Advance HE/HERDSA Fellowships
Applying for fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) or Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) can be advantageous for your academic career.
The Higher Education Academy (HEA) was originally established in the UK in 2003 to advise on policies and practices that impact on the student experience, support curriculum and pedagogic development and facilitate development and increase the professional standing of all staff in higher education in the UK. In recent years, it has extended its scope to engage in teaching and learning development in many countries around the world.
The HEA provides recognition for tertiary teaching and learning internationally through two main routes. One is through direct application to its fellowship scheme, which involves submission of a portfolio and references. The other is through accreditation of tertiary teaching programmes, thus providing a programme-based route to fellowship as well as assurance of institutional commitment to teaching and learning excellence.
The inaugural meeting of the HEA Australasian Strategic Advisory Board, comprising representatives of tertiary institutions in Australia and New Zealand, was held in 2017. Fellowship of the HEA is increasingly recognized and valued in tertiary institutions in many areas of the world as evidence of commitment to teaching quality, and is required for employment and promotion in some places.
There are four levels of HEA fellowship:
Associate Fellow is for those who are new to tertiary teaching or those who are engaged in learning support;
Fellow is for those who are in early to mid-career and/or have significant teaching responsibilities;
Senior Fellow is for experienced educators who influence teaching and learning at departmental level or above and/or hold academic leadership roles in their institutions;
Principal Fellow is for highly experienced staff with academic/strategic leadership roles across (and probably beyond) institutional level.
As of June 2017, over 90,000 individuals across the world had become fellows of the HEA.
If you would like to talk to someone about the process and benefits of applying for an HEA fellowship, please contact cettladmin@waikato.ac.nz, and we will get back to you.
HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) promotes the development of higher education research, policy and practice in the region. HERDSA membership is available to anybody interested in the promotion and enhancement of teaching, learning and academic practice in tertiary and higher education. As well as a journal and newsletter, they produce useful practical guides on various aspects of teaching and learning.
The HERDSA Fellowship scheme provides recognition for sustained commitment to teaching and learning, as well as access to a network of peers in the field. After the first step of applying for Associate Fellowship, you are allocated a mentor (a current Fellow) who can provide support and advice in the process of creating a teaching portfolio, which is then assessed. Successful completion of this process leads to the award of a Fellowship.
If you would like to talk to someone about the process and benefits of applying for a HERDSA fellowship, please contact cettladmin@waikato.ac.nz, and we will get back to you.