The Academic Development Centre (ADC) has made a strong contribution to the development of a culture which holds learning and teaching in high esteem, supporting reward and recognition of teaching, championing inclusive and learner-centred education, and encouraging the critical and effective incorporation of technology to enhance learning. ADC has also played an important role in developing online teaching and assessment at Warwick in the current coronavirus emergency. In order to recognise the academic responsibilities of the ADC and demonstrate parity of esteem with other departments, the University is now establishing ADC as a separate academic department. ADC’s new status has been approved by Senate and Council and will take effect on 1 August 2020.

The Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL) is celebrating its tenth anniversary as an academic department this year and specialises in educational innovation in interdisciplinarity, internationalisation, student research, and delivery of inclusive teaching. IATL's work includes creating and delivering interdisciplinary modules, originating and developing ICUR with Monash, advising on the design of new teaching spaces and incubating new programmes such as MSc Humanitarian Engineering. IATL has been regularly praised by external examiners for the high-quality of its teaching over a number of years and it has directly funded disciplinary innovation across the faculties including student co-creation projects.

The Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA) is now moving into its fifth year and focuses on building parity of esteem for teaching, student engagement, educational policy research and institutional transformation around teaching and learning. It was founded as an academic department with a unique model of academy fellows drawn from the academic, professional and student community, and activities centred on learning circles, external seminars, masterclasses and research projects. Examples of key work to date have included input into the revised academic promotions framework, review of assessment, and module evaluation. WIHEA has also played an important role in supporting anti-racist pedagogy which has now moved into ADC to be embedded as a full training programme.

Professor Gwen Van der Velden, the founding and current Director of WIHEA from 1st August is moving on from WIHEA to concentrate on her role as Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) full time. The Academy will continue to build upon its success under the leadership of Dr Letizia Gramaglia, appointed for an initial period of two years. Dr Gramaglia is one of the Academy’s Foundation Fellows and has served as a member of WIHEA’s Advisory Group.

ADC, IATL and WIHEA, now standing as three academic departments, will be able to further strengthen collaboration and alignment with the Education Strategy, and to boost the reputation of teaching and learning at Warwick. Professor Jonathan Heron (IATL Director) will represent all three departments as an incoming member of the Education Executive.