Drawing on her dual academic and leadership experience, TUS Careers & Employability Manager, Aoife Prendergast, explores her journey to achieving Principal Fellowship and its strategic impact.

When I first began my journey toward Principal Fellowship (PFHEA), I’ll admit I viewed it through the traditional lens of an academic. However, as a Manager at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), I soon realised that the process was less about my own teaching practice and more about my role as a catalyst for the success of others. For those in management, PFHEA isn’t just a badge of honour; it is a rigorous framework for reflecting on how we lead, how we influence policy, and, ultimately, how we improve the student and staff experience at a strategic level. 

One of the most significant lessons I learned during the application process was the importance of strategic leadership of the relationship. In management, our impact is often indirect. We don’t always see the immediate “lightbulb moment” in a lecture hall. Instead, our impact is found in the creation of sustainable systems like Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) frameworks or inclusive supervisory models that allow others to facilitate those moments. Applying for Principal Fellowship forced me to ask: what difference am I making to the people who make a difference to our students?  

Achieving Principal Fellowship in December 2025 was a milestone that felt deeply personal. While the fellowship recognises strategic impact, the journey to get there was paved with months of intense writing, re-writing, and the vulnerable act of asking colleagues to see my work through their eyes. Coming from a background in lecturing and practice placements, my heart has always been in WIL. However, translating years of hands-on experience into the strategic language of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) 2023 was a transformative challenge. 

The intensity of reflection 

The writing process was more than an administrative task; it was a deep dive into my own professional identity. I spent weeks deconstructing my case studies, trying to articulate how my leadership in practice placements wasn’t just about logistics, but about sustained strategic impact (D4.1). 

I found myself writing and re-writing, peeling back the layers of how we bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. It forced me to ask: how has my leadership improved the high-quality learning of a student standing in a residential disability service or in a busy office miles away from campus? This period of reflection helped me realise that my work wasn’t just managing placements, it was about architecting the transition from student to professional. 

The mirror of supporting statements 

One of the most humbling parts of the process was seeking supporting statements. As someone focused on effective and inclusive strategies (D4.2), reading how my colleagues viewed my influence was eye-opening. 

In WIL, we often work in the “in-between” spaces of the university and industry. My colleagues’ perspectives highlighted how my work in developing inclusive placement policies had changed their own practice. It was a reminder that strategic leadership is often a quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to ensure every student, regardless of their background, has an equitable chance to succeed in a professional environment. 

Lessons from the “in-between” 

Integrating the PSF Dimensions (D4.3) into my leadership of practice placements taught me a vital lesson: Sustainable change happens when practice informs policy. The “take-home” point for any future applicant, especially those in practice-based roles, is to embrace the “re-write.” The first draft is for you; the final draft is for the sector. Don’t shy away from the intensity of the process. It is in that struggle to articulate your impact that you truly find your voice as a strategic leader. 

This fellowship has solidified my commitment to WIL, ensuring that the “messy” reality of practice is always represented in our high-level institutional strategies. It wasn’t just about getting those four letters after my name; it was about honouring the journey from the lecture hall to the practice placement. 

Top tips 

If you are sitting in a management or leadership role wondering if Principal Fellowship is for you, my advice is to embrace the discomfort of reflection.  

1. Look for the evidence of influence: your impact isn’t just in the meetings you chair, but in the institutional shifts you navigate.  

2. Prioritise the narrative: don’t just list achievements; tell the story of why you chose a specific strategic path and how you brought your team with you.  

3. Celebrate diversity of practice: whether you are in Work-Based Learning, or Faculty Management, your perspective is a vital part of the higher education tapestry. 

Achieving Principal Fellowship hasn’t just changed how I see my role at TUS; it has redefined how I measure my success, not by the targets I hit, but by the sustainable, positive change I can inspire in our community. 

Aoife Prendergast is the Careers and Employability Manager at Technological University of the Shannon and a Principal Fellow of Advance HE. With extensive experience in academic and leadership roles, she is the author of Social Care Practice Placement: An Essential Guide, a key resource for navigating work-integrated learning.