About the Professional Standards Framework 2023 (PSF 2023)

The Professional Standards Framework (PSF) has become a globally-recognised framework for benchmarking success within HE teaching and learning. It places emphasis on the need to adopt evidence-informed approaches and outcomes from research and scholarship to interrogate and enhance individual academic practice. The PSF offers a set of statements from which we can begin to interrogate, and subsequently enhance, our practice. The PSF has two key components:

Dimensions of Practice (Divided into three groups: Areas of Activity, Core Knowledge and Professional Values)
Descriptors (Associate Fellow D1; Fellow D2; Senior Fellow D3; Principal Fellow D4)

Dimensions of Practice

The fifteen Dimensions of Practice are divided into three groups:

V: Professional Values
K: Core Knowledge
A: Areas of Activity

The Dimensions are complementary to one another and should be considered holistically.

Descriptors - D1 to D3

The Descriptors draw on the fifteen Dimensions of the Framework to outline what we would need to demonstrate to be awarded the relevant fellowship category. Each Descriptor corresponds to a fellowship category: D1 Associate Fellowship; D2 Fellowship; D3 Senior Fellowship. It is important to remember that the categories are not intended to be viewed as a hierarchy; rather, they reflect the activities that we engage with in everyday practice.

Category of Fellowship	Expected evidence	Is this the right category for you?
Descriptor 1 (D1) - AFHEA	Some teaching and/or learning support responsibilities, typically undertaken with the assistance of more experienced teachers or mentors.	Associate Fellowship is suitable for you if your higher education teaching and/or support of learning practice enables you to evidence some PSF 2023 Dimensions.
Descriptor 2 (D2) - FHEA	Evidence of broad-based effectiveness in more substantive teaching and supporting learning role(s).	Fellowship is suitable for you if your teaching and/or supporting learning practice with higher education learners enables you to evidence depth and breadth across all PSF 2023 Dimensions
Descriptor 3 (D3) - SFHEA	Sustained record of effectiveness in relation to teaching and learning, incorporating for example co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/ or mentoring of others.	Senior Fellowship is suitable for you if you have a sustained record of leading or influencing the higher education practice of your colleagues or other peers that teach and/or support high quality learning. You will be using your own effective and inclusive practice across all PSF 2023 Dimensions as a basis of your work.