enhancement of the student experience at Newcastle
University, and the HR Strategy Action Plan; research has demonstrated that
obtaining teaching qualifications are known to improve the quality of the student
learning experience (Gibbs 2010).
Implementation/current work
2. Staff can engage with the Scheme via taught programmes Certificate of Advanced
Studies in Academic Practice (CASAP); including the Newcastle Teaching Award
and Certificate of Clinical Education (CCE) or via an individual application (dialogue
or documentary) and gain recognition against the UK Professional Standards
Framework at D1 (Associate Fellow of the HEA) or D2 (Fellow of the HEA). All new
academic staff (on Teaching & Scholarship and Teaching & Research contracts) are
required to complete the Newcastle Teaching Award (potential to gain D1) as part of
probation. The Scheme is guided by a steering group, chaired by Veryan Johnston
and with representatives from each Faculty.
3. Minor changes are being made to Certificate of Clinical Education (to become
Certificate in Medical Education); we are awaiting sign-off from the Higher Education
Academy that this remains accredited provision (no issues anticipated).
4. In 2015, for first time, national statistics will include staff with an academic teaching
qualification (ATQ); Professional recognition at Associate/Fellow level of the HEA
counts as an academic teaching qualification. Newcastle is required to report to the
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on the numbers of staff with academic
teaching qualifications. Newcastle’s current target is 40% of all HESA ATQreturnable staff to have a teaching qualification by 2017. Currently, we are at 35%
when counting Regular and Contingent staff or 41% when counting only Regular staff
(see Table 1). In July 2014 we were at 30%; the UKPSF CPD Scheme is contributing
to this increase in numbers.
5. Current figures have been reached through improved reporting of academic teaching
qualifications, working closely with Schools to poll staff (e.g. HASS project with
Sophie Brettell) but also increasing frequency of Newcastle Teaching Award/Cert. in
Advanced Studies in Academic Practice modules and recognition by staff of
importance of teaching qualifications.
6. Work is currently underway to ensure the Request to Appoint (RTA) form fully
captures information on academic teaching qualifications of new staff on
appointment. The form has recently been revised (January 2015) to make completion
easier. This data is used to direct staff through the correct pathway to recognition (as
Associate or Fellow of HEA) and monitor progress against the institutional academic
teaching qualifications target.
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7. Academic teaching qualification data will be collected for contingent staff in future
(contingent staff may or may not be HESA-returnable depending on whether
particular thresholds are exceeded).
8. We will ensure data on staff with academic teaching qualification is communicated to
Heads of Schools, Deans and other senior staff.
Next steps include:
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Revising diagrams/communication to enable staff to easily identify where they fit in
the Scheme
Data monitoring on equality and diversity via Steering Group to ensure Scheme is
engaging with all groups
Building capacity in Senior Fellow (D3)/Principal Fellow (D4) applications to support
future development of the Scheme and to act as mentors
Continuing to build numbers via experiential route to contribute to raising profile of
learning and teaching and reach institutional targets
Planning for re-accreditation in August 2016 (submission May/June 2016) to ensure
Scheme continues to be accredited by the Higher Education Academy
Working with FMS and SAgE to verify academic teaching qualification data of current
staff in order to raise awareness of scheme, identify potential staff who might
engage, and help meet institutional target
Dr Rosa Spencer
Professional Development Manager
Staff Development Unit
4 March 2015
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Table 1: Current data on staff with academic teaching qualifications (as of January
2015)
Faculty
No. of ATQ
(Regular staff)
HaSS
SAgE
FMS
PSS*
Total ATQ
Total staff*
% staff with ATQ
266
150
164
1
581
1417
41%
No. of ATQ
(Regular plus
Contingent staff)
315
150
166
1
632
1786
35%
*most PSS staff are not HESA ATQ-returnable due to the nature of their contract and role
**total of HESA ATQ-returnable staff
Definitions
HESA– Higher Education Statistics Agency looks at, records and publishes statistics
regarding staff and students at all universities in the country.
ATQ – academic teaching qualification. Includes, for example, HEA Professional
Recognition (Fellowship of HEA at any level), PostGraduate Certificates in Higher Education,
accreditation as teacher of their subject by a professional body.
HESA ATQ-returnable - ATQ is a category within HESA that reports on Academic staff who
teach. Contingent staff members are included in this category if they reach particular
thresholds. Staff members who are predominately involved in research (e.g. those on R&I
contracts such as Research Associates) are HESA returnable but are not HESA ATQreturnable. Visiting and Associate lecturers are not HESA ATQ-returnable as they are not
fully employed by the University.
UKPSF – UK Professional Standards Framework. A sector owned, but HEA-managed,
framework for how higher education professionals should be teaching and supporting
learning in higher education.
D1-D4 – the UKPSF consists of 4 categories called descriptors (D1-D4) which detail the
different dimensions of practice expected in each category. Each descriptor equates to a title
that staff gain when they demonstrate alignment of their practice with the UKPSF
dimensions of practice i.e. when they gain Professional Recognition
D1=Associate Fellow of the HEA (AFHEA)
D2=Fellow of the HEA (FHEA)
D3=Senior Fellow of the HEA (SFHEA)
D4=Principal Fellow of the HEA (PFHEA)
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