Staff at York St John University show commitment to great teaching

All academic staff have attained, or are working towards, Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, a recognised benchmark within the sector for teaching excellence.

To date, 89 per cent of teaching staff at York St John are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), with the remainder part way through the process of applying.  Fellowship of the HEA is a clear indicator of commitment to professionalism in teaching in higher education.  It shows that teaching practice is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) - a comprehensive set of professional standards and guidelines for everyone involved in teaching and supporting learning in higher education.

Associate Professor Mandy Asghar, Director of Academic Development at York St John University, and who herself is a Principal Fellow of the HEA, said, “Engaging with the HEA through this process has been one of the most significant things we have done here at York St John in terms of raising staff aspirations about who they are as HE teachers .  Staff have found it both rewarding and affirming and of course the ultimate beneficiaries of great teaching are our students.”

Dr Mark Jones, Chief Operating Officer of the HEA, said, “This is very positive and it’s fantastic to see institutional-wide leadership promoting a culture that rewards and recognises great teaching.  Continuous professional development (CPD) is vital in maintaining up-to-date teaching at the cutting edge. Students recognise the close relationship between training for staff and value for money, as demonstrated recently in the HEA/HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey."