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In February 2021 guidance on the Ulster University Initial Professional Learning Requirements for Those Involved in the Education of Ulster Students was endorsed by Learning and Teaching Committee. This April 2026 version updates it.
The tables below provide a current and clear point of reference for all stakeholders involved with initial professional development: People and Culture, new appointees or those new to role, line managers, mentors, and those providing initial development.
New academic appointees | New staff appointed to a substantive teaching and/or learning support role and new to teaching and supporting learning in HE will be expected to complete appropriate professional learning to orientate them to academic practice at Ulster as part of their induction and probation. i.e., attendance at ‘Orientation to L&T’ and engagement with their mentor. Newly appointed associate (part-time) and full-time lecturers with limited HE teaching experience and who hold no level of Advance HE professional recognition nor a qualification to teach in HE are required to complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (PGCert HEP) and to achieve HEA Fellowship within 3 years of their start date at Ulster (due consideration will be given to relevant APL/CL). Newly appointed associate (part-time) and full-time lecturers (L/SL/R/Chair) who already have substantial HE teaching experience are required to achieve full HEA Fellowship via the Ulster Advance HE accredited scheme (ENHANCE Fellowship Scheme) within 3 years of their start date at Ulster. A mentor will be provided to new academic appointees to facilitate their professional practice development in learning and teaching. The mentor should hold FHEA as minimum. The individual’s line manager will be responsible for monitoring their progress and agreeing the proportion of time to be allocated to these activities. |
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| Programme Directors | New Programme Directors are allocated a mentor to support them for a minimum of one academic year. Mentors should be experienced Programme Directors. Programme Directors are encouraged to engage in available professional learning relevant to their leadership and L&T enhancement role. Programme Directors should hold a minimum of FHEA. |
Contract Research staff | All contract research staff with a teaching remit are required to complete appropriate professional learning to orientate them to teaching and learning at Ulster, and in HE generally. Contract research staff are encouraged to gain HEA Associate Fellow via either the certificated routes or for those with sufficient experience the experiential ENHANCE Fellowship Scheme. |
Hourly Paid Lecturers | All hourly paid lecturers new to teaching in HE (irrespective of the hours they are contracted to teach) are required to complete appropriate professional learning to orientate them to teaching and learning at Ulster, and in HE generally. One option is the ‘Induction Programme for RUTs. Hourly Paid Lecturers are encouraged to gain HEA Associate Fellow via direct applications to Advance HE. |
Recognised Teachers | All Recognised Teachers new to teaching in HE (irrespective of the hours they are contracted to teach) are required to complete appropriate professional learning to orientate them to teaching and learning at Ulster, and in HE generally. One option is the ‘Induction Programme for RUTs’ Recognised Teachers are encouraged to gain HEA Associate Fellow via direct applications to Advance HE. |
Collaborative Partner Staff | All Collaborative Staff new to teaching in HE (irrespective of the hours they are contracted to teach) are required to orientate them to teaching and learning at Ulster, and in HE generally. One option is the ‘Induction Programme for RUTs. |
Postgraduate Researchers | All Ulster postgraduate researchers applying for hourly paid teaching posts at Ulster, are required to complete the Introduction to Learning and Teaching for PgTAs programme and demonstrate they have attended this before being appointed as a PGTA. This is advertised via the Doctoral College’s PhD Manager System. Certificated opportunities to gain Associate Fellowship of Higher Education Academy are available to all PGTAs with sufficient teaching related duties via First Steps to Learning and Teaching in HE, a short programme equivalent to the first module of the PgCERT HEP. In accordance with the PGTA Code of Practice (2024) this module is mandatory for any PGTA who carries out assessment duties. The PGTA should identify a Subject Advisor, who holds a minimum of FHEA, to provide support for the duration of this process. |
Professional Services Staff with a Learning Support/Teaching Role | All Professional Services (PS) Staff are encouraged to complete appropriate professional learning to orientate them to teaching and learning at Ulster, and in HE generally such as Orientation to Learning and Teaching. All PS staff are encouraged to gain an appropriate category of fellowship, via either the certificated routes or, for those with sufficient experience, the experiential ENHANCE Fellowship Scheme (AFHEA/FHEA/SFHEA/PFHEA. |
| All Line Managers are responsible for ensuring that: |
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Probationary Mentors are responsible for supporting new colleagues. They should: | Induction sessions
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| Grow: CPD Framework for L&T staff | Grow is a CPD Framework for all staff who teach and support learning and provides colleagues with multimodal opportunities to grow and thrive, learn from others, share practice and develop as a reflexive, effective and inclusive practitioner to help achieve the ambitions of People, Place and Partnership and the AQSE Principles and Qualities. A CPD Planner is available on a dedicated SharePoint site that can be used as part of induction, probation meetings and DAR conversations to explore short-, medium- and long-term targets around the key strands of:
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