Procedure for the acquisition of pedagogical

qualifications at Umeå University

Adopted by the Vice-Chancellor

28/06/2016 Ref. no.: FS 1.2.2-986-
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Type of document: Policy document

Decision by: Vice-Chancellor
Validity period: Until further notice
Area: Education and research
Entity in charge: Office for Human Resources

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1. Summary
Umeå University constantly strives to improve the quality of its programmes. One way to do this is to
reward teachers who have educational expertise. Umeå University has a model for higher education
teaching qualification whereby teachers can apply for the acquisition of qualifications on two successive
levels: 1) qualified teacher and 2) excellent teacher.

The present procedure describes how teachers wishing to apply for the acquisition of qualifications can do
this. It also sets out the process and the decision-making procedure for the bodies involved.

2. Background
Umeå University's vision document Vision 2020 states that ”our pedagogical qualification system
contributes to employing skilled teachers”. The overall goal of Umeå University's model for higher
education teaching qualification is to contribute to a continual improvement in the quality of education
by:

- encouraging teachers to develop a high degree of pedagogical expertise

- highlighting and rewarding a high degree of pedagogical expertise in our teachers

- encouraging departments and faculties to create good conditions for pedagogical

development

- clarifying criteria for higher education teaching expertise, and

- assessing and rewarding this expertise, based on these criteria.

The model has two levels, with a clear progression:

- Qualified teacher (Level 1)

- Excellent teacher (Level 2)

A qualified teacher is expected to have extensive teaching experience at university level, to display teaching
ability and engagement in the teaching assignment, to have the ability to apply their subject in didactic
practice and to have a reflective approach to their own teaching efforts, beyond what is required for
employment as a teacher at Umeå University.

An excellent teacher is, in addition to this, expected to have further developed their higher education
teaching competence. This can take many forms. The focus might be on scholarly perspectives and scholarly
approaches, the development of new teaching methods and/or programmes, as well as expertise in terms of
leading and organising pedagogical development. Regardless of their main focus, excellent teachers are
distinguished by their interest and ability to share and disseminate their knowledge and experience.

The present procedure describes how teachers wishing to apply for the acquisition of qualifications can do
this. It also sets out the process and the decision-making procedure for the bodies involved.

3. Applying for the acquisition of educational qualifications

The acquisition of educational qualifications is a two-step process. The application for appointment as an
excellent teacher may only be submitted by teachers who have previously been appointed as a qualified
teacher. Applications can be made continuously throughout the year.

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3.1 Eligible applicants
The target group of the qualification model is teachers with great commitment to their teaching and well
documented expertise in higher education teaching. Persons are eligible to apply if they are employed by
Umeå University and have

- at least 5 years of teaching experience at a higher education institution,

corresponding to at least two years of full-time teaching

- education/competence in higher education teaching beyond what is required for employment as

a teacher at Umeå University according to the appointments procedure.

3.2 Application
The application shall consist of a main text including CV and a statement from the Head of Department.
The Head of Department’s statement only needs to certify the applicant's qualifications, in accordance with
point 3.1 above. For appointment as a qualified or excellent teacher, the teacher must submit an
application where all criteria of the level in question are assessed to be fulfilled. To facilitate the
assessment, the criteria specified for qualified or excellent teacher shall be clearly inferable from the
application. The main text may be a maximum of 8 pages of text + 12 appendices.

The application is made via the e-recruitment system. Only complete applications will be sent for appraisal
by an external expert.

4. The Pedagogical Qualification Board

The Pedagogical Qualification Board has a coordinating function, which includes ensuring that the
different faculties make equivalent assessments of educational expertise. Responsibility for designing and
adopting criteria for educational expertise rests with the Pedagogical Qualification Board. Based on the
external experts' assessments, the Board proposes a decision to the faculties (see further on page 6 below).

The chair of the Pedagogical Qualification Board is appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. The Board also
consists of two representatives per faculty, appointed by their respective deans, and one representative
from each of the three students’ unions. The Board co-opts an expert in pedagogical matters from the
Centre for Teaching and Learning (UPL) as well as an already appointed excellent teacher selected by the
chair. Expertise in employer-related matters, including a secretarial function, is co-opted from the Office
for Human Resources.

The term of office is three years, and the Board convenes at least twice per semester.

5. External experts
An application to be appointed as a qualified teacher is assessed by one (1) external educational expert. An
application to be appointed as an excellent teacher is assessed by two (2) external educational experts. The
chair of the Pedagogical Qualification Board appoints external educational experts following consultation
with the Board. UPL provides contact information for potential external experts.

External experts assess the educational expertise of applicants in accordance with adopted criteria.

6. Processing at the faculty level

The faculty is responsible for providing information on the qualification model, the application procedure
and on how the assessment of educational expertise is made.

The faculty also has the main responsibility for processing applications for the acquisition of educational
qualifications. Applications are processed in accordance with the faculty’s ordinary procedures for the
promotion of teachers.

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Below follows a description of the procedures for the faculty's processing of applications:

- The application is sent to the faculty via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system.

- The faculty is responsible for checking that the applicants’ documents are complete and that
they comply with what is stated under point 3.2 above. An application deficient in these respects
is sent back to the applicant for revision. The faculty makes no assessment of the quality of the
content.

- The faculty registers and then reports the matter to the Pedagogical Qualification Board.

- Following consultation with the members of the Pedagogical Qualification Board, the
chair appoints the external pedagogical expert(s). The faculties are notified by the
Board’s secretary.

- The faculty sends the application and assessment guidelines to the external experts.

- The faculty ensures that the external experts' statements are received within the required time
period and that these are forwarded to the Pedagogical Qualification Board. External expert
statements that are deemed insufficient as a basis for an appointment proposal can be sent back to
the expert(s) for clarification.

- The Pedagogical Qualification Board studies the documents it receives. The chair decides on the
recommendation it will issue to the faculty concerning the appointment of qualified and excellent
teachers. Before the chair decides on a recommendation, applicants who risk having their
application rejected are given an opportunity to withdraw their application.

- The dean makes a decision based on the Board's recommendation. The decision cannot be appealed.
The decision is registered at the faculty.

- The faculty dispatches the decision on appointment or rejection. The faculty also ensures that
certificates of the acquisition of qualifications are awarded the appointed teachers.

7. Finance
Teachers who are appointed as a qualified or excellent teacher receive a salary increase applicable as of the
month following their appointment. The size of the salary increase is set annually by the Vice-Chancellor in
a special instruction.

Fees are also paid to the external educational experts. This is common to all faculties and set annually by
the Vice-Chancellor in a special instruction. The costs for external educational experts are shared equally
between the faculties and the University centrally. The costs for the Board's administrative support and
operational budget are funded centrally by the University.

8. Other information
Information on the qualification model, criteria, guidelines for pedagogical portfolios, the link to the e-
recruitment system, appointed teachers, and on the dates of meetings of the Pedagogical Qualification
Board, is available on the employee website under Pedagogical Qualification
(https://aurora.umu.se/anstallning/kompetensutveckling/pedagogisk-meritering). The Office of Human
Resources is responsible for providing and updating central information about the qualification model as
well as for links to faculty-specific information and UPL.