The UTS Educational Fellowship Program (UTS-EFP) offers a supported pathway towards international recognition of professional, effective and inclusive teaching. The program will be available to all UTS academic and professional staff involved in the teaching and support of high quality learning, and as we prepare, we’re sharing stories from those in the UTS community who have been through the Fellowship process.
Earlier this year we heard from Amanda Lizier (Senior Fellow) and Helena Robinson (Fellow) about their process and experiences applying for Fellowship. In this blog we hear from Yvonne Davila, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Biology and Program Director for the undergraduate Environmental Biology and Environmental Sciences courses at UTS. Yvonne was awarded Senior Fellowship in 2024.
Q1. Why did you apply for Fellowship?
I applied for a Senior Fellowship with Advance HE to gain external recognition for my recent contributions to teaching and learning within the Faculty of Science. This internationally recognised fellowship, aligned with a professional standards framework, serves as a significant acknowledgment of my leadership and influence in the field of learning and teaching.
Q2. How did you find the process of putting your application together?
Reflecting on my contributions to teaching and learning within my discipline and my faculty was an interesting process. Over the past 3-5 years, I have held various roles and been involved in numerous T&L projects, providing plenty of experiences to draw from. Writing the application was still challenging, as it required a genre of writing I am not accustomed to. However, having the support of colleagues through writing groups and check-in sessions was incredibly helpful and they provided a lot of encouragement.
Q3. What kinds of scholarship, research or other evidence-informed approaches did you draw on?
My approach to teaching and learning is strongly influenced by Transition Pedagogy (Sally Kift, 2009) in design and practice, as well as work by Biggs and Tang (e.g. Teaching for Quality Learning at University). I also drew on evidence-based practice for STEM written by science academics, leadership in academia (Ramsden, 1998; Jones, 2012) and recent policy and strategy documents which identified the priority areas for the initiatives I worked on.
Q4. What kind of ‘evidence’ did you provide that showed the impact of your practice?
My reflective narrative included examples of leading my teaching team through a process of learning to teach science in a student-centred, blended model post-pandemic, and championing widening participation in STEM in my faculty. I also built case studies around my work leading curriculum uplift and academic development and empowering academic staff to elevate First Nations Perspectives in the curriculum.
Q5. What advice can you share with others starting the Fellowship process?
Crafting your narrative and case studies will take time, as they need to reflect your unique experiences and align with the framework dimensions. My advice is to utilise the planning templates and seek guidance from your mentors to help you plan and shape your application. Use your voice to capture your achievements. I found the process highly rewarding, as it allowed my valued work in teaching and learning at UTS to be recognised and appreciated.
Is Fellowship for you? Find out more…
If you’re curious to know more about this internationally-recognised fellowship program, there’s a new podcast series from Advance HE to talk you through the basics, including:
- Fellowship to enhance teaching and learning (25 mins) introduces Advance HE’s Fellowship team to talk about the value and impact of Fellowship for higher education professionals.
- Introduction to Senior Fellowship (42 mins) includes insights into the application process, tips for applicants and the value of Senior Fellowship for your career and professional development.
- Using reflection to evidence effective and inclusive practice for fellowship (31 mins) discusses how you can use reflection on your teaching practices to help produce the evidence needed for a successful Fellowship application.
There are plenty of UTS resources to explore too. The UTS Educational Fellowship Program Sharepoint site has updated information, applicant handbooks, and key dates for applications. If you’re ready for the next level of detail, use the Advance HE Fellowship Category Tool to identify the closest match for your current practice, then explore our Fellowship Readiness Grid for Associate Fellow (AFHEA), Fellow (FHEA) or Senior Fellow (SFHEA).
If you have questions about Fellowship, you can contact us via uts-efp@uts.edu.au. Keep an eye out for program registrations later this year – we can’t wait to welcome you to the UTS Educational Fellowship community.