A closer look at one of the case studies from our new series on the impact of the Professional Standards Framework and accreditation.
The University of Sydney is one of four universities featured in Advance HE’s new case study series exploring the impact of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023 for teaching and supporting learning in higher education 2023 and accreditation on strategy, policy and practice.
‘Accreditation drives culture change and educational excellence’, offers a particularly candid account of the cultural shift involved in elevating the status of teaching within a research-intensive institution, one that may resonate strongly with Pro Vice-Chancellors for Education navigating similar tensions across the region.
Embedding the PSF within institutional strategy
Professor Adam Bridgeman, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), explained how the arrival of the PSF 2023 gave Sydney a timely opportunity to strengthen its own Academic Excellence Framework (AEF). Rather than treating the two as separate, Bridgeman described using the PSF 2023 as “an integral part of the academic development machinery”, informing how the university evidences and demonstrates its educational leadership credentials, not just classroom teaching.
Making the cultural case for teaching
The case study is notable for its honesty about the scale of the challenge. Bridgeman acknowledged that “in the past, research was more important, was more recognised, was more valued” and that shifting this culture was a “major challenge”. His stated goal has been to bring the status of teaching and educational leadership “on a par with research or maybe above research”, pointing out that the university’s income is fundamentally derived from teaching.
Promotion criteria as the key lever
For Sydney, the decisive mechanism has been promotion policy. Fellowship is now embedded in the key performance indicators of Heads of School and Deans, and Bridgeman was explicit that academics applying for senior promotion without a fellowship will not progress. He described this as sending an important “cultural signal”, extending to research-active staff who are not sufficiently engaged with students or teaching leadership.
Workforce planning for education-focused staff
The university has also used the PSF 2023 to support a significant recruitment drive, tying position descriptions for education-focused staff directly to the framework and requiring new appointees to complete the Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education), Sydney’s own Advance HE accredited pathway. This has given a growing cohort of teaching-focused staff, who make up around 70 per cent of the teaching workload, a protected and clearly defined route to promotion.
Evidence and impact
Bridgeman pointed to quantitative data showing measurable improvements in student outcomes among staff who have engaged with accredited provision, describing the approach as “fundamentally successful”. He also valued the PSF 2023 for the “multi-dimensional and international benchmarking” it affords, something he noted is otherwise difficult to achieve in education.
Key advice from Sydney’s one-page summary
For readers short on time, Sydney’s accompanying one-page summary distils Bridgeman’s advice into four key points:
- Use the multi-dimensional and international benchmarking afforded by the PSF to evaluate your institution’s performance in education.
- Develop promotion criteria that act as drivers for academics to align with the educational vision of excellence, innovation and leadership.
- Gather data that demonstrates the impact of staff engagement in accredited provision on the student learning experience.
- Grow active educational networks to enable alumni to collaborate, innovate and contribute to the development of their peers.
Looking ahead
Despite the progress made, Prof Bridgeman was candid that Sydney still has “a long way to go”, with further work planned to support PhD students in their teaching and to grow the number of Principal Fellows across the institution.
