The context for the programme
When the programme began Cardiff Metropolitan’s promotional route through learning and teaching to ‘professor’ was still in its infancy. They were looking to support staff in identifying opportunities for their development through this route and enable them to recognise both sector and institutional opportunities to develop their practice. Cardiff Met already had an established CPD scheme through which staff were able to gain D1 – D3 and was accredited for the recognition of D4 and at the time were building capacity to ensure credibility of their D4 panel.
The UKPSF was embedded both within academic probation requirements through the requirement to gain Fellowship of the HEA and through their workshop provision which was mapped against the PSF. They were seeking to clarify the nature of scholarship and practice that could be used to evidence promotion to ‘reader’ and ‘professor’ though a learning and teaching route or in combination with other (research and enterprise) routes. This project was designed to build on an existing matrix which provided an overview of a range of development activities that were available to Cardiff Metropolitan University staff.
The purpose of this matrix was “to assist staff in determining development opportunities appropriate to their career path and to help staff with garnering evidence for individual applications for Fellow and Senior Fellow.” (Non-credit bearing route to Fellowship Handbook 2015). These development opportunities are from both within and external to the institution. This project sought to clarify the expectations of the University with regard to ‘reader’ and ‘professor’ (through learning and teaching) and provide additional guidance and staff development opportunities to enable staff to provide evidence towards meeting these expectations. The project aims were:
- To explore sector practice in relation to progression to professor through a learning and teaching route;
- To clarify institutional criteria used to assess evidence progression and enable transition through a learning and teaching route to professorship;
- To ensure parity of opportunities for staff and align with the university’s commitment to Athena Swan;
- To provide a matrix for staff that will enable them to identify opportunities and plan their individual CPD in relation to institutional promotional criteria;
- To develop workshops to assist staff in exploring CPD needs in relation to promotion and progression through learning and teaching.
The areas intended for development
Areas the University intended to focus on throughout the strategic enhancement project were:
- Embedding of how to maintain and evidence/record ‘good standing’ of professional standards via staff performance review framework;
- Review of their Staff Performance Review documentation to include prominent articulation of the UKPSF and the need for on-going development for staff who undertake staff performance reviewsClear articulation of promotion criteria which includeed alignment with the UKPSF at all levels.
- Provision of the range of development activities to assist staff in determining development opportunities appropriate to their career path and timing of their career and finally to help staff with garnering evidence for individual applications for Fellow and Senior Fellow.