Senior Fellow Reference Template
The University of Liverpool Teaching Recognition and Accreditation Framework
ULTRA
Referee Guidance
and
Senior Fellow Reference Template
2017
Guidance to ULTRA Referees for Senior Fellow Category
Thank you very much for agreeing to provide a reference for a colleague who is applying for professional recognition for teaching through the ULTRA framework. We are very grateful for the support that you and other referees provide for ULTRA.
The purpose of the references for ULTRA is two-fold:
Firstly you are asked to read the final draft of the applicant’s written claim and verify the authenticity of those aspects of their teaching-related practice with which you are familiar. This should be in relation to the criteria against which the Claim will be judged, mapped against the UKPSF Dimensions (these are reproduced in the form at the end of this document).It is possible that there are aspects of the claim with which you are less well acquainted – please indicate where this is the case.
Secondly you are asked to endorse, and where appropriate expand upon, what they have said in their claim, where you are in a position to do so. The applicant should not expect the referee to meet the criteria on their behalf, but you may feel that you have additional information to provide which will supplement what they have said themselves.
Please note that for HEA professional recognition experience in supporting learning only in the Higher Education context is relevant, and so knowledge of the applicant’s practice in other contexts might only have peripheral relevance.
The ULTRA process
The written claim and the references comprise the main elements of the ULTRA process. It is therefore important for the applicant to have provided all the necessary information and evidence to make a successful application for fellowship with the HEA.
Please note that Higher Education Academy (HEA) requires that normally referees should themselves hold a category of Fellowship: AHEA, FHEA, SFHEA or PFHEA. If you do not have HEA Fellowship yourself, you are asked to provide brief details about your own experience of teaching or supporting learning in Higher Education. Please also provide brief information on the capacity in which you know about the applicant’s practice.
We have tried to keep this reference process straightforward by providing a guiding template. This is not intended to constrain what you might want to say but merely to offer some parameters. You may wish to adapt the format - that is fine as long as your statement explicitly aligns with the required criteria.
Please note: Your statement needs to be returned to the applicant so that they may attach it to their claim and submit in before the deadline for the next Recognition Panel.
If you do have any queries that cannot be resolved by the applicant themselves, please contact Dr Christos Petichakis in Educational Development Division ().
Reference Template for Descriptor 3 –Senior Fellow
Applicant’s nameReferee’sname
Referee’s email
Do you hold UKPSF professional recognition? / I hold (please tick as appropriate)
☐AFHEA
☐FHEA
☐ SFHEA
☐PFHEA
☐Not applicable (see below)
If not, please give brief details of your role(s) in teaching and supporting learning in HE over the last five years
Please indicate briefly in what capacity you know the applicant and how familiar you are with their teaching-related practice.
Continue on next page …
The applicant’s claim needs to demonstrate a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as key contributions to high quality student learning. / Please comment briefly to your knowledge on how far the applicant demonstrates these criteria in his/her practice
You may prefer to treat each criterion separately, or to combine them
Individuals should be able to provide evidence of:
(for clarity, you may want to refer to the UKPSF, pages 3 and 6, available here)
Criterion 1: Successful engagement across all five Areas of Activity
Criterion 2:Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge
Criterion 3:A commitment toall Professional Values
Criterion 4:Successful engagement in appropriate teaching practices related to the Areas of Activity
Criterion 5:Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within the above activities, as part of an integrated approach to academic practice
Criterion 6: Successful engagement in continuing professional development in relation to teaching, learning, assessment, scholarship and, as appropriate, related academic or professional practices
Criterion 7: Successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/or mentoring of other colleagues (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to teaching and learning
- (Guidance to referees for Criterion 7) – This criterion is essential for making the case for successful claim of Senior Fellowship. Please verify and comment against this criterion based on the information the applicant has provided in section three of their evidence matrix)
Please add here supplementary comments or information you wish to provide about the applicant’s practice not discussed in the section above:
Confirmation
I can confirm that I have read the applicant’s Claim for HEASenior Fellowship and can verify its authenticity to the best of my knowledge.
I can confirm that in my opinion the applicant’s practice aligns with Descriptor 3 criteria above and I therefore endorse this Claim for Senior Fellowship.
Signed…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..Date………………………………
Please return this form to the applicant to include it in their application pack.
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