This Policy supports the University Strategy to provide a high-quality student learning experience, which is research-rich, innovative and inclusive. It underlines the University’s commitment to invest in and develop its staff, by enabling those appointed to a significant role in teaching (i.e., Pathway 1 and Pathway 3 staff) to gain professional recognition as Fellows through our institutional Advance HE accreditation.
The Policy concerns staff participation in CREATE (Cultivating Research-rich Education and Teaching Excellence), a scheme which comprises:
It is an expectation of employment that all staff newly appointed to Pathway 1 and Pathway 3 contracts at grade J and above, without a teaching in HE qualification should engage with and complete CREATE. This includes existing staff moving from Pathway 2 to Pathway 1 or 3 (e.g. proleptic staff).
Alternative teaching in HE qualifications include a Postgraduate Certificate in teaching in UK HE, or HEA Fellowship. At Bristol, the Health Professions Education (formerly known as the the Teaching and Learning programme for Health Professionals) is a recognised alternative to CREATE.
All staff
Engagement with CREATE should be as follows:
Lecturers on Pathway 1 and Pathway 3 contracts, with less than three years’ equivalent experience of teaching in higher education (HE) within the last five years should acquire the PGCAP. ‘Three years’ teaching experience in HE’ denotes that a period of teaching in a lecturing role in UK HE/HE environment comparable to the University of Bristol context will have been undertaken over the equivalent of three years.
Lecturers on 0.5 full-time contracts or less, or lecturers on fixed-term contracts of less than two years should consult their line manager to agree which route to Fellowship is appropriate.
Lecturers on Pathway 1 or Pathway 3 with more than three years’ experience of teaching in HE in the last five years are entitled to engage with the PGCAP, but can choose to acquire Fellowship through the CREATE Fellowship Scheme, which involves a written reflection about your teaching practice.
Senior Lecturers or above on Pathway 1 and 3 should acquire Fellowship, either through:
Engagement with the PGCAP/or the CREATE Fellowship Scheme is expected within the first year of appointment and the normal period for being awarded the PGCAP Fellowship will be within two years following appointment.
Any period when the member of staff is absent due to illness, accident, injury, maternity leave, parental leave, special leave or other time agreed by their line manager (e.g. sabbaticals) will be taken into account. Staff on fractional contracts of 0.5 FTE or less should discuss their anticipated length of completion with the CREATE team.
New staff seeking promotion should achieve their HEA Fellowship before the deadline for submission of a promotion application (unless seeking promotion from lecturer b to c where enrolment on CREATE will be adequate).
Staff seeking promotion should hold fellowship/have a ratified outcome through CREATE before the deadline for submission of a promotion application (unless seeking promotion from lecturer b to c where enrolment on CREATE will be adequate).
Time allowance for staff who are required to engage with CREATE as described, can reasonably be expected to be as follows:
Heads of School are advised to take these time allowances into account when distributing workload allocation.
Discussion with your line manager, for example through the Initial Service Review meetings and then the Staff Review and Development process are the normal mechanisms for support and agreement on training and developmental requirements.
Policy approved by Senate February 2021. Updated October 2024.
