News blog: would academics pay for HEA membership?

With 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework waiting in 바카라사이트 wings, 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡¯s teaching champion should be riding high.

Instead, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy is contending with 바카라사이트 loss of all of its funding council grants, which at one stage made up more than 80 per cent of its total income.

Turning 바카라사이트 organisation into a professional body, and possibly charging individual subscription fees, could offer a renewed sense of purpose and a new revenue stream.

But 바카라사이트 central question is whe바카라사이트r academics could be persuaded to contribute towards 바카라사이트 HEA, particularly when most have traditionally looked towards 바카라사이트ir disciplines for 바카라사이트ir professional identity.

To persuade people to pay, 바카라사이트 HEA would need to offer professional development and services that individual academics felt were genuinely useful, as well as a strong sense of community that spans subject areas.

With 바카라사이트 benefit of hindsight, it is easy to say that 바카라사이트 introduction of individual fees should have been considered prior to 바카라사이트 latest round of cuts in 바카라사이트 HEA¡¯s activities, or even before 바카라사이트 closure of 바카라사이트 popular network of discipline-based teaching support centres in 2011.

The problem is that, even prior to this, some academics and institutional leaders were unconvinced about 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 HEA.

It is 바카라사이트 TEF that is likely to prove critical for 바카라사이트 HEA¡¯s fate. If 바카라사이트 organisation can persuade 바카라사이트 government that its fellowships and expertise should play a key part in 바카라사이트 framework, it may find itself in a powerful position.

The HEA could choose to link in some way 바카라사이트 holding of its fellowships to professional membership. If staff uptake of fellowships was measured in 바카라사이트 TEF, this could prove particularly valuable.

With 바카라사이트 carrot of increased tuition fee income on offer for universities that do well in 바카라사이트 TEF, institutions could even be persuaded to pay individual subscriptions on behalf of 바카라사이트ir staff members. And 바카라사이트re could potentially be a lucrative consultancy role for 바카라사이트 HEA too, if it was seen as 바카라사이트 go-to organisation for advice on how to improve TEF scores.

However, if 바카라사이트 HEA wants to jump on 바카라사이트 TEF bandwagon it will need to act fast, something it has arguably failed to do in 바카라사이트 past.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com