Benefits of subscription - Higher Education Academy

Benefits of subscription
Further Education colleges and private providers 2012-13

134 programmes in
143 higher education
institutions in the UK
are accredited against
the UK Professional
Standards Framework
Introduction
Helping Further Education colleges and private providers in the UK
deliver a world-class education experience.
In 2010 there were around 178,000 students
working towards higher education qualifications
in over 250 Further Education colleges (FECs)
and a further 38,000 higher education students
in the private sector.
As the number of prospective students
continues to grow, FECs and private providers
have a distinctive role to play in widening
participation, supporting students through the
transition from BTEC, HND and HNCs to
first degree and equipping them with essential
knowledge and skills for work.
Prospective students are looking carefully at
what their money can buy. Those who might
have gone on to university or college are
considering alternative options such as workbased,
distance, accelerated and decelerated
learning, where these can demonstrate return
on investment and value for money.
To make their choice, students are armed
with information about the quality of teaching,
graduation and employment prospects,
environmental credentials and reviews about
what colleges and courses have to offer.
Studying while working close to home, smaller
class sizes, lower tuition fees, a community
environment, hands-on teaching staff, and
the opportunity to study for shorter periods,
without compromise to the quality of learning
and teaching, are an attractive proposition.
Better outcomes for students, better
outcomes for FECs and private providers
The Higher Education Academy (HEA) is
the national body for enhancing learning and
teaching in UK higher education. Since 2004,
we have been the central point of contact for
working with universities and colleges, sector
and funding bodies and governments to help
keep the UK at the forefront of higher education
internationally.
We do this by bringing about transformational
change that enables students in the UK to
receive a world-class higher education.

The HEA provides
over £1.5 million
in research and
travel grants
each year
Why subscribe?
Subscribing to the Higher
Education Academy
The HEA provides a wealth of expertise and
resources to recognise staff who teach higher
education in FECs and private colleges and
support them at every stage in their career.
By drawing on our resources and through
purchasing stand-alone services, institutions
across the sector have brought about changes
that have a lasting impact on the
quality of teaching and student learning.
By subscribing and using our accreditation
service, you can demonstrate to students and
staff your institution’s commitment to quality in
learning and teaching.
A subscription to the HEA provides
the following benefits:
• One free accreditation submission per
three-year cycle for the accreditation of
professional development programmes against
the UK Professional Standards Framework.
• Free recognition of individual teaching staff
who complete an accredited programme and
discounted recognition for teaching staff who
complete a non-accredited programme.
• Eligibility for grant funding to carry out research
into learning and teaching, PhD Studentship
Programmes, International Scholarships and UK
Travel Grants.
• Discounted attendance at HEA events,
workshops and programmes and the
Annual Conference.
• Reduced cost for teams participating in Change
Academy or other HEA change programmes.
• Access to the HEA Network of Deputy
Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors
and Vice-Principals.
• Free participation in the Postgraduate
Research Experience Survey and
Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey.
• Two free days bespoke support for
your institution.
• Support from a dedicated HEA
partnership manager.
• Access to the HEA’s Annual Subscribers’
Meeting, special interest groups, publications,
resources and journals.
For full details about pricing,
please see our rate card at
www.heacademy.ac.uk/subscribing-institutions
Colleges not wishing to subscribe
can purchase individual services on
a stand-alone basis.

The HEA hosts the
UK’s most expansive
collection of online
resources in learning
and teaching including
over 50 dedicated to
HE in FE
HEA services
We work with colleges and organisations
across the sector to support staff in their
teaching and enhance the outcomes for
students
Encouraging excellent teaching
• Accrediting institutions’ professional development
programmes against a national framework (UK
Professional Standards Framework) and
providing formal recognition for staff who
complete them.
• Running national awards schemes to recognise
and reward outstanding teachers, including the
National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS)
and Student-Led Teaching Awards Scheme.
Providing practical support for those
who teach across 28 discipline areas and
at every stage of their career
• Funding new research into innovations in
learning and teaching and disseminating the
findings.
Bringing about change
• Monitoring policy, hosting the HEA Network of
Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors,
and Vice-Principals helping shape, influence
and interpret policy.
• Bringing together teams and resources in change
programmes to address priority issues such as
internationalisation, assessment and feedback and
employability.
• Working with institutions to interpret feedback
from the National Student Survey and
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey and
Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey in order
to enhance the student experience.
To find out more about an HEA
subscription or stand-alone services,
please contact Dr Andy Jackson on
+44 (0) 1904 717500 or
andy.jackson@heacademy.ac.uk
• Providing workshops and events, an Annual
Conference, and the UK’s most comprehensive
selection of online resources in learning and
teaching in higher education.

Case study
Bradford College case study
Subscribing to the HEA since the end of 2011,
Bradford College has been involved with the
HEA for some years – it has been quick to seize
the opportunities for development and growth
available.
The College is committed to research and
scholarly activity across a number of disciplines
but primarily linked to teaching practice. Already
it has been heavily involved in and presented
scholarly activity workshops run by the HEA
and staff attend HEA events and workshops
for professional development. The College
also recognises the benefits FE colleges have
in developing HE programmes relevant to the
workplace; it has been awarded the Training
Quality Standard – the highest accolade possible
in recognition of its work with employers.
Ronan O’Beirne, Director of Learning
Development and Research, says,
“Students studying in an FE setting get a slightly
more realistic idea of the workplace and the work
environment because many of the staff tutors in
the FE setting have direct experience of working in
industry and commercial settings...we’re probably
more adept at collaborating with employers and
allowing their voice on how courses are developed to
be heard and so able to give employers what they’re
asking for.”
Bradford College took part in the HEFCE-funded
Pathfinder Project, working with tutors, workplace
mentors, students and other Pathfinder projects
to develop e-learning and foundation degrees. The
key finding from the project was that collaboration
with employers is key and delivery of these degree
programmes – whether electronically or in the
workplace – needs to pay particular attention to
employer preferences.
Overall, it’s a time of great change for Bradford
College. It has a new £50 million building due to
be completed by 2014, new VLE systems, electronic
resources and reviews of their curriculum and
delivery. A priority is to keep pace with the shift
from printed materials to electronic resources. And
here too, they’re turning to the HEA for help and
guidance. “We’re looking to the HEA to give us an
inside view on what’s going to be happening with
technology and its uses in the future. We’re keen to
get involved in scenario planning for that kind
of learning,” adds Mr O’Beirne.
All in all, Bradford College is seeing a difference.
“Our involvement with the HEA has had a very
useful and positive impact on my colleagues and
the College. It’s allowed us to keep up to date
with developments in different areas and ensured
we have good practice in place. It has also helped
us compare what we’re doing with other providers
in the sector,” says Mr O’Beirne. “It’s been very
valuable.”

Contact us
The Higher Education Academy
Innovation Way
York Science Park
Heslington
York
YO10 5BR
+44 (0)1904 717500
enquiries@heacademy.ac.uk
© The Higher Education Academy, 2012
The HEA is a national body for enhancing learning
and teaching in higher education in the UK. We work
with institutions across the HE system to help bring
about change in learning and teaching to improve the
outcomes for students. We do this by recognising and
rewarding excellent teaching, bringing together people
and resources to research and share best practice and
by helping influence, shape and implement policy.
The HEA supports staff in higher education throughout
their career from those who are new to teaching through
to senior management. We offer services in 28 disciplines
throughout the UK and have offices in England, Wales and
Scotland. Through the partnership management team we
work directly with institutions to understand individual
circumstances and priorities and bring together resources
to meet them.
The HEA has knowledge, experience and expertise in
higher education. Its service and product range is broader
than any other competitor, and it is trusted to deliver HE
system advancements in partnership with its member
institutions.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or
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or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
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