As demand for education and teaching-focused academics increases (OFS, 2023), debates over their recognition, impact and career progression have come under greater scrutiny across the UK and internationally (HEPI, 2024). The sector now faces renewed pressure to deliver more specific, sustainable and equitable progression routes for academics whose primary responsibilities and pathways lie in teaching, academic leadership, scholarship and educational innovation (British Academy of Management White Paper, 2024).
Education- and teaching-focused pathways: trends and challenges
Over the past decade, teaching-specialist roles have expanded significantly, reflecting the sector’s collective commitment to enhancing teaching quality, responsive student support and curricula that meet evolving societal needs (HESA, 2025). Yet recognition and reward frameworks often still prioritise research outputs, making it challenging for achievements in education, curriculum design and student-focused leadership to receive equal, portable recognition across institutions (ERUA, 2023).
Teaching excellence is often measured by student surveys which can lack reliability and comparability, and experts have questioned the student feedback reliability in higher education, Watermark). Educational innovation or leadership is typically acknowledged locally rather than across the sector (British Academy of Management White Paper, 2024). This creates a limited “exchange rate” for teaching-focused academics, whose contributions may be highly valued within their own institutions but not always easily transferred or formally acknowledged elsewhere.
Much of the work in teaching-focused roles is collaborative, delegated or service-based spanning course coordination, module leadership, student support and academic citizenship. These essential activities, often outside the spotlight of individual research outputs, can be difficult to evidence in traditional promotion processes and reduces professional agency (recognition of academia's invisible labour, THE, 2021). Expanded and frequently invisible workloads including admissions, marketing and organisational duties can constrain time and opportunities for scholarly development and portfolio-building. As a sector, there is growing momentum to ensure that all forms of teaching-focused achievement are visible, transferable and fully recognised throughout academic careers (British Academy of Management White Paper, 2024). This shared commitment highlights the need for more robust, portable and transparent forms of professional validation.
Establishing consistent standards that recognise a broader spectrum of academic excellence across institutions, disciplines and internationally is now central to building fairer pathways for advancement (European University Association's 2030 vision, EUA, 2021). In this context, the Professional Standards Framework and Advance HE Fellowship has emerged as a leading driver, offering the credibility, mobility and recognition that teaching-focused academics need to thrive and progress in their careers.
Personal reflections on the role and impact of Advance HE fellowships
The role of fellowship in shaping higher education
- Formal validation of teaching excellence: As a Senior Fellow, I have found that Advance HE fellowships, benchmarked against the Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023), provide robust, sector-wide recognition of teaching excellence, curriculum innovation and educational leadership. This delivers credible, evidence-based affirmation of professional capability that extends beyond local or institutional appraisal.
- International and institutional portability: Recognised across the UK and by many global institutions, fellowship ensures that education-focused academics have their expertise validated and is transferable wherever they pursue roles or advancement. This has enabled both my own and colleagues’ career mobility, reinforcing professional standards worldwide.
- Transparent benchmark for promotion and progression: I have seen first-hand how fellowship levels the playing field, enabling fair, merit-based progression for all, particularly those dedicated to teaching excellence. Fellowships are increasingly required for recruitment, probation and promotion, especially in teaching-led roles, eg Jobs.ac.uk
- Raising the status of teaching and academic citizenship: Fellowship has been instrumental in signalling a strong commitment to teaching, inclusivity and academic citizenship, not only at the institutional level but across the wider higher education sector. It brings well-deserved visibility to the vital work of mentoring, leadership, advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and fostering community engagement. In my experience, these contributions have been fundamental to supporting student success and serve as essential catalysts for continued innovation throughout the sector.
The impact of fellowship on teaching-focused careers and institutions
- Promotes institutional alignment: Fellowship enables universities to articulate and advance shared standards for teaching, ensuring consistency and clarity in academic expectations. By anchoring educational practice in a recognised framework, institutions are able to more confidently communicate their quality to both internal and external stakeholders, laying the foundation for sector credibility and reputational strength (Advance HE, 2020).
- Boosts student confidence and outcomes: Institutions with a significant number of accredited fellows consistently report gains in student satisfaction, academic belonging and improved rates of achievement. Recognised teaching excellence translates into students feeling supported and inspired, with clearer learning pathways and an environment where high expectations are consistently met (Spowart, L. et al., Institutional Accreditation and the Professionalisation of Teaching in the HE Sector)
- Drives career development: Engagement with the fellowship process opens clearer, more meaningful paths for academic progression. Teaching-focused staff gain professional credentials that are widely acknowledged, strengthening not only promotion but also leadership and mentoring opportunities throughout their careers, eg Utilising the Professional Standards Framework for Strategic Change, Advance HE, 2022
- Fosters innovation and collaborative networks: Engagement with the reflective framework at the heart of fellowship has consistently encouraged ongoing pedagogic development and a willingness to experiment with new approaches in my own practice. This process has also facilitated meaningful connections with national and global peer networks, providing opportunities to actively share best practices, collaborate on resources and drive collective professional growth across the sector.
Advance HE Fellowship is especially crucial for education and teaching-focused academics because it provides clear, sector-wide confirmation of professional capability, elevates the status of teaching and scholarship within higher education and directly addresses the challenges unique to these roles. It is not just beneficial, it is transformational: bringing critical professional affirmation, clear routes to promotion, international and institutional credibility, and ongoing support for excellence and innovation.
Fellowship as a higher education sector benchmark
Achieving fellowship from Advance HE or through an Advance HE accredited programme or scheme is not simply a mark of individual achievement in higher education, it represents an essential institutional and global standard for quality, impact and professionalism in teaching and learning. As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, the collective drive to recognise and elevate teaching-focused academic careers has never been more vital.
Advance HE fellowship stands as a sector-leading standard, providing the credibility, mobility and recognition needed to ensure educational achievement and excellence is valued. By embedding transparent, portable and inclusive frameworks for professional progression, fellowship not only supports individual academics but also strengthens the sector, fostering a more innovative, equitable and resilient future for higher education.
Dr Pratibha Ram, Senior Fellow, CMBE, FCIM, is an Assistant Professor in Marketing at King’s Business School, King’s College London. Her research interests centre on consumer research and advancing equity and wellbeing in higher education. With international experience in higher education leadership roles across Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UK, she is committed to co-creating socially impactful change through collaborative research and sector partnerships.