The reward and recognition of staff focused on learning and teaching is an issue that affects all types of higher education institutions. Research-intensive institutions for example have always been conscious of the balance between research and teaching particularly in relation to funding streams and the REF but have ensured that their students receive the excellent teaching that they deserve. One indication of this is the increasing number of HEA Fellows at such institutions.
At a time of growing emphasis on the importance of high quality student education the HEA’s research into career structures and prospects - which includes Rebalancing promotion in the HE sector: Is teaching excellence being rewarded by Annette Cashmore et al and Shifting landscapes: Meeting the staff development needs of the changing academic workforce by William Locke et al – can help to inform policy and practice. The HEA will continue to commission high quality research - from across the sector - to address key issues in this area.
The research offered below by Dilly Fung et al focuses solely on the Russell Group – which it is acknowledged comprises only a small section of the UK’s research-intensive institutions - and examines the challenges at those particular institutions. It is hoped that some of the findings analysis and recommendations might be applicable more broadly however in the UK and elsewhere.
