Research Inspired Teaching Excellence (RITE) Programme

Aston University's Advance HE accredited professional development recognition scheme.

The RITE Scheme enables Aston University staff to apply for and gain professional recognition for four different categories of fellowship.

Advance HE Fellowship

Advance HE have published a Fellowship category tool, to assist you in selecting the category of Fellowship which is most suitable.

Please click here to access the tool.

Associate fellowship level is appropriate for those members of staff who are involved with teaching but do not yet engage with the full range of learning and teaching responsibilities in higher education. For example, a graduate teaching assistant who delivers seminars, marks provides feedback on work but does not plan learning events or design programmes.

The fellowship level is particularly suitable for early career academics (such as Lecturers), academic-related staff, support staff holding substantive teaching and learning responsibilities and experienced academics relatively new to UK higher education. Also for staff with (sometimes significant) teaching-only responsibilities including, for example, within Aston’s work-based learning provision.

Typically those working at a Senior Fellow level are experienced staff (such as Senior Lecturer or Reader) able to demonstrate, impact and influence through, for example, responsibility for leading, managing or organising programmes, subjects and/or disciplinary areas. Importantly, Senior Fellows will be able to demonstrate mentoring, supporting and/or supervising other members of staff in relation to learning and teaching.

Principal fellows are able to demonstrate a sustained and effective record of impact at strategic level. This can be in an institutional, national and/or international setting. Principal fellows are typically highly experienced and/or senior staff (such as Reader or Professor) who have strategic impact and influence in relation to teaching and learning that can extend beyond their own institution. They are often responsible for institutional strategic leadership and policymaking in the area of teaching and learning.

To join the RITE programme you will need to register your interest by emailing and confirming the following: --- To join the RITE Scheme, you will need to register your interest by emailing [email protected] and confirming the following:

Intended category of fellowship (Where known).
The intended timescale of application.

Registering your interest will:

Provide you with access to a Blackboard module where all the resources (application forms, guidance notes, successful exemplars etc). For completing application are held.
Coordinate processes for formally allocating a trained mentor to support you.
Signpost additional staff development and CPD workshop support.
Confirm details of forthcoming submission deadlines and RITE Panel dates.

Other important information:

Promotion criteria

The caregories of fellowship are now mapped to different levels of promotion and can be used as evidence in support of the following:

Fellowship: Senior Lecturer
Senior Fellowship: Senior Lecturer/Readership
Principal Fellowship: Professor

See Appendix B and E of the academic promotions criteria.

Further Advance HE resources, please click here.

Research Inspired Teaching Excellence (RITE) Programme

Aston University's Advance HE accredited professional development recognition scheme.

Advance HE Fellowship

Associate Fellow

Fellow

Senior Fellow

Principal Fellow

Other important information:

Promotion criteria