Advance HE HEA Fellowship through ALPINE
ALPINE is the university’s framework for the recognition of good practice in learning and teaching and allows the university to award Fellowships of the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA).
"I found the ALPINE application really rewarding, in providing a framework to reflect on my professional practice and think about positive achievements and progress. I felt a bit of a pioneer being one of the first people from a professional services background to go through ALPINE seeking Senior Fellowship. I hope that it will be valuable for other professional services colleagues around the university partnership who might be wondering whether ALPINE is for them –it is!!" (Rhiannon Tinsley, Academic Registrar, 100th person to gain HEA Fellowship through ALPINE)
ALPINE (Accredited Learning, Professional development and Innovation in Education) is the University of the Highlands and Islands institutional scheme for the professional recognition of practice in learning and teaching, supporting learning and teaching, and educational leadership in Higher Education. ALPINE is open to all colleagues in the university who are in a learning and teaching role, learning and teaching related role, or leadership role that is Higher Education focused. This includes academic staff with a teaching responsibility for provision at SCQF level 7 upwards, staff who support learning and teaching at SCQF level 7 and above, postgraduate students who have teaching and student support related responsibilities, and employed student officers of HISA (Highlands and Islands Students Association) who are engaged in relevant activities.
There are three routes to gaining these important national recognitions, including through submitting a portfolio of professional practice or a taught route with applicants completing one of three Postgraduate Certificates or taking the first module on the programme. All applicants must demonstrate how their practice aligns to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), a national framework for benchmarking good practice in learning and teaching managed by Advance HE.
Deciding which Category of HEA Fellowship to Pursue
If university colleagues interested in ALPINE are unsure as to which category of fellowship is right for them, the Advance HE Fellowship Category Tool may assist. The tool consists of a set of statements that are aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UK PSF) and its different Descriptors and Dimensions. By using the tool, which includes completing a number of questions (which usually takes 10-20 minutes to complete), a PDF report summarising the responses will be sent to the user, along with a recommendation of which fellowship is most appropriate to pursue.
The 'Seeking Professional Recognition through ALPINE' briefing session provides an overview of the three routes to professional recognition of the HEA from Advance HE, timescales for submitting an application and the support available for participants on ALPINE. The session is open to anyone who has registered for ALPINE or for anyone considering registering for ALPINE.
Seeking Professional Recognition through ALPINE introduction sessions in 2023:
- Tuesday 09 May, 12:00 - 13:00
- Wednesday 10 May, 15:00 - 16:00
- Wednesday 24 May, 13:00 - 14:00
- Tuesday 06 June, 15:00 - 16:00
- Wednesday 14 June, 14:00 - 15:00
Please email lta@uhi.ac.uk to book a place.
ALPINE Registration
University colleagues can now register for ALPINE Route 3, for ALPINE Recognition Panels being held in December 2023 by completing the ALPINE Registration Form - Portfolio and returning it to ALPINE no later than Friday 30 June 2023 with the view of beginning the ALPINE application process in August 2023 and submitting in November 2023. Please note that this will be the only ALPINE route 3 panel running in academic year 2023-24.
University colleagues who wish to seek HEA Fellowship through ALPINE Route 1 or Route 2 should complete the ALPINE Registration Form - Taught Routes and return it to ALPINE after registering for the chosen programme of study, and no later than week 4 of the first module undertaken.