Background

The Teaching Academy is a key initiative of the Education Strategy, under the Students pillar of the University Strategy 2030.

This project is strategically funded in 2023 to support the establishment and operationalisation of the Teaching Academy.

Project timeline

April 2022: National and international benchmarking to identify good practice principles associated with Academies demonstrating sustained impact in their host institutions.

June 2022: Survey of Charles Sturt staff to identify expectations of, interest in, and implementation challenges with an Academy.

September 2022: Teaching Academy Drop-In Sessions occurred in September. These were 30-minute sessions where staff shared their ideas, thoughts and experiences.

September - November 2022: Approval via relevant governance committees with final approval by the Academic Senate. The Academic Senate endorsed the Academy in November 2022.

December 2022: We will create a business case and project plan, which will include scope, project schedule, risk management, resource management and communications in preparation for 2023.

In 2023:

We will:

  • recruit a small team to coordinate and drive the objectives of the Academy
  • establish a Teaching Academy Advisory Group to provide strategic leadership and governance functions
  • establish Teaching Academy Grants
  • consult and develop Learning and Teaching Capability Framework
  • develop and document operational processes and requirements
  • take ownership and deliver Charles Sturt EdX Learning and Teaching conference

In 2024:

We will embed the Teaching Academy in operational structures, budgets, activities and processes.

Pre project analysis

The Academy was benchmarked with over 60 national and international universities. This benchmarking exercise aimed to identify best practices and potential teaching academy models. It investigated:

  • teaching academies' organisational models, strategic goals and activities.
  • the academy
    • culture and values
    • goals and functions
    • strategies and activities
    • membership criteria/ benefits and expectations
    • leadership and management
  • the university context for an academy

A survey for establishing a teaching academy was promoted throughout May. Eighty-six staff completed the survey.  Survey responses came from across the faculties and divisions. Over 76% of respondents reported being a Subject Coordinator/Subject Convenor, a Subject lecturer or a Sessional Academic Staff.

Overall, survey participants indicated that:

  • A teaching academy would be very valuable for Charles Sturt and them as individuals
  • They would be interested in actively participating in this teaching academy
  • They were very interested in undertaking scholarly inquiry or research into learning and teaching

They also indicated that membership should be open to all Charles Sturt staff interested in learning and teaching, encourage active participation and provide the following opportunities:

  • recognition
  • career progression
  • professional and leadership development
  • developing best practice/improvements in teaching that have a direct
  • impact on the student experience
  • connecting and collaborating with colleagues across disciplines
  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
  • cover all areas or aspects of learning and teaching

Staff identified some significant challenges in forming a teaching academy such as:

  • Time/associated workload with leading, organising or participating in a teaching academy
  • Teaching performance is currently undervalued at Charles Sturt
  • Need to create something new and not do what has been done in the past
  • It must complement and partner with other existing teaching and learning groups and not duplicate information or effort
  • It must be sustainable, with resources to fund staff positions now and in the future
  • Ensuring it has:
    • strong diversity with a good cross-section of staff from across the university, including minority groups, professional staff and sessional staff.
    • includes a research focus
    • open collaboration and opportunity
    • an impact, influencing teaching quality/practice, fostering creativity and innovation.
    • is evidence based.

Explore more