Fourteen versions to success

It is true that I didn’t really need a Principal Fellowship. Like many academics I felt I had enough qualifications and my job involved helping others get theirs. Nonetheless, I decided I wanted to achieve it. I had thought about applying for Senior Fellowship, but somehow never got around to doing so. Once Tim set the challenge, I thought I should accept, not because it was particularly easy, but famously, ‘because it was hard’ (paraphrasing Kennedy) and also ‘because it was there’ (Mallory). The PF conversation started a niggle that would not be satisfied until the process was complete.  

To find out more, I attended a Principal Fellow Writing Retreat led by Advance HE’s Professor Sally Bradley in York. This very helpfully set out the criteria for Principal Fellowship, introducing participants to strategic leadership of learning and teaching, focusing on the Professional Standards Framework (PSF). From this, I did an initial mapping exercise of my experience. At this point I naively thought I had ‘enough’ to meet the criteria. Sally’s assessment was that I had ‘gaps’, mainly in actually leading change to broad-based teaching and learning practices that impacted widely, meaning preferably ‘across the whole university’. To date, my experience was relatively small-scale, department- or programme-focused. I realised I needed to be more courageous and confident in leading larger-scale activities. At this point becoming a Principal Fellow seemed a faint, distant star, not an achievable goal.  

Nevertheless, with the PF niggle still niggling, I embarked on my third academic year in role as Deputy Head of Faculty, looking after postgraduates. Two opportunities to extend my range presented themselves. One involved significantly re-formatting and re-shaping a university-wide suite of research Masters programmes. The second was a spin-off from our Education Committee, chairing a task and finish group on doctoral supervision and research culture. I didn’t take these on because I thought ‘what a good way to meet the PF criteria’; I did them because they were tasks that interested me, were achievable and likely to lead to productive and satisfying outcomes. However, in terms of progressing towards Principal Fellowship, both were helpful – but simply including them wasn’t sufficient. I needed to show impact of changes I had initiated on practices of teaching and learning. But at least progress was being made.  

In the final phase of preparing my application, the fourth year since starting the process, I knew I was close to completion. I gathered evidence of outcomes and impact of the two main examples of strategic leadership. This included statements from colleagues, data and documentary evidence. I firmed up descriptions of other activities in which I had engaged for longer periods, including with the University’s International Office in various settings, which I used to show how I had flexed this external work to influence internal changes. I re-visited the reading list from the initial workshop. Reading gave valuable insights that allowed me to structure my application from ‘theoretical’ perspectives. Finally, I applied two key factors: first, I claimed ownership of the projects, my other contributions and outcomes: Principal Fellowship is ‘I’ messaging, rather than ‘we’. Tracking back to the applicant is essential. Second, an internal University mentor suggested framing my practice descriptions as ‘case studies’. These factors led me towards a constructive writing style that seemed to fit the approach required. The 14th version of my application was submitted to Advance HE in April 2021. By that stage, my term of office had ended, so I only had this one chance.   

I was warned that first submissions were not always successful and additional work may be required. So with trepidation I opened the ‘results’ email on 16 July. I was suddenly very proud to find I was awarded Principal Fellowship. My 14th version had been accepted. The PF niggle vanished instantly.  

So, was it worthwhile? I have to say yes. The benefits are not exactly tangible, but they are clear. I know Principal Fellowship affords status: it signals an achievement beyond the departmental border. For others, seeing I have a PF can be inspiring: a colleague recently told me her ‘jaw dropped’ when she found out, so I am now supporting her through the process. Above all I realise in myself that Principal Fellowship helped me transition into a more confident, capable strategic leader, with clearer understanding of how to influence change. A small step made in taking up the challenge led to a giant leap in enhancing my perceptions of myself and what I could achieve.  

Vanessa Kind is Professor of Education and Head of the School of Education at the University of Leeds. Prior to this, Vanessa was Deputy Executive Dean for PGTs and PGRs in Social Sciences and Health at Durham University.