CADENZA Pathways to Fellowship

Employees have the opportunity to gain professional recognition as Fellows of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) through our CADENZA programme, which is designed to foster excellence in all employees who teach and/or support learning. The programme is accredited by Advance HE and is mapped against the Professional Standards Framework 2023. 

Engagement with the CADENZA programme will enable you to gain professional recognition which is internationally recognised and portable. It is an excellent way to plan, record and reflect upon your professional development in Higher Education, and also to fulfil your Pathway to Permanency requirements (if applicable).

Fellowship categories

The University of Essex is pleased to offer all categories of Fellowship: 

• Associate Fellowship (Descriptor 1) – For individuals whose practice enables some of the Dimensions of the Professional Standards Framework 2023. A requirement for Assistant Lecturers and suitable for some Professional Services colleagues who support learning and teaching activity. 
• Fellowship (Descriptor 2) – For individuals whose practice with learners has breadth and depth, enabling them to evidence all Dimensions of the Professional Standards Framework 2023, and where effectiveness of practice in teaching and/or supporting high-quality learning can be demonstrated. A requirement for all new academic colleagues to gain permanency. Fellowship may also be appropriate for some Professional Services colleagues dependent upon their role.
• Senior Fellowship (Descriptor 3) – For individuals whose comprehensive understanding and effective practice provides a basis from which they lead or influence those who teach and/or support high-quality learning.
• Principal Fellowship (Descriptor 4) – For highly experienced individuals whose practice involves a sustained record of effectiveness in strategic leadership of high-quality learning and whose impact is extensive. 
   

Available Pathways

• CADENZA Direct Entry Application (for Associate Fellowship Descriptor 1, Fellowship Descriptor 2, Senior Fellowship Descriptor 3, and Principal Fellowship Descriptor 4) 
• Module SD901 of the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (PG CHEP) (for Fellowship Descriptor 2)
• Module HS950 of the Postgraduate Certificate in Medical and Clinical Education (PG MaCE) (for Fellowship Descriptor 2). This is for colleagues who have a health professions background (e.g. Health and Social Care or Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences).

Gaining Fellowship for Pathway to Permanency

We recommend CADENZA Direct Entry Application for Fellowship Descriptor 2 to teaching colleagues with more than 3 years' of Higher Education experience, and via SD901 (PG CHEP) to those with less than 3 years’ of experience in Higher Education, who may benefit from a more structured, supported developmental pathway. Find out more about Pathway to Permanency. 

Find out more about CADENZA Direct Entry Application (Descriptor 1, Descriptor 2, Descriptor 3 and Descriptor 4)

Find out more about SD901 (PG CHEP) (Descriptor 2)

Find out more about the HS950 (PG MaCE) route to Fellowship (Descriptor 2)

Why is it called CADENZA?

The term CADENZA, “a virtuoso solo passage inserted into a movement in a concerto” was deliberately chosen to recognise the unique contribution of each individual at Essex.