Thursday 22 January 2015

HEA Visit to CLT

Last week the CLT team met with representatives from the Higher Education Academy at our City Campus offices. We had a really useful and far ranging discussion on the work of the HEA to support and advance learning and teaching in the sector. Particularly interesting for me was the sharing of perspectives on the (very embryonic) idea of introducing some form of Charter-ship for learning and teaching. This seems to me a very timely idea, building from the current Fellowship scheme in a way which would not only support those many colleagues who are individually excellent teachers, but would also significantly enhance the profile of the academic as teacher. There remains a real challenge for the sector in giving equal parity to excellent teachers as it gives to excellent researchers, and I would personally see Chartered status as a significant step to support us as we seek to establish that parity.

The HEA continues to undergo significant change, and it is no criticism to say that there is still work to be done in shaping its role and its identity. In my own view, the sector requires an HEA even more in these turbulent and competitive times that ever before, and it is incumbent upon the sector to help them be the organisation we most need.