We recommend that you do. Places in the REx pathway group are limited and are offered on a first-come, first serve basis to those who have completed our expression of interest form.
You’re welcome to submit the form just to be sure, and then decide whether or not to participate when you receive an invitation to join a REx group.
Yes, you can. You don’t have to be in Canberra or even in Australia to participate in a REx group. You can meet with your EFS mentor virtually or communicate via email, and we also offer online alternatives to our workshops.
It’s hard to give a precise indication of the time commitment, as this can depend heavily on the applicant. For example, an applicant who has completed an ANU Professional Learning Program or similar may already have texts ready that can easily be transferred to an EFS application. How much time you take can also depend on your writing speed, the level of detail you aim for, etc. Our best estimates are:
- AFHEA application: up to 25 hours
- FHEA application: up to 35 hours
- SFHEA application: up to 35 hours for the written component + up to 5 hours to prepare for and complete the professional conversation
No problem; that’s actually a really great idea. Here are some things you can do already. You can browse our resources in this collection and start thinking about what you’ll incorporate in your application.
You can also already complete the Advance HE Fellowship Category tool. This self-assessment tool will enable you to map your experience against the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), which will underpin your application. By completing this tool, you will be able to assess which Category of Fellowship (PSF Descriptor) is most appropriate for your current extent of practice in higher education. It will also show you the degree to which of the 15 PSF Dimensions (5 Professional Values, 5 aspects of Core Knowledge, and 5 Areas of Activity) are already present in your professional practice, and which you may need to develop further before submitting your EFS application.
Another thing you can do is, in the time ahead, reflect on your teaching/learning support practice in higher education. For example, when you try out a new teaching method, reflect on what you’re trying to achieve by doing so (e.g. “because I noticed my students weren’t engaging in deep learning during class discussions, I decided to try out small-group work through a problem-based learning scenario instead”), whether your approach worked well (why/why not? How do you know?), and how this will inform your future practice (e.g. will you make changes to the method before using it again?). Many applicants find it useful to jot down their thoughts and experiences when they’re fresh (e.g. in a journal). These draft reflections don’t need to be mapped against the PSF yet (you may not have time for this when you’re busy teaching), because you’ll be doing the mapping with the help of your EFS mentor during your REx pathway group – the journal is just meant to serve as a starting point/reference point while you’re working on your application.