Staff Development, Awards and Recognition
Higher Education (HE) pathways for PhD students and staff members to develop their teaching skills. Whether you're looking to start teaching or to gain recognition for your teaching experience, we have a pathway to support your continued professional development.
Fundamentals is a 15-credit Masters-level module for those new to teaching in higher education. It provides the mandatory training for all those taking on teaching at the University with less than three years of teaching experience in HE, but it's also open to researchers and other staff across the university who want to prepare to teach or continue their professional development.
Fundamentals is also accredited by the Advance HE and so allows people with HE teaching experience to gain Associate Fellowship (AFHEA).
The PGCertHE is a 60 credit level 7 course, taken part-time, and allows permanent staff in teaching roles to continued their professional development and gain a professional teaching qualification. The PGCertHE at Sussex ia also accredited by the Higher Education Academy, and successful completion of the PGCertHE gains you Fellowship (FHEA).
While the PGCertHE is a requirement for new permanent members of staff with less than 3 consectutive years of teaching experience in HE, the PGCertHE is also open to permanent staff with more experience as a way of continuing your professional development and gaining recognition for the expertise you've acquired through your teaching practice.
Which course is for you?
- PhD students
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Fundamentals of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education is open to all PhD students at Sussex, whether you have teaching duties or not.
Doctoral students without prior HE teaching experience or current teaching responsibilites can attend Fundamentals as part of their professional development and preparation for when they will teach. Having completed the course, you will receive a certificate from the University in recognition that you have completed the University's training.
Doctoral students with current teaching responsibilities will be asked to attend Fundamentals as part of these duties. Not only will the module support you in your teaching role, it will allow you to gain a nationally recognised award as part of your continued professional development, an Associate Fellowship (AFHEA).
- Staff on fixed-term contracts and/or on less than 0.4FTE with less than 3 years teaching in Higher Education
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Relevant roles: Teaching Fellows, Lecturers, Associate Tutors, Research Fellows and staff in roles supporting HE teaching (e.g. the Library, Careers, IT)
Contract type: Fixed term or less than 0.4FTE
If you fit these criteria, you are entitled to attend Fundamentals to support your continued professional development and to turn your current teaching experience into a nationally recognised teaching award, an Associate Fellowship (AFHEA).
Teaching Fellows and Research Fellows at 0.4FTE or above who are on fixed term contracts of 2 years or more may be eligible to undertake the PGCertHE with the agreement of their line manager.
- Staff on permanent contracts at or above 0.4FTE with less than 3 years teaching in Higher Education
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Relevant roles: Teaching Fellows, Lecturers, Research Fellows, and staff in roles supporting HE teaching (e.g. the Library, Careers, IT)
Contract type: Permanent contracts at or above 0.4THE
If you fit these criteria, have teaching duties as part of your role and have less than 3 years consecutive Higher Education teaching experience, you will be asked to complete the PGCertHE as part of your continued professional development.
- Staff on permanent contracts at or above 0.4FTE with more than 3 years experience teaching in Higher Education
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Relevant roles: Lecturers, Teaching Fellows, Research Fellows, and staff in roles supporting HE teaching (e.g. the Library, Careers, IT)
Contract type: Permanent at or above 0.4FTE
If you are on a permanent contract at or above 0.4FTE and have more than 3 years teaching experience, you may want to consider completing the PGCertHE as part of your continued professional development and as a way of gaining a nationally recognised professional qualification based on your teaching practice.
If you fall into this category you can also choose to complete the course through our portfolio only route.
- Contact us
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If you're not sure which is the right pathway for you, get in touch and we can help you find the relevant course.
Fundamentals
Administration and registration team: Graham Wright via Fundamentals@sussex.ac.uk
Course team:
Tab Betts (T.Betts@sussex.ac.uk) (Module convenor)
Emily Danvers (E.Danvers@sussex.ac.uk)
PGCertHE
Administrative team: Graham Wright via PGCertHEadmin@sussex.ac.uk
Course convenor: Emily Danvers (e.danvers@sussex.ac.uk)
We are currently reviewing what teaching awards at Sussex will look like. You can find out who the past winners of teaching awards at Sussex are by visting the winners of teaching awards page.
Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) is an advanced level of professional standing that evidences expertise in teaching and learning in higher education. We have a team of colleagues who are experienced in supporting academic professional development who can support you with your application. If you are interested in applying or would like to find out further details about he SFHEA, visit the SFHEA page for more information.