My Fellowship Category

 

Once you have worked out which stream you should follow, it’s time to work out which fellowship category to apply for. Keep in mind that every individual has a different story, and the key to deciding the right level of recognition for you is to consider the evidence you have to show that you meet a specific “Descriptor”, which is a set of criteria described in the Professional Standards Framework (PSF).

You can also apply for one category and then “upgrade” over time. This can be very useful if you are pressed for time as it scaffolds the development of your application. EFS mentors will be available at the Introductory Session (E1) to help you decide if you have any doubt.

Below are the corresponding Descriptors for each fellowship category. You must address the specific Descriptor for your fellowship category in your application.

 

Associate Fellow of the HEA (AFHEA) Criteria (Descriptor 1)

Checklist for AFHEA. Overview of my teaching/learner support experience. Philosophy of teaching and learning. Reflective narratives for 2 Areas of Activity (A?; A?): including K1, K2, V1, V2, V3 and V4. Literature reference list. 2 referee reports (one of the referees must be a HEA Fellow).

Associate Fellowship is suited to those at a very early career stage of teaching or supporting learners in higher education. For example, this might include:

  • sessional tutors or demonstrators with relatively limited experience (for example, two semesters or equivalent);
  • research academics with relatively little experience of coursework teaching or research student supervision;
  • early career professional staff who support learners through academic or research skills training, or who contribute to diverse forms of educational design or development;
  • other early career sessional, contract or tenured staff with specialist and/or limited educational roles.

To be recognised as an AFHEA, you must demonstrate an understanding of specific aspects of effective teaching, learning support methods and student learning.In particular, you must be able to provide evidence that you meet the criteria for Descriptor 1 (page 4 of the PSF):

  1. your successful engagement with at least two Areas of Activity, and appropriate teaching practices: we strongly suggest A2 (teach and/or support learning) & A5 (professional development)
  2. appropriate Core Knowledge and understanding of at least K1 (your knowledge of what you are teaching) & K2 (your knowledge of how students learn in your discipline, and how best to teach students in your discipline)
  3. a commitment to appropriate Professional Values (V1-V4) in facilitating others’ learning
  4. an understanding of how you might make a current or future contribution to professional practices, pedagogical research and/or scholarship related to teaching within the above activities
  5. successful engagement, where appropriate, in professional development activity related to teaching, learning and assessment responsibilities

 

Fellow of the HEA (FHEA) Criteria (Descriptor 2)

Checklist for FHEA. Overview of my teaching/learner support experience. Philosophy of teaching and learning. Reflective narratives for 5 Areas of Activity (A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5): including K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, V1, V2, V3 and V4. Literature reference list. 2 referee reports (both referees must authenticate your practice. One of the referees must be a HEA Fellow).

This category is suited to those who have a solid experientially-derived understanding of higher education, including engagement with appropriate educational literature and evidence-based practice. For example, this might include:

  • academics who are in an early- to mid-career stage of coursework teaching and/or research supervision, for example, who have at least a couple of semesters’ experience of convening undergraduate or postgraduate courses, and/or supervising honours or higher degree by research (HDR) students
  • professional staff with significant experience of supporting learners through academic or research skills training, or of contributing to diverse forms of educational design or development.

To be recognised as a FHEA, you must meet the criteria for Descriptor 2 (page 5 of the PSF):

  1. successful engagement and appropriate teaching practices across all five Areas of Activity
  2. appropriate knowledge and understanding across all six aspects of Core Knowledge
  3. commitment to all four Professional Values

In particular, you should be able to demonstrate commitment to your own professional development in ways that have ensured you are:

  1. able to reflect and improve your own evidence-based practice in ways relevant to personal and institutional quality assurance of teaching (K5, K6, V3, V4)
  2. cognisant of relevant higher education and pedagogical literature (A5, K5, K6, V3)
  3. engaged with national and institutional frameworks, policies and practices, e.g. able to explain in the context of your teaching, the relevance of:

Please remember you can participate in the ANU Academic Professional Development program (consisting of Principles of Tutoring and Demonstrating, and Introduction to Academic Leadership) specifically to enrich and empower your professional development and knowledge base.

 

Senior Fellow (SFHEA) Criteria (Descriptor 3)

Checklist for SFHEA. Overview of my teaching/learner support experience. Philosophy of teaching and learning. Reflective narratives for 5 Areas of Activity (A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5): including K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, V1, V2, V3 and V4. 2 reflective case studies (both case studies must focus on mentoring and supporting your peers). Literature reference list. 2 referee reports (both referees must authenticate your practice. One of the referees must be a HEA Fellow).

Senior Fellowship is suited to those in mid to later careers in teaching or supporting learners in higher education, or those with extensive focus on teaching at earlier career stages.

To be recognised as a SFHEA, you must meet Descriptor 3 (page 6 of the PSF) by showing evidence (at a more extensive level than a FHEA) of:

  1. successful engagement and appropriate teaching practices across all five Areas of Activity
  2. appropriate knowledge and understanding across all six aspects of Core Knowledge
  3. commitment to all four Professional Values
  4. extensive experientially-derived understanding of higher education, including significant engagement with appropriate educational literature and evidence-based scholarly practice
  5. strong, sustained evidence of engaging with peers in ways that supported the peers’ journeys as educators (e.g. mentoring, or working with peers in teaching teams, in curriculum reviews, and/or in relevant committees).

You must also be able to demonstrate commitment to your own professional development in ways that have ensured you are:

  1. able to reflect and improve your own evidence-based practice in ways relevant to personal and institutional quality assurance of teaching (K5, K6, V3, V4)
  2. cognisant of relevant higher education and pedagogical literature (A5, K5, K6, V3)
  3. engaged with national and institutional frameworks, policies and practices, e.g. able to explain in the context of your teaching, the relevance of:

In the ANU EFS, SFHEA are also expected to commit to taking on shared and distributed leadership roles within the EFS, for example as EFS mentors and assessors.

If you are already an AFHEA or a FHEA, you will still need to complete a full written application addressing all the above criteria required for a SFHEA.

 

Principal Fellow (PFHEA) Criteria (Descriptor 4)

Checklist for PFHEA. Record of my educational impact. Overview of my teaching career. Philosophy of teaching and learning. Reflective narratives of practice (D4.1, D4.2, D4. Literature reference list. 2 referee reports (one of the referees must be a FHEA, SFHEA or PFHEA; one of the referees must comment on how you have directly influenced their practice; one of the referees must be based at your university; one of the referees must be based at an Australian university other than your own).

This category is suited for highly experienced professional, able to provide evidence of a sustained and effective record of impact at a strategic level in relation to teaching and learning, as part of a wider commitment to academic practice. This may be within your institution or wider national or international settings. Typically, those likely to be eligible to apply for PFHEA are:

  • highly experienced and/or senior staff with wide-ranging academic or academic-related strategic leadership responsiblities in connection with key aspects of teaching and supporting learning;
  • 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.

To be recognised as a PFHEA, you must meet Descriptor 4 (page 7 of the PSF) by showing evidence of:

  1. active commitment to and championing of all dimensions of the framework, through work with students and staff, and in institutional developments
  2. successful, strategic leadership to enhance student learning, with a particular, but not necessarily exclusive, focus on enhancing teaching quality in institutional, and/or (inter)national settings
  3. Establishing effective organisational policies and/or strategies for supporting and promoting others (e.g. through mentoring) in delivering high quality teaching and support for learning
  4. championing, within institutional and/or wider settings, an integrated approach to academic practice (incorporating, for example, teaching, learning, research, scholarship, administration etc.)
  5. a sustained and successful commitment to, and engagement in, continuing professional development related to academic, institutional and/or other professional practices

We strongly recommend that you have obtained Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) before applying for PFHEA. Please email efs@anu.edu.au for more information on this category of fellowship and to discuss your next step forward.

 

What’s next?

Hopefully you have a better idea of which fellowship category is right for you at this stage of your career. The next step is to start preparing your application!

1. Associate Fellow: Entry category of professional recognition, suited to those with relatively limited teaching or learner-support responsibilities and experience. 2. Fellow: The standard category of professional recognition, suited to those with solid teaching or learner-support responsibilities and experience (usually at least two years of course convening), and substantive professional development in teaching and learning. 3. Senior Fellow: An advanced category that recognises sustained effectiveness and academic leadership in teaching and enhancing the student learning experience. This is combined with scholarship, educational research and other professional activities, including working with others through mentoring, support and/or coordination. 4. Principal Fellow: The highest category that recognises those with a sustained record of effective strategic leadership in academic practice and academic development as a key contribution to high quality teaching and student learning. This is combined with an integrated scholarly academic practice and other professional activities.