The Higher Education Academy

1. The Higher Education Academy Cliff Allan

2. Enhancement context • TQEF/QEF • Professional standards framework • Practice changes driven by WP, employability, e-learning & new methods • New focus on excellence: CETLs, expanded NTFS • Learning communities The Higher Education Academy

3. Need for change • Quality assurance to enhancement • Fragmentation and confusion • Joined-up development • Fill gaps: • Stronger voice in policy-making • Greater strategic input • Research, development and evaluation • More than the sum of the existing parts The Higher Education Academy

4. Building on achievements • Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE) • Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) • FDTL National Co-ordination Team (NCT) The Higher Education Academy

5. The HE Academy What will the Academy do? The Higher Education Academy

6. The Academy will: • Reduce overlap and confusion • Recognise that the quality of T&L is the responsibility of academics, support staff and HEIs • Not seek to duplicate existing activities in HEIs nor to regulate them • Recognise diversity • Work in partnership The Higher Education Academy

7. And will… • Provide support for institutions to improve management and administrative structures that will enhance the student experience • Be a source of strategic policy advice for Government, the Funding Councils and the sector • Be evidence-based The Higher Education Academy

8. How will we work? • Build on existing strengths • Focus is the student experience • Focus on institutional needs in partnership • Focus our activities at multiple levels • Focus on very best available evidence • Focus on adding value • Bring consistency, but celebrate diversity The Higher Education Academy

9. What we will do • Drive e-learning • Connect student experiences to policy • Address issues of employability and WP • Improve management and leadership • More evidence based support • Resource base for all • Connect and network • Advise, support and facilitate development of professional standards The Higher Education Academy

10. Independent Responsive Inclusive Dynamic Participatory Professional Demonstrates value UK-wide International Values The Higher Education Academy

11. Key responsibilities • Subject-based practitioner communities • Development of national professional standards in teaching • Support for external examiners • Co-ordinating Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) • National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) • Establishing an R&D and evaluation programme The Higher Education Academy

12. Subject centres Practitioner networks Consultancy and advisory services Information and resources Research and development projects Publications Web-based resources Conferences & events Working groups Functions The Higher Education Academy

13. Board 14 members: Four appointed by UUK and SCOP Two appointed by the four funding bodies Four appointed by the Council equally representative of registered practitioners and communities of practice Two with experience outside higher education Up to two co-opted including a student representative Council 30 members: Sixteen elected from and by the registered practitioners Six elected from subject centres Two appointed by UUK and SCOP Two appointed by the NUS Four co-opted by the Council from relevant interests Sector owned The Higher Education Academy

14. Funding and fees • Funding Council grants, UK-wide • Institutional subscriptions • Individual fees from registered practitioners • Grant/contract income, e.g. for White Paper initiatives The Higher Education Academy

15. Registered practitioner or associate practitioner status is open to: • staff who teach and support learning of undergraduate and postgraduate students at HE level • practitioners who teach (e.g. lawyers, medics) • learning technologists • staff and educational developers • Vice-Chancellors, librarians, IT specialists, careers advisors, counsellors, senior managers and others who are engaged for a significant proportion of their working lives in supporting learning The Higher Education Academy

16. Subject Centres • Maintaining the subject dimension • Building on subject centres’ success • Focus of activity • Increasing levels of engagement The Higher Education Academy

17. Working with HEIs • Themes: • Excellence; e-learning; work-based learning; problem-based learning; assessment; strategies; professional development; CETLs; reward and recognition schemes • Regional collaboration – thematic & subject-based • Benchmarking networks The Higher Education Academy

18. For discussion • What should the Academy’s top priorities be? • What might the focus be for professional registration, disciplines, teaching, wide academic practice? • In what ways do you think the Academy can add value to higher education? • What should the Academy avoid doing? • How best should it engage with: • individuals, disciplines and universities? The Higher Education Academy

19. Any questions? Visit: www.heacademy.ac.uk ‘My aim is to ensure that the Academy will set the standard by which global efforts to bring a truly professional approach to teaching in higher education will be judged.’ Professor Paul Ramsden, Chief Executive designate The Higher Education Academy