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Appendix A: Professional Teaching Qualifications

Information on professional teaching qualifications required for Academic members of staff.

Professional Teaching Qualifications

Teaching and supporting learning are highly valued activities at UCL and probationary requirements are designed in part to ensure that teaching meets the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), managed and led by Advance HE. In addition, data about the qualifications held by academic staff are collected and submitted annually to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). It is thus expected that all academic staff will undertake appropriate professional development during their probationary period, with a view to gaining formal professional recognition in relation to teaching in Higher Education.  

  1. UCL Arena offers a full academic development programme to all UCL staff who teach and/or support learning. All staff who teach or support student learning are recommended to apply for professional recognition of their practice through Arena’s Advance HE accredited Fellowship scheme.  
  1. Staff appointed at Grades 7 and 8 as Associate Lecturers, Lecturers, Lecturers (Teaching), and Proleptic Fellows are required to complete UCL Arena for Lecturers on Probation and achieve Advance HE Fellowship (FHEA) within their probationary period. 
  1. Staff on probation in these roles who already have substantial experience of teaching in higher education (a minimum of three years’ experience, full time equivalent) and who have already engaged in appropriate professional development activity to support that teaching, may be eligible to apply for exemption from the Arena for Lecturers on Probation course and submit an application for FHEA directly through Arena’s Advance HE accredited Fellowship scheme. To apply for exemption from the Arena for Lecturers on Probation course, please visit Exemption: Arena for Lecturers on Probation. 
  1. Staff on probation in these roles who already hold FHEA or a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education are exempt from the Arena for Lecturers on Probation course. To apply for exemption from the Arena for Lecturers on Probation course, please visit Exemption: Arena for Lecturers on Probation. 
  1. Probationary staff whose exemption is authorised may wish to join Arena’s professional development pathway for experienced educators and / or to consider applying through UCL's Advance HE accredited Arena Fellowship Scheme for recognition as Senior Fellow (SFHEA) as appropriate.  
  1. Staff appointed at Grade 9 as Associate Professors and Associate Professors (Teaching) may wish to join Arena’s professional development pathway for experienced educators and / or to consider applying for FHEA or SFHEA as appropriate. Please visit UCL Arena for Lecturers on Probation for more information.
  1. These courses are offered free of charge to eligible UCL employees on the payroll.  
  1. If appropriate and with the authorisation of their Head of Department, an alternative course in another HE institution may be undertaken. Eligible programmes will typically lead to a full Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and be Advance HE-accredited and so confer upon successful candidates FHEA. 
  1. Individuals will be paid by their department at their normal hourly rate of pay for the time required to attend the mandatory taught course sessions, outside their usual working hours. 
  1. Associate Lecturers, Lecturers, Lecturers (Teaching) and Proleptic Fellows with a load less than a half course unit, or the postgraduate equivalent, are not required to undertake Arena for Lecturers on Probation during their probationary period. However, if the individual elects to complete the course and apply for FHEA, they will be paid for the number of sessions required. 
  1. If an Associate Lecturer, Lecturer, Lecturer (Teaching) or Proleptic Fellow increases their teaching hours to assume full responsibility for a half-course unit, or the postgraduate equivalent, at any time during their probation, they will have to meet the requirements described in 2 above. In such circumstances the probation period may be extended to allow sufficient time for the requirements to be met. 
  1. If an Associate Lecturer, Lecturer, Lecturer (Teaching) or Proleptic Fellow, who has completed Arena for Lecturers on Probation within their probationary period, is unable to apply for FHEA (for example due to insufficient teaching experience at that point), the Head of Department may be able to authorise completion of probation without FHEA and agree a suitable time when FHEA can be obtained (normally the year following probation). 

13. For additional information, please contact UCL Arena at arenacentre.probation@ucl.ac.uk 

September 2024
HR Eemployment Policy Team

 

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