Guidance for

D3 Senior

Fellowship

2018 Edition

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Contents

1. What does recognition mean? .................................................................................... 4

2. The GOLD Application Process .................................................................................... 4

3. You.. ............................................................................................................................. 8

3.1 Is GOLD D3 Senior Fellowship right for you? ............................................................... 8

3.2 What counts as higher education? .............................................................................. 8

3.3 Are you eligible to apply? Will you have to pay a fee? .............................................. 9

3.4 Are you ready to apply? ............................................................................................. 10

3.5 Support and Guidance ............................................................................................... 10

3.6 First steps ................................................................................................................... 11

4. The UK Professional Standards Framework .............................................................. 12

4.1 The UKPSF has three aspects: Dimensions, Description and Criteria. ...................... 14

4.2 D3 Senior Fellowship description .............................................................................. 15

4.3 D3 Senior Fellowship criteria ..................................................................................... 16

4.4 Good Standing ........................................................................................................... 17

5. Presenting your evidence .......................................................................................... 18

5.1 Summary of GOLD evidential requirements: D3 Senior Fellowship .......................... 18

5.2 Choosing between the written and the verbal route ................................................ 19

6. The GOLD application form: D3 Senior Fellowship.................................................. 20

6.1 Completing Section 1 ................................................................................................. 20

6.2 Completing Section 2 ................................................................................................. 20

6.3 Completing Section 3(a): Reflective Account of Professional Practice ................... 21

6.4 Completing Section 3(b): Case studies (to demonstrate D3.VII) ............................... 26

6.5 Completing Section 3(a) and (b) on the Verbal route. .............................................. 26

6.6 Some general pointers for preparing your presentation .......................................... 28

6.7 Completing Section 4: Professional Development Action Plan ................................ 28

6.8 Completing Section 5 ................................................................................................. 29

7. What happens next? .................................................................................................. 30

7.1 Submitting your application and references ............................................................. 30

7.2 Allocation to a Recognition Panel .............................................................................. 30

7.3 Composition of the Recognition Panel ...................................................................... 30

7.4 Adjudication of your application ............................................................................... 31

7.5 Adjudication criteria .................................................................................................. 32

7.6 Feedback from the Panel ........................................................................................... 32

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7.7 When do you hear the outcome? .............................................................................. 33

7.8 Moderation of decisions ............................................................................................ 33

7.9 Appeal ........................................................................................................................ 33

8. Developing yourself with a view to application ........................................................ 34

8.1 Peer review and dialogue .......................................................................................... 34

8.2 Updating your knowledge of teaching and learning ................................................. 34

8.3 Reflecting upon feedback from students .................................................................. 35

9. Frequently asked questions ....................................................................................... 36

Appendix 1: Application for D3 Senior Fellowship ............................................................... 38

Appendix 2: D3 Senior Fellow Evaluation pro-forma ........................................................... 43

Acknowledgements:

The University of Greenwich would like to thank the HEA for making available its

various explanatory notes, which have been invaluable in preparing this document.

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1. What does recognition mean?

The GOLD professional development framework provides a way of formally

recognising your commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in higher

education, based upon validated evidence of your practice, knowledge and values. It

is aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) developed in

collaboration with the Higher Education Academy (HEA) on behalf of the HE sector.

It complements the other ways in which effectiveness and commitment to teaching

and learning are rewarded, such as the National Teaching Fellowship scheme.

The GOLD professional development framework accredits three categories of

fellowship (D1 to D3), and supports direct application to the HEA for the fourth (D4).

Whatever GOLD fellowship you achieve, you will be awarded the equivalent HEA

fellowship, entitling you to the post nominal letters set out below:

D1 AFHEA – Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

D2 FHEA – Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

D3 SFHEA – Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

D4 PFHEA – Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

All categories of Fellowship are accepted as recognised teaching qualifications for the

HE sector by HESA.1

The GOLD professional development framework supports all four categories and

there is a separate GOLD Guidance document for each category.

1 https://www.hesa.ac.uk/

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2. The GOLD Application Process

The GOLD development and application process is not complicated. It has four

stages and can take as little as three months from start to finish.

Diagram of the FOUR STAGES of the recognition process.

Stage 1

You find out about the process, downloading “GOLD Guidance for D3 Senior

Fellowship”, and the Senior Fellowship application form. You may also elect to

watch the GOLD information screencast. These are available on the dedicated GOLD

Scheme page at:

https://www.gre.ac.uk/internal/ed-dev/gold.

You identify a member of University of Greenwich staff who holds Senior Fellowship

or Principal Fellowship to be your mentor. They should be someone who you feel will

help you with your application. . [If your mentor does not hold any of these

categories of fellowship, they must attend mentor training which can be arranged by

emailing glt-admin@gre.ac.uk]. You and your mentor must then attend a mandatory

GOLD Guidance workshop (this is essential), where you receive the Registration of

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Intent form (ROI),2 which should be signed by your Head of Department or Line

Manager. The mandatory GOLD guidance workshop is where both you and your

mentor get to grips with your individual application needs for Senior Fellowship so it

is a key milestone. Dates for the GOLD Guidance workshops can also be found on the

GOLD scheme page.

.

Stage 2

You actively develop your evidence. You will undertake a Peer Observation of

Teaching with your mentor (see section 8.1), but you may also wish to update your

knowledge through reading (see section 8.2), or through attending CPD courses or

conferences. You choose your second referee (your mentor is your first referee) and

write the application form. You send both referees your completed application form

as a pdf and they send you back their references as pdfs. The references should be

500 words or more in length. Note that all the documentation you submit should be

personal and unique to you. The GOLD recognition panel reserves the right to check

that this is so

Stages 3 and 4

You send in your application, PLUS your two independent references, PLUS your

Registration of Intent, as pdf attachments in an e-mail to SDU@greenwich.ac.uk. If

you are targeting a particular panel, remember that you need to submit three weeks

in advance. Panel dates are listed on the main GOLD scheme page.

Your application, references, and ROI are made available to panel members in

advance of the panel. The process is confidential, so only panel members and the

administrators of the panel see your documentation or the feedback and result you

receive from the panel. Panel members critically review them with the help of the

GOLD assessment grid – see Appendix 2 at the end of this booklet.

Written applications:

2 Institution agreement to your application is required. This is signified by your line

manager’s signature on the Registration of Intent or an equivalent expression of

institutional agreement.

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The panel meets on the day of the panel and discuss your written application until a

consensus is reached. Usually this takes between 30 and 60 minutes. If there is no

consensus, a simple majority of the panel members is sufficient to decide the

outcome.

Verbal applications:

If you have opted to present your Reflective Account of Professional Practice to the

panel verbally, you will be asked to attend on the day of the panel at a particular

time. The panel will already have read sections 1, 2, 4, and 5 of your application,

and your references and ROI, submitted by you as pdf attachments to an e-mail to

SDU@greenwich.ac.uk.

Your presentation will communicate your Reflective Account of Professional Practice,

section 3(a), and your two case studies, section 3(b). Please plan your presentation

to reflect this structure. You have 40 minutes to present, after which you will be

asked to withdraw for 10 minutes so the panel can formulate their questions of

clarification. You then return to the panel for up to 15 minutes of cross-questioning.

The panel decision:

Whichever route you choose, the decision of the panel is made on the day, through

discussion in open session. You will be notified of the decision by e-mail normally

within 48 hours. Normally within seven days, you will receive a formal letter from

the chair of the panel with the decision, and feedback from the panel.

In rare and exceptional circumstances, the panel may require the chair to ratify a

decision, under chair’s action, according to their direction. An example where this

might happen is where your ROI has not been received or has gone missing; chair’s

action would allow the decision to be made in accordance with the panel’s

recommendations, once the ROI is received.

If your application for Senior Fellowship is “accepted”, your name and e-mail will be

notified to the HEA. The HEA will then send an e-mail to you (at the e-mail on your

application form) inviting you to set up an account or log in to your existing account

on MyAcademy at https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/my-academy-manage-your-

higher-education-academy-experience. Once logged in to MyAcademy, you will find

your certificate ready to be downloaded. You can then begin using the post-nominal

letters SFHEA.

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If your application for Senior Fellowship is “not yet accepted”, you will receive

detailed feedback to assist you in resubmitting an improved application in the near

future. If, on resubmission, your application is still “not yet accepted”, you will be

asked to reflect upon the result and develop yourself over 12 months before

submitting a further application.

The work of the panel is moderated through a process similar to external

examination, undertaken by the external adjudicator – see section 7.8. As with

academic assessment of students, you cannot appeal against the decision of the

panel, but you can appeal if you feel that the adjudication process was irregular or

unfair. See section 7.9 for more.

3. You

3.1 Is D3 Senior Fellowship right for you?

If you can evidence success and effectiveness in teaching and learning in higher

education (HE), and you can demonstrate that in teaching and learning, you have

been successful in co-ordinating, supporting, supervising, managing and/ or

mentoring university colleagues, then you can apply for D3 Senior Fellowship. If you

are unsure, discuss the suitability of applying for D3 Senior Fellowship through the

GOLD route with your line manager.

3.2 What counts as higher education?

Your evidence should be based on teaching and / or supporting learning in higher

education (HE). For the most part, this corresponds to UK HE levels 4 to 8 and any

professional work you undertake at these levels can be used as evidence in your

application for SFHEA.

The HEA and GOLD also recognises3 three other types of “higher education”:

• Foundation Year programmes

• Pre-sessional English courses for international degree students designed

to develop academic skills

3 Hustler, K. (2018) Eligibility for HEA Fellowship, available from the HEA.

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• Professional CPD programmes that are designed to develop and extend

existing graduate/postgraduate level skills, knowledge and understanding,

e.g. GP training, etc.

If you are undertaking teaching and/or supporting learning of these kinds then you

can include it in your evidence for SFHEA.

3.3 Are you eligible to apply? Will you have to pay a fee?

If you are a member of University of Greenwich staff – permanent or temporary, full-

time, fractional, or hourly-paid – then you are eligible to apply for and gain GOLD and

HEA recognition without any fee (but note the University policy on staff without

teaching qualifications). “Being a member of staff” means you will have a contract

of employment with the University of Greenwich at the start of the process and

when you are recognised and login in to MyAcademy to download your certificate.

If this is not the case you may be liable for a fee as outlined below.

If you do not have a contract of employment with the University of Greenwich then

you will be liable to pay a fee for GOLD recognition and also a fee to the HEA.

• Probably you will be a member of staff in a partner college of the

university, teaching on University of Greenwich approved courses. The

fee for undertaking the GOLD recognition process is currently £150,

payable to University of Greenwich when you arrange to attend a GOLD

Guidance workshop. This fee entitles you to one submission for

recognition, and a further resubmission if the GOLD panel recommend it.

Please be aware that this fee is payable whether or not you are

eventually recognised at the GOLD fellowship category you apply for.

• There is also a fee for obtaining the corresponding HEA fellowship, once

you have achieved GOLD recognition. This will vary according to the HEA

status of your employer. In March 2018, these fees were as follows:

Your employer is a subscribing institution of the HEA No fee

Your employer is not a subscribing institution of the HEA £300.

• The HEA fees are subject to change and may be checked here:

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship#section-4

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• Note that you can pay for and obtain GOLD fellowship without paying for

and receiving your HEA fellowship.

3.4 Are you ready to apply?

Ask yourself three questions:

• Am I effective at teaching or supporting learning?

For example, am I familiar with current theories and practices of teaching and

learning in Higher Education? Am I up-to-date in my approach to teaching practice?

Can I support learning using contemporary approaches and back this up with

scholarship about my teaching subject? Am I conversant with the current university

policies and strategies4, and infrastructure (VLE, student management system, etc).

• Am I professionally self-critical?

Do I reflect upon how I could do better, and how the things I am involved with could

be more effective? Am I someone who changes things for the better?

• Am I active in pursuing continuing professional development in teaching and

learning?

Have I been on a staff development course in the last 6 months, or attended a

conference in the area of teaching, learning and assessment?

The GOLD framework expects you to be able to answer “Yes!” to all these questions

– and give a reasoned evidential account of why your answer is “Yes!”. If your

answer to any questions is “No?”, then you are probably not ready.

3.5 Support and Guidance

If D3 Senior Fellowship is right for you and you are eligible and ready to apply, you

need to think about the kind of evidence available to you to demonstrate successful

professional practice. When you attend a GOLD Guidance workshop with your

mentor, you will discuss the development and presentation of evidence in detail.

There is also detailed advice under section 6 of this document. Familiarise yourself

with the UK Professional Standards Framework and the criteria for D3 Senior

Fellowship, which are found in Section 4 of this document. Discuss your approach

with colleagues and fellow team members. It’s easier to work on this together.

4 http://www2.gre.ac.uk/about/policy

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If you are not ready, there are lots of ways in which you can prepare. Start a

reflective log or blog. Update your knowledge of teaching and learning – there are

plenty of resources on the HEA website http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.

Actively think about your teaching or the ways in which you support learning.

Section 4.4 of this document discusses Good Standing, and has suggestions about

how to ensure you remain in Good Standing. These are all ways in which you can

prepare yourself for your application, for if you are in Good Standing, then you will

automatically be ready to apply.

Section 8.2 has some recommended texts to broaden your knowledge and

understanding of appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the

subject area and at the level of the academic programme (K2), and of how students

learn, both generally and within their subject/disciplinary areas (K3). In your

application form, you are required to demonstrate scholarship through citation to

show K2 and K3.

3.6 First steps

Your Mentor:

One of the first things to do is to arrange a mentor to help you through the process

of your GOLD application. For University of Greenwich staff, your mentor will also be

a current member of University of Greenwich staff who holds either Senior of

Principal Fellowship of the HEA. In exceptional cases, when you choose a mentor

who does not hold Senior or Principal Fellowship of the HEA, mandatory mentor

training is in place [if this is the case, please ask your mentor to contact glt-

admin@gre.ac.uk to arrange mentor training]. Your mentor should be someone who

has first-hand knowledge of your current professional practice and must have

detailed knowledge of the UKPSF and the GOLD framework. You find a mentor

directly by simply asking a colleague, or speak to your Head of Department for

advice.

For Greenwich partner college staff (including those overseas), your mentor must be

a member of University of Greenwich staff and will ideally hold either Senior of

Principal Fellowship of the HEA. If they don’t, mandatory mentor training is in place,

as above. They may be a link tutor, or may be someone at the University of

Greenwich with whom you have worked. They must have first-hand experience of

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your professional practice and will undertake a peer observation of teaching with

you.

Your other referee:

Your other referee can be any colleague who has close experience of your

professional practice in teaching and learning. We recommend they hold a category

of fellowship at least equivalent to that for which you are applying. They need to

have current knowledge of the UKPSF, and it is your responsibility to ensure this is

the case.

4. The UK Professional Standards Framework

Areas of Activity

A1 Design and plan learning activities

and/or programmes of study

A2 Teach and/or support learning

A3 Assess and give feedback to

learners

A4 Developing effective learning

environments and approaches to student

support and guidance

A5 Engage in continuing professional

development in subjects/disciplines and

their pedagogy, incorporating research,

scholarship and the evaluation of

professional practices

Core Knowledge

K1 Knowledge and understanding of

the subject material

K2 Knowledge and understanding of

appropriate methods for teaching,

learning and assessing in the subject area

and at the level of the academic

programme

K3 Knowledge and understanding of

how students learn, both generally and

within their subject/disciplinary area(s)

K4 Knowledge and understanding of

Professional Values

V1 Respect for both individual learners

and diverse learning communities

V2 Promote participation in higher

education and equality of opportunity for

learners

V3 Use evidence-informed approaches

and the outcomes from research,

scholarship and continuing professional

development

V4 Acknowledge the wider context in

which higher education operates

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The Dimensions of the UK Professional Standards Framework are organised as

follows:

4.1 The UKPSF has three aspects: Dimensions, Description and Criteria.

Dimensions:

There are the three Dimensions above, giving the 15 elements which specify WHAT a

Higher Education professional does, WHAT they need to know in order to do it, and

WHAT values are consistent with professionalism. They are found in the diagram on

page 14 above.

Description:

This is given in section 4.2 below.

Criteria:

There are also the criteria relevant to the different categories of fellowship, with the

D3 Senior Fellowship criteria being given in section 4.3 below.

Core Knowledge (What’s in their head)

Professional Values (What’s in their heart)

Areas of Activity (What a Higher Education professional does)

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4.2 D3 Senior Fellowship description

Senior Fellows will normally have a considerable

level of expertise, developed over time, in

supporting high quality student learning in all

dimensions of the framework. They will have

gained relevant experience through the use of a

range of approaches including mentoring,

coordinating, supervising and managing

individuals and groups. Individuals will evidence

the depth and sophistication of their

understanding and demonstrate a sustained and

successful engagement with the UKPSF,

indicating specifically how such knowledge,

understanding and expertise is used in their

approach to teaching, mentoring and leadership.

Descriptor D3 recognises extended good practice

both within the classroom (or learning

environment) and in supporting the student

learning experience in a wider context. This

would normally include evidence of effective

and significant impact on students, on

colleagues and on the organisation/institution.

Evidence of a wider sphere of influence than the

classroom and the student group (the basic

expectation for D2), is required here. A relatively

limited experience of programme and/or

module management, for example, or in

mentoring new staff, will not be sufficient.

Descriptor D3 incorporates all the requirements

for D2 and can, therefore, be viewed as building

on D2. One way to view the difference is that D2

is primarily concerned with all who teach and is

a core expectation, whilst D3 addresses

experienced teachers and others who

demonstrate leadership in their learning and

teaching practices and related activities. D3

requires evidence of wider impact, sustained

success and influence. This would be the case

with individuals who, for example, have

developed and led substantial programmes of

teaching and learning, led cross (and inter-)

institutional teaching and learning focused

projects, provided leadership for work in

discipline based communities, or those who

have led consultancy for major pieces of

pedagogic work in subject associations and

professional bodies.

Descriptor D3 usually pertains to someone

who has substantive professional experience,

has evidence of CPD in pedagogy/teaching

and learning, and who leads major

programmes. They may also have experience

of mentoring colleagues and can demonstrate

their expertise, impact and influence in that

way. They could, for example, be a mid-

career professional who is a highly

experienced and effective teacher with

substantive teaching responsibility.

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4.3 D3 Senior Fellowship criteria

Senior Fellows demonstrate a thorough

understanding of effective approaches to

teaching and learning support as a key

contribution to high quality student

learning. They should be able to provide

evidence of:

I. Successful engagement across all

five Areas of Activity

II. Appropriate knowledge and

understanding across all aspects of

Core Knowledge

III. A commitment to all the

Professional Values

IV. Successful engagement in

appropriate teaching practices

related to the Areas of Activity

V. Successful incorporation of subject

and pedagogic research and/or

scholarship within the above

activities, as part of an integrated

approach to academic practice

VI. Successful engagement in

continuing professional

development activity related to

teaching, learning, assessment and,

where appropriate, related

professional practices.

VII. Successful co-ordination, support,

supervision, management and/or

mentoring of others (whether

individuals and/or teams) in

relation to teaching and learning.

Senior Fellows are able to provide

evidence of a sustained record of

effectiveness in relation to teaching and

learning, incorporating for example, the

organisation, leadership and / or

management of specific aspects of

teaching and learning provision. Such

individuals are likely to lead or be

members of established academic

teams.

Typically, those likely to be Senior

Fellows include:

a. Experienced staff able to

demonstrate impact and

influence through, for example,

responsibility for leading,

managing or organising

programmes, subjects and/or

disciplinary areas

b. Experienced subject mentors and

staff who support those new to

teaching

c. Experienced staff with

departmental and / or wider

teaching and learning support

advisory responsibilities within an

institution, for example, within

work-based settings.

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4.4 Good Standing

All Fellows of the HEA and Fellows of the GOLD scheme are required to maintain

their good standing.

“A person or organisation is said to be in good standing if they have fulfilled their

obligations. It is your responsibility to ensure you remain in good standing and

continue to work in line with your relevant Fellow descriptor standard […] We expect

HEA Fellows to be working towards their next award and be performing, or out-

performing, their current Fellow descriptor standard. All Fellows should therefore be

able to demonstrate compliance with (at least) their awarded level at any given time.

Fellows should record their professional development activity to ensure that they

remain in good standing”. (Information slightly adapted from

https:www.heacademy.ac.uk/ukpsf#secton-5)

In the Senior Fellowship Application form we ask you in Section 4 to outline your

Professional Development Action Plan for the next year and we encourage you to

look upon this action plan as something you will do every year. This plan is the best

way of evidencing your on-going commitment to remaining in good standing, and

you should formulate it as part of your annual appraisal process. Excerpt from the

appraisal documentation:

“For staff who have achieved HEA Associate Fellowship / Fellowship / Senior

Fellowship / Principal Fellowship please demonstrate how you will continue to work

in line with the relevant Fellow descriptor as outlined in the UKPSF and

the Fellowship of the HEA Code of Practice.

For those who have not received any level of fellowship please discuss with your

appraiser the level of fellowship appropriate for you to achieve.”

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5. Presenting your evidence

5.1 Summary of GOLD evidential requirements: D3 Senior Fellowship

Application form for D3 – Senior Fellowship

Section 1 Personal details

Section 2 Outlining your professional context

(not exceeding 500 words)

Section 3(a) Reflective Account of Professional Practice – either written (2500 to

3000 words) or presented directly to the panel (within the total of 40 minutes

presentation time) organised around the 5 Areas of Activity:

A1 Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study

A2 Teach and/or support learning

A3 Assess and give feedback to learners

A4 Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student

support and guidance

A5 Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines

and their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the

evaluation of professional practices

PLUS Section 3(b)

TWO Case studies showing leadership and/or influence in teaching and learning

either written (1000 to 1500 words each) or presented directly to the panel

(within the total of 40 minutes presentation time).

There is some flexibility in terms of length around Section 3(a) and 3(b), but the

combined word-count should be approximately 6000 words in total.

Section 4 Professional Development Action Plan

(not exceeding 500 words)

Section 5 Details of your Mentor and second Referee

PLUS

2 independent References, one from your mentor and one from a second referee, of

around 500 to 1000 words each. Also a completed Registration of Intent form, signed

by your Head of Department or equivalent.

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5.2 Choosing between the written and the verbal route

There are two different routes to choose from in presenting your evidence:

The written route: all your evidence is set out in the Application Form.

The verbal route: your evidence in Sections 1, 2 4, and 5 of the application is set

out in writing.

Your evidence in Section 3 is presented in person to the

Recognition Panel. You should simply put the words “Verbal

Route” in the Section 3 panels of the application form.

Section 4 is a formal commitment to continuing professional development so it is

appropriate that it is presented in written form.

Neither of these routes is easier, nor is there any inherent advantage in which form

you present your evidence: written or in person. You have a free choice as to which

route and form you use.

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6. The GOLD application form: D3 Senior Fellowship

6.1 Completing Section 1

This section requires to you to provide identification, contact information and

qualifications relevant to your application. This section should be completed by

applications following both the written and the verbal routes. There is a reminder

that you need to have a Peer Observation of Teaching where your mentor observes

you teach. This will help them to affirm you are professional in your approach to

teaching.

6.2 Completing Section 2

In this section, you provide a succinct factual overview (not exceeding 500 words) of

your current teaching-related roles, activities and responsibilities, and those you

have held over the last three years, at University of Greenwich or elsewhere in the

HE sector. You should make claims on the right-hand columns against the

dimensions of the UKPSF. This section “sets the scene” for your Reflective Account

of Professional Practice in Section 3, and is likely to include some of the following:

• Your management and administrative responsibilities, such as Head of

Department, or Deputy Head, or Link Tutor, or Work Experience Co-ordinator

(please give dates).

• The courses and/or programmes you lead or are involved with, and how you

contribute – lectures, tutorials, laboratory sessions, assessment and/or

marking, either face-to-face or over the web (please give dates, student

numbers and the size of the teaching team).

• Leadership or participation in planning, redesign, revalidation and/or re-

accreditation of programmes and/or courses (please give dates).

• Liaising with external examiners and professional bodies.

• Involvement in university-wide committees and strategy groups (please give

dates).

• Acting as Personal tutor, or Year tutor, or Link tutor or as a mentor to other

staff (please give dates and student numbers).

• Professional development of yourself and others through mentor or peer

dialogue, through developmental sessions, or through scholarship of teaching

and learning (please give dates and numbers).

• Anything else that relates to Areas of Activity A1 to A5.

.

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Your examples of professional and developmental activity should be mapped against

appropriate dimensions of the UKPSF. They are intended to show the breadth and

diversity of engagement you have with the UKPSF. There is no need to supply

verification evidence separately to these examples, but be as specific as possible and

include dates. Your Mentor and your other referee may well refer to them in their

reference.

6.3 Completing Section 3(a): Reflective Account of Professional Practice

Structure

This is the heart of your application, where you present your reflections on, and

explanation of, your leadership and professional practice in your various roles, linked

to scholarship of teaching and learning, and including evidence of your effectiveness

from third parties (students, colleagues, externals). You could organise this section

under the five Areas of Activity (A1-5) of the UKPSF or you could choose to give an

holistic account addressing them together. Remember to make explicit claims

against Areas of Activity (A1-5), Core Knowledge (K1-6) and Professional Values (V1-

4). Please do NOT use bullet or numbered points. You should share what you do,

how you do it, why you do it that way, and how you know it is effective. It is a

personal account but should include short quotations from third parties and citation

from authors on learning and teaching, as appropriate. Because it is a personal

account, it should be original and unique to you, and the GOLD panel reserves the

right to make checks that this is so. Total guide length 2500 to 3000 words.

In preparing your RAPP, you will draw upon evidence included in Your Professional

Context (section 2). Remember your RAPP is an explanation of how you go about

your work; section 2 was a description of what you do. You need to explain the how

and the why of your professionality in depth, rather than emphasise the extent of

your professional practice.

You should address the requirements of D3 Senior Fellowship and employ some

citation of the literature around teaching, learning and assessing to demonstrate

your scholarly approach. If you have no citation in your application, your claim for

recognition will not be accepted. There are some suggestions of reputable literature

to draw upon in Section 8.2.

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The RAPP is a personal account and so it is appropriate that you use the FIRST

PERSON form of writing throughout. In a sense a reflective account is an explanation

of your professional work to yourself. You should share your reasons for your

professional decisions – why you do things the way you – and demonstrate that you

reflect before, during and after your teaching. Explain what you do, how you do it,

and why you do it that way. Also explain how you know it is effective. This may

involve quoting other stakeholders – students, colleagues, external examiners – so

course evaluations, student feedback, KPIs, and external examiner reports will

provide useful material. You should share something of your personal teaching

philosophy – your own values (which probably are in agreement with V1–V4).

Unique and original

Because it is personal to you, the RAPP should be unique, original, and in your own

words. You are required to sign a declaration that this is so. The panel reserves the

right to check that this is so, using antiplagiarism software, for instance.

A1 Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study

As we all know, the better the preparation, the better the performance. Here you

have the opportunity to explain how you go about designing, planning, and preparing

for teaching and supporting learning.

The kind of activities you discuss or explain could include:

• designing and planning sessions with learners in a particular setting, such

as a seminar, laboratory, library activities, learning support, online

support or fieldwork;

• contributing to the development and improvement of

courses/programmes, making clear what your leading role was;

You need to show that you understand that what you have planned is appropriate

for learners at the level you are working.

You may mention (intended) Learning Outcomes, Constructive Alignment, planning

for diversity, time constraints, (planning) methods of assessment, connecting with

other courses, the requirements of your professional body.

You should easily demonstrate K1, K2, K3, K4, and V3 and V4.

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A2 Teach and/or support learning

Teaching includes any situation where you are with a student or students and they

are learning under your guidance. This ranges from one-to-one supervision session

to small scale tutorials or seminars (say 25 students) through to large scale lectures

to a group of more than 100. Teaching may be face-to-face or on-line. The learning

will normally be at least at level 4 (undergraduate first year), but there are

exceptions, see section 3.2.

Some ideas of the contexts you could explain or reflect on:

• specific approaches you use in your teaching or support of learning.

These might be in the range of contexts mentioned above (lectures,

seminars, tutorials, practical sessions, library sessions, field trips etc);

• working with learners on a one-to-one basis, including student research

supervisions sessions;

• developing research and information support on a one-to-one basis or in

groups;

• creative studio work, drama or dance workshops;

• contributing to skills or language support for degree level programmes;

• managing the teaching and assessment loads of staff to promote equity

• developing services, tools and technologies to support a VLE;

• Running seminars or tutorials with individuals or groups of learners to

support their learning in lectures;

• supporting staff through mentoring or coaching;

• leading a teaching team;

• working with learners on learning technologies;

You may mention adapting to academic level, harnessing student creativity, student

attention span, changing mode of teaching, teacher-centred and student-centred

strategies, enquiry-based learning, using learning technologies to enhance the

impact of your teaching, motivating adult students; team work and team dynamics –

to name but a few.

You should easily demonstrate K1, K2, K3, and K5 and V1, V2 and V3

Remember to include evidence that you are effective from other stake-holders.

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A3 Assess and give feedback to learners

This includes both summative and formative assessment, both formal and informal.

Explain the assessment methods you use on the courses you teach and why they are

appropriate. Explain how you give feedback that improves their understanding of

the subject matter, and is positively motivating towards further learning and

development. Timing is very important to assessment, so you should describe when

your assessments occur and explain your thinking around this. In some discipline

areas, the relevant professional body will check the assessment pattern and level.

Explain how you quality assure the assessment process.

Some ideas around assessment:

• using feedback and feed-forward approaches to improve learning and

develop learner autonomy.

• how assessment and feedback contributes to students’ and/or others’

learning; this might be about approaches developed or used to enhance

the learning of specific attributes or skills

• The range of assessment methods you employ and the rationale for their

use. This might include focus on the combination of assessment

approaches used to develop and assess specific outcomes or aims;

• standardisation and moderation practices to ensure quality assessment

• the implications of quality assurance and a commitment to quality

enhancement. This might be about approaches used within the context

of a new/revised module, course or programme where subject

benchmarking and/or professional standards are integral, or in a service

learning support activity where timeframes or other restrictions influence

the approaches you are able to use.

• feedback and assessment related to diagnostic activities such as informal

assessment of learning,

• Assessing students in work placements.

• Liaising with external examiners or accreditors

You should easily demonstrate K1, K3, K4 and K6 and V1, V2, V3 and perhaps V4.

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A4 Developing effective learning environments and approaches to student

support and guidance

Here you have the chance to explain some of the diverse ways in which you enhance

your students’ experience and the effectiveness of the university. This might include:

• your role as a personal tutor, or year tutor, or link tutor;

• how you have improved the learning environment on your

programmes/courses following feedback from students or colleagues.

Using virtual learning environments to supplement or replace face-to-

face teaching;

• your awareness of online interface design; the importance of the right

“atmosphere” for learning.

• involvement in organising recruitment and selection of student, open

days, and outreach;

• a critical incident in student support that demonstrates your

effectiveness in the student support role;

• involvement in quality oversight through committees or exam boards;

• There may be special elements of your courses, such as laboratory

sessions, site visits, work experience, or practical demonstrations which

will have health of safety implications.

You should easily evidence K2, K4, K5, and V2.

A5 Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines and

their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of

professional practices

You should review your engagement in professional development around teaching

and learning over the last three years. You should discuss some publicly shared

professional development in the form of courses or conferences attended,

participation in workshops, and peer observation of teaching. You can also include

private professional development in the form of reading, online research, one-to-one

on-the-job learning and advancement.

Remember to explain more than just “what you did”; share the reasons you did it,

why it influenced you, what benefits you were able to bring to your professional

practice.

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Some ideas:

• contributing to staff development/staff research events;

• how experience of peer observation of teaching helped you reflect upon

and change aspects of your own teaching;

• conducting a piece of action research and disseminating the findings at

a teaching and learning conference;

• engagement with your professional update and development.

You should easily demonstrate K1, K2, K3, and V1, V3, and V4.

Further advice is available from the HEA website in the Fellowship Application pack

from the HEA, available here:

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/application

6.4 Completing Section 3(b): Case studies (to demonstrate D3.VII)

Case studies showing leadership and/or influence in teaching and learning

Please use these two case studies to evidence your leadership and/or influence on

colleagues in teaching and learning, as specified in criterion D3.VII for Senior

Fellowship: “Successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/ or

mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and

learning.” Remember to make explicit claims against Areas of Activity (A1-5), Core

Knowledge (K1-6) and Professional Values (V1-4). Please do NOT use bullet or

numbered points. You should share what you do, how you do it, why you do it that

way, and how you know it is effective. It is a personal account but should include

short quotations from third parties and citation from authors on learning and

teaching, as appropriate. Total guide length 1000 to 1500 words per case study.

There is some flexibility around the lengths of Section 3(a) and 3(b), but the

combined word-count for both should be approximately 6000 words in total.

6.5 Completing Section 3(a) and (b) on the Verbal route.

If you have chosen the verbal route, you will need to prepare a single presentation

for section 3, the length of which is as follows:

D3 Senior Fellowship 40 minutes, followed by up to 15 minutes Q&A

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Your presentation should:

• Explain what you do, and have done, and why this is appropriate evidence for

the GOLD Senior Fellowship. You should include in your presentation the

equivalent of the two case studies addressing the D3.VII criterion. The

guidance in section 6.3 and 6.4 above is relevant.

• How you know you have a record of success and effectiveness (this should

include peer and student feedback but should also include reflective self-

analysis)

• Your understanding of the literature of teaching and learning

• How your evidence relates to the criteria GOLD Senior Fellowship and the

dimensions of the UKPSF

You should prepare and structure your presentation carefully. You will not be

allowed to over-run on your time, and to seriously under-run will adversely impress

the panel.

You can use any visual aid such as PowerPoint, still photographs, video clips, etc. to

help with your presentation provided you know how to use it and can supply it. Be

as creative as you like, but remember it is the substance of your presentation as well

as the style, which is judged. Video clips may be used, but should not dominate. It is

expected that you have a clear structure to your presentation, including a title slide

and reference slide at the end. The number of slides you include is up to you, but

remember the importance of timing and practice your presentation ahead of the

panel day. Including too many slides may risk you overrunning on time. Text heavy

slides may lead you to read the slides rather than present to the panel.

Your presentation will be audio recorded for moderation and audit purposes. You

will need to sign a consent form prior to making your presentation.

You should provide the panel with a handout – e.g. PowerPoint slides – so they can

take notes. The panel will not ask questions during your presentation. The panel will

ask you to retire for a few minutes after your presentation while they consider your

evidence. You will then be asked to return for a question and answer session which

will last up to 15 minutes. Questions will be restricted to clarification; no leading

questions will be asked. Example questions can be found below:

• How do you know your practice is effective?

• Give an example of a CPD activity you have been engaged in and how has this

informed your practice?

• How do you embody the values?

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• Give an example of your influence on the L&T practice of colleagues

6.6 Some general pointers for preparing your presentation

• You can use a narrative or thematic approach to organise your presentation

but it should address the same evidential requirements as section 3(a) and

section 3(b) of the application form.

• Select from all your work activities, those which will best demonstrate GOLD

Senior fellowship.

• Share with the panel the rationale behind your presentation. If you have

been influenced by literature in teaching, learning and assessment, include

citations.

• Don’t feel you should only include your successes. An example of where you

needed to make change, researched alternatives, implemented an innovation

and evaluated its impact, sometimes provides more opportunity for

demonstrating you are a reflective practitioner than easy success.

• You should mention the UKPSF dimensions and fellowship criteria directly in

your presentation.

• Include New Arrivals, PRES, PTES, igrad, USS, and NSS data, external examiner

feedback, feedback and quotes from students and colleagues.

• Practice your presentation. You cannot over-run and should not under-run.

• Don’t over-crowd your presentation. Remember it is substance that is judged,

as well as style.

• Don’t leave your presentation to the last minute. Your mentor and referee

will need to have an overview of your intended presentation in order to write

their references and those need to be completed at least 21 days before the

final “performance” of your presentation to the panel.

6.7 Completing Section 4: Professional Development Action Plan

In this section, you outline your Professional Development Action Plan for the current

and the next year. We encourage you to look upon this action plan as something you

will do every year, to remain in good standing. Please include some publicly shared

professional development in the form of courses or conferences attended,

participation in workshops etc:

29

• University of Greenwich has a range of development courses available here:

https://www.gre.ac.uk/opportunities/opportunities-repository/educational-

development-unit/continuing-professional-development

• There are also Open Lectures in learning and teaching you can attend, or

watch here: https://www.gre.ac.uk/about-us/faculty/eddev/study/open-

lecture-series

• There is also the COMPASS journal of learning and teaching which you can

access on line here: https://journals.gre.ac.uk/index.php/compass/index

You could even submit an article or an opinion piece to COMPASS yourself.

Professional development can also be something undertaken in private, or informally

among groups of colleagues. Online research, private reading, one-to-one on-the-

job learning and advancement are all possibilities. Consider whether you can provide

any professional development to your colleagues.

6.8 Completing Section 5

Please record details of your mentor (and their category of Fellowship) and your

second independent referee. Your mentor should be a member of University of

Greenwich staff, and they will undertake a Peer Observation of Teaching as part of

your preparation for submission. Your other referee may be a member of University

of Greenwich staff; alternatively they may be external to Greenwich, for instance

from an HEI where you have previously taught, or from an associate college.

Remember to supply both referees with a copy of your application so they can

corroborate your claim effectively. You should also direct your mentor to the

download copies of the Reference Proforma and the Guidance Notes for Mentors,

Applicants for D3 Senior Fellowship, and your other referee to the download copies

of the Reference Proforma and the Guidance Notes for Referees, Applicants for D3

Senior Fellowship.

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7. What happens next?

7.1 Submitting your application and references

You should supply your completed application form in pdf format to your Mentor

and your other Referee. This should be well in advance of your intended Recognition

Panel, so they can refer to your evidence in their references.

They should e-mail their electronically signed references to you in pdf format to

forward, with your own Application Form, as e-mail attachments to SDU@gre.ac.uk

marking the subject as GOLD application YOURNAME, and cc-ing your referees to

ensure transparency.

7.2 Allocation to a Recognition Panel

Once your Application Form, your ROI and your two references are received, you will

be allocated the next available slot in a Recognition Panel, which at the earliest will

be 3 weeks after your submission.

If you have chosen to follow the Verbal Route, our administrator will inform you of a

time-slot on the day of when you should attend. Your presentation and questions

will take less than an hour in total.

7.3 Composition of the Recognition Panel

The GOLD recognition panel consists of a permanent chair (PFHEA) or their nominee

(at least SFHEA), and between TWO and FOUR additional panel members. For

applications for Senior Fellowship, these will all hold at least Senior Fellowship; for

applications for Associate Fellowship or Fellowship, these will all hold at least

Fellowship. The total panel size is therefore between THREE and FIVE. The panel

administrative officer records proceedings and the outcome with feedback in each

case. There may also be a few non-voting observers.

All panel members (including the chair) are drawn from an approved active list, held

by HR. Those on the list have all received panel training and shadowed (ie attended

and only observed) a GOLD recognition panel. They must also have participated in a

panel in the last 12 months. Where panel members are inactive for more than 12

months, they undertake update panel training before recommencing their panel

duties.

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Any member of staff who holds full Fellowship (or SFHEA or PFHEA) can become a

panel member by undertaking the GOLD panel training and shadowing a panel. If

you are interested, please contact glt-admin@gre.ac.uk

7.4 Adjudication of your application

You submit your application and references and Registration of Intent as pdf

attachments via e-mail at least 21 days in advance of the relevant panel date. These

are circulated to panel members approximately a week before the Recognition Panel,

along with an assessment sheet based upon the HEA evaluation grid for the

appropriate category of fellowship, which the panel member may use to make notes

upon the application in advance.

As outlined above, the panel consists of a chairperson and between TWO and FOUR

members with appropriate categories of fellowship. Your application is discussed in

open session of the panel and adjudicated against the criteria for the category of

GOLD Fellowship applied for and against the dimensions of the UKPSF, using the

advice listed in this document. Discussion is only allowed on evidence you submit,

either in writing or verbally.

The panel will endeavour to agree a consensus decision in each case, but where that

is impossible, decisions will be made on a simple majority, the Chair having a

deciding vote in the case of a tie.

You will receive feedback with your outcome. In the case of RECOGNISED, this will

be brief and include suggestions as to how you should maintain developmental

momentum. In the case of NOT YET RECOGNISED, feedback will be more detailed

and give shortcomings in your evidence and specific suggestions as to how these may

be remedied.

The deliberations of the panel, your application and references, are all confidential.

Nothing of your application evidence, or adjudication process, and outcome should

be communicated to a third party.

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7.5 Adjudication criteria

It is the collective responsibility of the panel to maintain standards against the UKPSF

and the criteria for recognition for each category of fellowship are the same as those

given in the UKPSF.

The principles that guide the decision-making on the evidence are:

1. Breadth: are all dimensions of UKPSF covered in the evidence, including

core knowledge and professional values? Are they made sufficiently

explicit? Where are the concentrations and the sparser areas?

2. Descriptor: is the evidence provided at the appropriate Descriptor? Are

appropriate impact and effectiveness demonstrated, either explicitly or

implicitly, in the evidence presented? Are these two qualities addressed by

the referees? Is the candidate consistently operating at the desired

descriptor?

3. Evidential clarity and self-awareness: is the evidence appropriately linked to

the UKPSF? Is the applicant appropriately cognizant of the dimensions and

categories of the UKPSF? Has the applicant shown appropriate self-

awareness?

7.6 Feedback from the Panel

Where an award is made, advice will be offered as to how the successful applicants

can employ their role and skills to further enhance their area of provision and engage

collegially in development of their peers.

In the case where an award is not made, the applicant will be given specific advice

and an action plan to guide them in their one chance at resubmission. If, on

resubmission, the evidence is still found to be inadequate, the applicant must wait at

least a full 12 months before attempting a new submission.

Finally, the administrative office will add the names and details of the successful

applicants onto HEA database and successful applicants will receive an e-mail from

the HEA inviting them to register with MyAcademy, where they can download a copy

of their HEA certificate.

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7.7 When do you hear the outcome?

You will be normally be notified of the decision by e-mail within 48 hours. Normally

within seven days, you will receive a formal letter from the chair of the panel with

the decision, and feedback from the panel.

7.8 Moderation of decisions

At least once a year, our external adjudicator (SFHEA) will attend a panel in person.

Between times, they have scrutiny on all decisions that are reached by majority vote

(ie not unanimous) and a sample of decisions that are unanimous, and asked to

comment upon them. Although they are not directly involved in the decision-making

process, the external adjudicator makes an annual report to the Panel Chair and a

copy of this report is included in our annual return to the HEA.

All evidential submissions, together with their associated two referee statements,

and the decision and feedback of the panel, will be kept on record for at least 3

years, during which time a representative from the HEA is welcome to inspect them.

7.9 Appeal

Where an applicant is dissatisfied with the procedure by which their application was

considered, they shall have the right to appeal to the Management Committee for

the GOLD PDF scheme in writing, stating their reasons. This Management Committee

for the GOLD PDF scheme shall be a semi-permanent committee consisting of the HR

Director (or their appointee), the Head of the GLT (or their appointee), and a Senior

Member of staff of the University. They will consider the original evidence put

forward by the applicant, their referee statements, the feedback from the decision-

making panel, and the reasons for appeal given by the applicant, and either confirm

or reverse the original decision.

The grounds for appeal will be procedural only – that is, some irregularity or

unfairness in the way the application was handled. Applicants may not appeal

simply because they disagree with the decision. There is no appeal possible from

the moderation decision of the Management Committee.

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8. Developing yourself with a view to application

The GOLD framework is not there simply in order to “rubberstamp” your previous

experience and the responsibilities you already have. It’s there to encourage you to

commit to developing yourself. There are many ways in which you can do this, and

we list a few suggestions.

8.1 Peer review and dialogue

The easiest and most direct way to develop your skills is to review practice among

your peers. Your mentor will undertake a peer observation of your teaching, but

you can invite other colleagues to review your teaching and you can review theirs.

This kind of peer review is commonplace in the area of assessment, but could equally

apply to teaching and learning. Found an action learning set among your programme

team or other colleagues and organise your efforts. This is the kind of mutual help

and development that GOLD supports and will recognise.

You can also use discussions with external examiners, colleagues on university

committees and networks, or from beyond the university to renew your ideas.

There are informal opportunities for sharing your ideas constructively on a day-to-

day basis. These may relate to any of the areas of activity you engage in and can

either be face-to-face or online. It all helps shape your thinking and provide

evidence of professionalism.

8.2 Updating your knowledge of teaching and learning

Update your knowledge of teaching and learning by reading some of the following:

• Aubrey, K. and Riley, A. (2015) Understanding and Using Educational Theories,

London: Sage.

• Cleaver, E., Lintern, M. and McLinden, M. (2014) Teaching and Learning in

Higher Education. Disciplinary Approaches to Educational Enquiry. London:

Sage.

• Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook. Second Edition. Basingstoke:

Palgrave Macmillan.

• Cottrell, S. (2011) Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and

Argument. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

• Fry, H. Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2009) A Handbook for Teaching and

Learning in Higher Education 3rd Edn, London: Routledge

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• Forde, C. McMahon, M. McPhee, A. Patrick, F. (2015), Professional

development, reflection and enquiry, London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

• Illeris, K. (ed). (2009) Contemporary theories of learning: learning theorists ...

in their own words, London: Routledge

• Light, G., Cox, R. and Calkins, S. (2009) Learning and Teaching in Higher

Education: The Reflective Professional 2nd Ed London: Sage Publications.

• Murray, R. (Ed.) (2008) The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in HE, Open

University Press.

• Race, P. (2010) Making Learning Happen 2nd Edn, London: Sage Publications

• Sellars, M (2014) Reflective Practice for Teachers. London: SAGE Publications

Ltd.

• Tarrant, P (2013) Reflective Practice and Professional Development. London:

SAGE Publications Ltd.

• Weller, S (2016) Academic Practice. Developing as a Professional in Higher

Education. London: Sage. Chapter 12: Undertaking enquiry into learning and

teaching

Most of these texts are available in the University of Greenwich library.

There are also excellent online resources at the HEA website:

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.

8.3 Reflecting upon feedback from students

Feedback from students provides excellent first hand evidence of effectiveness. This

may come first hand, as representative feedback in the Programme Committee

meetings which are held each term, or in the end-of-course questionnaires which

happen on every course.

If you have chat-rooms attached to your courses’ Moodle sites, these also may

demonstrate effectiveness. Indirect feedback from students is supplied through the

results of assessments you have marked. New Arrivals, PRES, PTES, igrad, USS and

NSS results for your programme and department may provide further information

and sources for reflection.

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9. Frequently asked questions

• How long does the application process take?

A good applicant, undertaking their application while lecturing full-time, will

probably take 2 to 3 months to develop their application form. In theory, it would

be possible to complete the process in as little as six weeks, assuming you have

evidence to hand of all the activities, knowledge and values, appropriate to your

chosen category of GOLD Fellowship. You should not hurry your application, any

more than you should attempt to submit “just enough” evidence. Both strategies

are calculated to bring disappointment. The ethos of the GOLD Fellowships and their

HEA counterparts is to invest in your own development. We encourage you to take

your time, and take full advantage of the developmental requirements to extend

yourself and your professionalism.

• How far back should I go in collecting and presenting evidence?

Anything in the last three years is regarded as current. If you have evidence from

before that, you can include it provided either (a) it is on-going (e.g. you set up a

reporting system which is still being used, or you inaugurated a student conference

which still takes place) or (b) it is still having significant impact, either upon yourself

or upon the context in which you work.

• Can I present evidence from outside the university, for instance from another

HEI?

Yes, provided it can be corroborated by one of your referees and is current (i.e.

within the last 3 years) or its impact is on-going. Remember that the GOLD

Fellowships only relate to teaching and learning in the Higher Education sector. You

may bring forward experience from outside the sector but you need to show how it

has impacted upon the HE context in which you work and how it relates to the

UKPSF.

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• Are my research activities and publications relevant?

If they relate to teaching and learning they are extremely relevant. If they are in your

specialist discipline – the subject material (K1) – then they are relevant only in so far

as they impact upon your teaching and learning activities (see Area of Activity A5 and

Professional Value V3).

• Can I gain a category of GOLD Fellowship without getting the HEA equivalent?

In theory this is the case, and may be of interest to applicants from outside the

University of Greenwich who have to pay HEA recognition fees. You should be

aware that HEA fellowship is recognised across the HE, whereas GOLD is only

recognised at University of Greenwich.

• If I am not successful, do I have another chance?

If you are unsuccessful, you have one chance to resubmit an application. If you are

unsuccessful twice, then you will not be allowed to resubmit for 12 months.

• What advice is there for the Mentor and other Referee about their

references?

They must write their reference using the proforma which can be downloaded from

the GOLD website and must physically sign it. The reference should be at least 500

words, and should preferably cite the criteria of UKPSF at the appropriate descriptor.

If your mentor doesn’t already have a category of fellowship of the HEA, they must

attend mentor training by contacting glt-admin@gre.ac.uk to arrange this.

• Who do I contact to ask for further guidance?

Please contact glt-admin@gre.ac.uk with any further questions.

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Appendix 1: Application for D3 Senior Fellowship Note – there is a separate download document on the GOLD webpage

D3 Senior Fellowship is awarded if you are able to provide clear evidence of a sustained

record of success and effectiveness in teaching and supporting learning in Higher

Education. You are likely to be an established academic with a teaching qualification*

whose current roles include the leadership and/or mentoring of colleagues and/or the

organisation and/or management of programmes or other broadly based academic

groupings as key contributions to high quality student learning.

(Please see GOLD Guidance for D3 Senior Fellowship for information on how to fill this in)

SECTION 1 Personal Information Written / Verbal Route (delete as appropriate)

Name

Faculty/School/Department

Length of employment at University of Greenwich:

Full or part time (please specify fractional equivalent):

Total years of employment in Higher Education:

BANNER Number:

Peer Observation of Teaching Date:

This is an application for Senior Fellowship (Descriptor 3). Please list any relevant qualifications or

awards you already hold (relating to learning and teaching), together with date of attainment.

You should submit your completed application, your TWO references, and your Registration of Intent

form, as pdf attachments to an e-mail sent to SDU@greenwich.ac.uk.

*If you do not have a teaching qualification, University of Greenwich policy is that you should achieve

Fellowship by completing the PG Cert in HE, rather than through GOLD.

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SECTION 2 Outlining your professional context

Please give a succinct factual overview (not exceeding 500 words) of your current teaching-related roles, activities and

responsibilities, and those you have held over the last three years, at University of Greenwich or elsewhere in the HE sector.

You should make claims on the right-hand columns against the dimensions of the UKPSF. This section “sets the scene” for

your Reflective Account of Professional Practice in Section THREE and case studies in Section FOUR, and is likely to include

some of the following:

• The courses and/or programmes you lead or are involved with, and how you contribute – lectures, tutorials, laboratory

sessions, assessment and/or marking – either face-to-face or over the web.

• Leadership or participation in planning, redesign, revalidation and/or re-accreditation of programmes and/or courses.

• Liaising with external examiners and professional bodies.

• Involvement in university-wide committees and strategy groups.

• Acting as Personal tutor, or Year tutor, or Link tutor.

• Acting as a mentor to other staff.

• Professional development of yourself and others through mentor or peer dialogue, through developmental sessions, or

through scholarship of teaching and learning.

• Anything else that relates to Areas of Activity A1 to A5.

You may choose to use bullet or numbered points, or not. Please see GOLD Guidance for D3 Senior Fellowship for further

advice. Where appropriate, include (year) dates.

Professional roles, activities and responsibilities A 1-5 K1-6 V1-4

Please note: A1-5 are the Areas of Activity dimensions 1-5, K1-6 are the Core Knowledge dimensions 1-6 and V1-4 are the

Professional Values dimensions 1-4, as listed in the UK Professional Standards Framework.

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SECTION 3(a) Reflective Account of Professional Practice

This is the heart of your application, where you present your reflections on, and explanation of, your leadership and professional practice in your various roles, linked to scholarship of teaching and learning, and including evidence of your effectiveness from third parties (students, colleagues, externals). You could organise this section under the five Areas of Activity (A1-5) of the UKPSF or you could choose to give a holistic account addressing them together. Remember to make explicit claims against Areas of Activity (A1-5), Core Knowledge (K1-6) and Professional Values (V1-4). Please do NOT use bullet or numbered points. You should share what you do, how you do it, why you do it that way, and how you know it is effective. It is a personal account but should include short quotations from third parties and citation from authors on learning and teaching, as appropriate. Because it

is a personal account, it should be original and unique to you, and the GOLD panel reserves the right to make checks that this is so.

Please see GOLD Guidance for D3 Senior Fellowship for further advice.

Reflective Account of Professional Practice (Guide length 2500-3000 words*):

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SECTION 3(b) Case studies showing leadership and/or influence in teaching and learning

Please use these two case studies to evidence your leadership and/or influence of colleagues in teaching and learning, as specified in criterion VII for Senior Fellowship: “Successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/ or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning.” Remember to make explicit claims against Areas of Activity (A1-5), Core Knowledge (K1-6) and Professional Values (V1-4). Please do NOT use bullet or numbered points. You should share what you do, how you do it, why you do it that way, and how you know it is effective. It is a personal account but should include short quotations from third parties and citation from authors on learning and teaching, as appropriate.

Please see GOLD Guidance for D3 Senior Fellowship for further advice.

Case Study 1 (Guide length 1000-1500 words*):

Case Study 2 (Guide length 1000-1500 words*):

* Note that there is flexibility on word length between Section 3(a) and 3(b). Together they should total 6000 words

approximately.

SECTION 4 Professional Development Action Plan

Please give a succinct action plan (not exceeding 500 words) of the professional development you plan for yourself and/or

colleagues and other staff around learning and teaching for the next year. Please see GOLD Guidance for D3 Senior Fellowship Applicants for further advice.

Professional Development Action Plan (next 12 months) A 1-5 K1-6 V1-4

Please note: A1-5 are the Areas of Activity dimensions 1-5, K1-6 are the Core Knowledge dimensions 1-6 and V1-4 are

the Professional Values dimensions 1-4, as listed in the UK Professional Standards Framework.

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SECTION 5 Your referees Please note that your first referee must be a current employee of University of Greenwich and ideally hold Senior Fellowship or

Principal Fellowship of the HEA.

First referee (Your Mentor)

Name:

Job title:

Faculty/School: Mentor’s Category of Fellowship:

Email address

In what capacity can this person comment on your professional practice?

Second referee

Name:

Job title:

Faculty/School

Organisation

Email address

In what capacity can this person comment on your professional practice?

DECLARATION

I declare that all written work in this application is my own and I grant permission for this application to be processed through plagiarism detection software.

Signature: ________________________________

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Appendix 2: D3 Senior Fellow Evaluation pro-forma

D3 Senior Fellow Evaluation pro-forma

Applicant:

Assessor:

Overall decision:

Being a Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy recognises sustained effectiveness and

academic leadership in teaching and enhancing the student learning experience, combined with

scholarship, research and/or other professional activities. It is awarded to professionals who can

demonstrate that they meet the criteria of Descriptor 3 of the UK Professional Standard Framework for

teaching and supporting learning in higher education.

Descriptors relating to Areas of Activity Accept Refer Borderline

3.1

Successful engagement across all five areas of Activity

3.1V

Successful engagement in appropriate teaching practices related to the Areas of Activity

Comments If accepted, only comment if there are substantial strengths which it would be good to share with the candidate or more widely. If referred or borderline, indicate what the candidate needs to do to be accepted.

Comments:

Descriptors relating to Core Knowledge Accept Refer Borderline

3.11 Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge

3.V Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within activities, as part of an integrated approach to academic practice

3.V1

Successful engagement in continuing professional development in relation to teaching, learning, assessment, scholarship and, as appropriate, related academic or professional practices

Comments If accepted, only comment if there are substantial strengths which it would be good to share with the candidate or more widely. If referred or borderline, indicate what the candidate needs to do to be accepted.

Comments:

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Descriptor relating to Professional Values Accept Refer Borderline

3.111 A commitment to all the Professional Values

Comments If accepted, only comment if there are substantial strengths which it would be good to share with the candidate or more widely. If referred or borderline, indicate what the candidate needs to do to be accepted.

Comments:

Descriptor relating to whole claim Accept Refer Borderline

3.V11 Successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning

Comments: If accepted, only comment if there are substantial strengths which it would be good to share with the candidate or more widely. If referred or borderline, indicate what the candidate needs to do to

be accepted.

Comments:

Do the referees broadly corroborate the candidates account?

Summary remarks + if referred recommendations for what the candidate needs to do to be accepted: