At Macquarie University, the Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education has enabled staff to develop their teaching collectively, creating a pathway to Fellowship and a culture of teaching excellence.

Advance HE recently celebrated exceeding 10,000 Fellows across all categories of recognition in Australasia.

This achievement highlights the region’s ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and student success, while recognising the expertise and leadership of those who enhance the higher education experience. 

Some fellowships are achieved as part of the Advance HE Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (CLTHE), our flagship program that provides staff with a clear route to professional recognition of their teaching expertise.

Building faculty-wide teaching capability

A great example of the impact of the CLTHE can be seen at Macquarie University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering.

The Faculty was looking for a way to strengthen teaching capability across its staff and create a more consistent, shared approach to excellent teaching and learning. Rather than focusing on individual professional development, they chose to undertake the CLTHE as a faculty-wide initiative, creating an opportunity for colleagues to learn together, reflect on their practice and apply new approaches within their own teaching contexts.

Aligned to the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), the programme gave participants an internationally recognised framework through which to explore and evidence their teaching practice. Importantly, it also introduced staff to the framework that underpins Advance HE Fellowship, creating a natural pathway for those who wanted to take the next step and seek professional recognition.

The response from participants was extremely positive: 100% of staff who provided feedback reported being satisfied with the programme delivered by Advance HE.

Creating pathways to Fellowship

For Macquarie, the value went beyond delivering a professional development programme. CLTHE provided an opportunity to build capability collectively across a faculty, create a shared language around teaching excellence, and establish a foundation for ongoing professional recognition through Fellowship.

One staff member who attained Advance HE Fellowship after undertaking the CLTHE is Renee Cawthorne, Indigenous Fellow from the School of Natural Sciences within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Renee says, “Gaining Advance HE Fellowship is important to me because it recognises my commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and student engagement.

“As an Indigenous Fellow, I am passionate about creating inclusive, culturally safe and meaningful learning experiences that empower students and support their success. The Fellowship provided an opportunity for me to reflect critically on my professional journey and the impact of my teaching on students, colleagues and the broader university community. Importantly, the Fellowship provided a platform to share effective practices, contribute to conversations about teaching excellence and collaborate with colleagues who are similarly committed to student learning and success. 

“Advance HE Fellowship provides formal acknowledgement and recognition of the work I have undertaken to enhance learning environments and continuously improve my teaching practice. However, for me, the Fellowship is more than just professional accreditation, it represents a commitment to providing high-quality education, fostering student achievement and creating learning experiences that are culturally respectful, inclusive and transformative.”