The Higher Education Academy Annual Report 2012-13 2 About the HEA The Higher Education Through accreditation, fellowships, awards and professional Academy (HEA) is the development, we help people in higher education to lead and teach national body for learning more effectively and enjoy satisfying teaching careers. Our consultancy and teaching. We work and change services help universities and colleges throughout the UK with universities and and internationally make strategic and practical changes to the way colleges to bring about they work at institution, faculty and teaching-team level. At national level, changes that improve we carry out cutting-edge research and influence higher education policy. teaching and students’ In all of this, we work in collaboration experience while in with individuals, institutions and national bodies towards one shared higher education. goal: to encourage and recognise excellent learning and teaching that gives students the best possible experience of higher education and the best chance for the future. 3 4 The Higher Education Academy - Annual Report 2012-13 Contents 6 Highlights and impact from 2012-13 8 Foreword by Professor Sir Robert Burgess, Chair of the Board 9 Foreword by Professor Stephanie Marshall, Chief Executive 11 Excellence in learning and teaching 18 Learning and teaching staff 21 Higher education providers 25 Disciplines 28 Students 32 Funding 36 Change 38 National policy making 42 Partnerships 45 Corporate and social responsibility 49 Governance 51 Summary of financial results for the year ending 31 July 2013 5 Highlights and impact Here are some of our In 2012-13 we: highlights from 2012-13. • published the UK Professional • awarded almost £1.75 million in Standards Framework (UKPSF) funding to develop and share best They include work that impact report, with 84% of practice in learning and teaching. respondents reporting the UKPSF Funded projects included the our subscribers have told had led to changes to academic Mike Baker Doctoral Programme development, learning, teaching Awards, the Professor Sir us has had a significant or the student experience; Ron Cooke International Scholarship Awards, and Teaching and positive impact on the • reached the figure of over 43,300 Development Grants; individuals recognised against learning experience of their the UKPSF as HEA Fellows, • ran our firstSTEM Technician of an increase of almost 19% on the Year awards celebrating the students – which is, after the previous year. This means significant role technicians play over 20% of UK academic staff in improving the experience of all, what we’re all about. are now recognised against the students; UKPSF; • launched our Student Advisory • awarded our firstPrincipal Forum, which gives 20 students a Fellowships in Scotland, Wales voice in the HEA’s activities with and Northern Ireland, along and for students, and influences with further Principal Fellows how we work with students on in England. There are now 78 issues of strategic importance; Principal Fellows, who have achieved our highest level of • gained our first international Fellowship; subscriber: Australian National University; • were cited in the report to the European Commission on • held our most successful annual Improving the quality of teaching conference to date, with over and learning in Europe’s higher 500 delegates attending at the education institutions for our work University of Warwick to address on the UKPSF and the National the theme of partnerships; Teaching Fellowship Scheme; 6 The Higher Education Academy - Annual Report 2012-13 • ran over 550 generic and • secured the highest ever • published a review of the discipline-based conferences, level of participation in both National Teaching Fellowship events and seminars engaging the Postgraduate Research Scheme (NTFS) and began over 15,000 total delegates Experience Survey (PRES), the implementation of its from across the sector. with 122 institutions taking part, recommendations; Feedback collected from and the Postgraduate Taught these events showed an Experience Survey (PTES), with • coordinated the launch of the average of 92% satisfaction; 89 institutions taking part; Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) and developed a • launched our new platform for • published Professor Graham new HEAR website; hosting journals accompanied Gibbs’ new report Implications by the introduction of a new of ‘Dimensions of quality’ in a • launched a report, Going Mobile: system for reviewing, to further market environment, including Internationalisation, mobility and develop the reach and quality of a foreword from the Rt Hon the European Higher Education publications; David Willetts MP, Minister Area, with the British Council of State for Universities and which called on UK universities • held the Scottish learning and Science. The research was cited to commit to securing 20% teaching summit 2013 which in the 2013-14 grant letter from participation in mobility among provided a new forum for higher the Department of Business, all higher education students by education institution (HEI) leaders Innovation and Skills to the Higher 2020; and sector agencies to openly Education Funding Council for explore the rapidly changing England (HEFCE), and also in • welcomed 26 further education higher education (HE) landscape; a speech by the Minister for colleges as subscribers, including Universities and Science at the all six further education (FE) Higher Education Policy Institute colleges in Northern Ireland. We Spring Conference; now have 33 college-based higher education subscribers; • published Transition to higher degrees across the UK: An • supported 41 teams representing analysis of national, institutional 40 institutions to prepare, and individual differences implement and sustain which highlighted inequalities transformational change that in transition to postgraduate enhances learning and teaching degrees and paves the way for specific to their needs. future research; 7 Foreword by Professor Sir Robert Burgess The profile of learning and teaching in higher education is higher now than I can ever recall. This is positive news, in particular for the academics who teach, and, of course, for students and the experience they receive in higher education. I am proud of the fact that the At the cornerstone of the HEA’s The pages which follow highlight Higher Education Academy, support to the sector is the United many achievements which we rightly as the national champion for Kingdom Professional Standards celebrate. It is also appropriate to learning and teaching, has made Framework (UKPSF); and I am thank Professor Craig Mahoney for a fundamental impact on not just delighted that this Annual Report his leadership as Chief Executive elevating the profile and status points to the research which of the HEA during the period of learning and teaching, but, highlights the UKPSF as ‘influential covered by this report. Our work to critically, in the enhancement of across the sector in changing promote learning and teaching goes academics who teach our students. institutional practice’ and that on, and I am delighted to welcome This Annual Report provides 84% of respondents indicated Professor Stephanie Marshall as she ample evidence of the work that the framework had led to takes up her responsibilities to lead that is making this difference. changes to academic development, the HEA. I am sure she will be highly learning, teaching or the student successful in her endeavours to take experience within their institution. forward the development of learning This shows the importance of the and teaching in higher education. UKPSF, in harnessing the passion and commitment of teaching Indeed, as this is also my final staff, and why this model, which year of chairing the HEA I am is increasingly imitated abroad, is delighted to be able to report on so vital in career-long continuing its success and to be confident professional development of its potential for the future. and in the enhancement of learning and teaching. 8 The Higher Education Academy - Annual Report 2012-13 Foreword by Professor Stephanie Marshall This has been a year of partnerships for the HEA. I was particularly inspired by the launch of our Student Advisory Forum, which is developing new ideas and a fresh perspective on our partnerships with students. During 2012-13 we commissioned Throughout this year we have From our partnerships with a wide range of research projects significantly increased our influence grant recipients, to many other that have added significantly to the abroad, which has supported our HE sector organisations, I’m sure understanding of teaching theory work in developing and sharing you will find many examples and practice across in key areas international best practice. In of partnerships across a wide and supported policy making at the June 2013 the High Level Group range of key stakeholders in highest level. This research helped on the Modernisation of Higher our Annual Report, to inspire us gain knowledge of what works, Education published its report you in the coming year. and what doesn’t, and importantly to the European Commission on gave us the evidence we need, as Improving the quality of teaching and institutions, teams and individuals, to learning in Europe’s higher education succeed in our changing HE world. institutions. I was delighted to see the HEA cited for its work on the UK Professional Standards Framework, and the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme. They were also inspired by our