Nottingham Trent University Learning and Development Strategy

Transcription

1 Nottingham Trent University Learning and Development Strategy 1. Introduction Nottingham Trent University s Learning and Development Strategy provides a framework for the professional development of its staff. In the context of the Strategic Plan, the Institutional Teaching and Learning Enhancement Strategy, Research Strategy and other internal and external drivers, this Strategy sets out the overarching aims, responsibilities and operational priorities for professional development at NTU. It should be read in conjunction with relevant policies on professional learning and development, such as the policy on Performance Development Review, completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and associated departmental policies. 2. Scope and purpose The Strategic Plan and associated strategies arising from it outline the importance of the University s staff in contributing to the future success of the University. Professional learning and development are key to ensuring that our staff are adequately supported and equipped to deliver their roles, meet the business needs of the University and are adaptable to the changing context of Higher Education. This Strategy provides a framework for professional learning and development. As such, it does not explicitly address legal compliance training elements of learning and development such as health and safety. It is, however, recognised that such elements of professional development are important and necessary in order to ensure that colleagues are adequately protected in undertaking their roles. The Strategy does not purport to provide an operational plan for staff development at the University. It is intended to act as a framework against which learning and development activity can be planned centrally and locally. 3. Overarching aims The overarching aims for professional learning and development at NTU are: - to ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to undertake their roles effectively; - to ensure that the development needs of individuals and teams are met in line with organisational need; - to strengthen the University s leadership and management capability; - to support all colleagues in the quality provision of learning opportunities and associated support services for the University s customers; - to ensure that effective systems and processes for the identification and support of learning and development needs are in place; - to ensure that staff learning needs are addressed equitably and fairly within the University s diversity and equality frameworks; - all staff, regardless of grade, experience, length of service, level within the organisation or location should have access to appropriate developmental opportunities in line with organisational need. 1

2 4. Strategic objectives This strategy has three overarching objectives: 1. to provide a framework to underpin professional learning and development throughout the University; 2. to support and facilitate change; 3. to further promote a developmental culture at NTU. In order to monitor and influence the delivery of these objectives, a Learning and Development Advisory Group will be established. Its role will be to: 1. Advise on, and promote, the learning and development provision offered and procured by the Centre for Professional Learning and development; 2. Identify and advise on strategic priorities towards which the work of CPLD could make a contribution; 3. Advise on appropriate mechanisms for evaluating the work of CPLD; 4. Receive and comment on annual reports of CPLD activity and outcomes. 5. Roles and responsibilities Responsibility for staff development rests at three levels: the University, the School or department and the individual. The University will provide support for identified professional learning and development needs through the provision of a Centre for Professional Learning and Development. This Centre will: - support excellence in professional practice at NTU through the provision of professional, vocational and management development activities and by contributing to policy development; - be aware of and responsive to the needs of the wider University through working in partnership with its client groups; - provide a service to all staff of the University and will adopt a researchinformed approach to its work; - work closely with the range of providers of learning and development within the University to ensure that provision is aligned, coherent and comprehensive; - be responsible for professional development in support for the University s Performance Development Review process; - benchmark learning and development provision against the sector and good practice elsewhere, working in partnership with relevant external agencies (e.g. the Leadership Foundation, the Higher Education Academy); - in collaboration with Equality and Diversity, examine and contribute to the career development of specific groups and in particular those which are identifiably disadvantaged and/or under-represented. 2

3 For more information on the role of the Centre please see Appendix A. Colleges, Schools and departments, via their Heads, Deans and Academic Team Leaders have responsibility for providing opportunities for the identification of the development needs of their staff and for supporting staff in meeting those needs. In particular, Heads, Deans and Academic Team Leaders will: - provide appropriate induction support for colleagues on appointment to, or reappointment within the University; - identify the development needs of staff through the effective use of the Performance Development Review process; - ensure that development activity is accounted and planned for in budget setting/operational planning exercises; - ensure that staff are released to undertake agreed development activities; - work in partnership with the Centre for Professional Learning and Development to inform its work; - ensure that the CPLD is given adequate notice of requests for support in line with the guidelines in Appendix A paragraph 6. All members of staff have responsibility for developing their skills and knowledge to enable them to work to the best of their ability. Staff are expected to: - participate in the Performance Development Review process; - identify ongoing professional development needs and seek opportunities to address these in their work and through other appropriate means; - take responsibility for their career planning and associated development; - support colleagues in their development. 6. Accountability The Director of HR is accountable for all aspects of the provision of the Centre for Professional Learning and Development including quality assurance. The Centre for Professional Learning and Development is responsible for maintaining records of attendance at events it runs and for liaising with other learning and development providers regarding appropriate recording of attendance. Deans, Heads and Academic Team Leaders are accountable for staff development expenditure and support within their operational units. 7. Resourcing Professional learning and development activity delivered or supported by the Centre for Professional Learning and Development will be provided free of charge to university departments unless there are accreditation or professional associated costs incurred by the activities. The Centre will be financed from core 3

4 university budgets, whilst also seeking to generate income as appropriate from external sources in support of its work. The Centre may need to charge departments for elements of work where agreed additional cost is incurred and/or where significant resource is invested and not made best use of by clients. At College, School and Professional Service level budgets should be put in place during each financial year to support professional development activities and this should be reported on through the Quarterly Business Review process. 8. NTU Learning and development priorities These priorities have been determined through consultation with senior colleagues at the inception of the Centre for Professional Learning and Development. They reflect the University s priorities in early 2008 and will be reviewed on an annual basis. Each of these priorities will have an operational plan developed to inform the work to be undertaken in each area. The priority areas are presented below to indicate the progression from one level of development to another. These align with further work being undertaken in developing an academic continuing development framework. See Table 1 below for further detail. The bottom section of the table indicates areas for policy and process development in support of activity. 4

5 Table 1: Learning and Development Priority Areas Priority Area Supporting colleagues in leadership and management roles Activities in support of priorities Review and support induction activity for leadership posts. Review Leading High Performance Teams and develop enhanced leadership and management development activity Provide bespoke support at College/School/Departmental levels Provide support for the embedding of coaching/mentoring Support for NTU s research community (including PhD students) Support for learning and teaching activity To work with the Associate Deans for Research to provide effective structures for the support of colleagues in areas such as: writing research grant applications; writing for publication; managing research projects; learning and teaching. Integrating the National Professional Standards Framework for Learning and Teaching into all CPD activities. Continue to support the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and associated policy. Develop appropriate academic CPD framework in support of local activity. Support Institutional Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy priorities as appropriate. Working with Student Services, develop support for pastoral care role of colleagues. Supporting colleagues in developing third stream income Supporting staff in the context of a new virtual learning environment Supporting colleagues in understanding the higher education context Working with the PVC Academic Enterprise and the Business Innovation and Creation Unit to contribute to the development programmes for the Champions of Academic Enterprise Supporting the Educational Development Unit in implementing the new VLE Provision of IT skills training Develop and deliver a series of workshops introducing colleagues from outside the sector to HE 5

6 Priority Area Provision of a responsive consultancy service Meeting NTU s responsibilities under the Skills Pledge Develop, support and provide training for the Performance Development and Review process. Develop a single competency framework in support of professional development activities. Development of appropriate Continuing Professional Development frameworks to underpin professional practice. Development of a costeffective fee payment model for staff undertaking NTU courses of UG, PG or professional study. Development of a Universitywide staff development web resource (portal) and online booking system. Activities in support of priorities Working with departments and teams to facilitate bespoke learning and development events Provision of NVQ level 2 IT skills training Develop process. Provide effective training and support to managers and to all those involved in process. Competency framework developed with guidelines for use in recruitment and development. Develop frameworks aligned to Awards and Titles Regulations and relevant professional standards frameworks. Model developed, agreed and implemented. Web resource developed and deliveredin collaboration with other learning and development providers. 6

7 9. Evaluation and monitoring Reports on progress towards the eleven priority areas will be submitted to relevant committees, shared within the staff consultation mechanism and reported at periodic business reviews. Within each School and Professional Service arrangements should be put in place to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the Professional Development Review process. Support for this can be provided by the Centre for Professional Learning and Development. 7

8 Appendix A The Centre for Professional Learning and Development 1. Introduction The Centre for Professional Learning and Development (CPLD) will be created in April 2008 as a central organisational unit for the co-ordination and delivery of professional learning and development for all staff at NTU. It brings together areas of work and staff previously located in separate units within Human Resources. In this document the term client is used to denote any individual, team or department within the University with which the Centre may have a professional relationship. 2. Functional areas The functional areas of the Centre are illustrated below. Head of Professional Learning and Development Leadership and Management Skills Development Learning, Teaching and Research 3. Overarching aims The services provided by the Centre will be underpinned by the overarching aims of the Learning and Development Strategy, which are: a. to ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to undertake their roles effectively: b. to ensure that the development needs of individuals and teams are met in line with organisational need; c. to strengthen the University s leadership and management capability; d. to support all colleagues in the quality provision of learning opportunities and associated support services for the University s customers; e. to ensure that effective systems and processes for the identification and support of learning and development needs are in place; f. to ensure that staff learning needs are addressed equitably and fairly within the University s diversity and equality frameworks, including ensuring that appropriate career development is in place for underrepresented groups; 8

9 g. to support all staff, regardless of grade, experience, length of service, level within the organisation or location in accessing appropriate developmental opportunities in line with organisational need. 5. Role of the service The Centre will provide a service that: a. Supports the building of capacity and capability for the future of the University; b. Adopts a cross-university, cross-disciplinary approach to development; c. Provides responsive provision: I. Timely support, advice and guidance; II. A strategically informed, client-centred basis of provision; III. Underpinned by a research-informed and evidence-based approach; d. Engages in and supports policy development in support of NTU strategy; e. Seeks external recognition for NTU s work. 6. Working in partnership In working with its clients the Centre will endeavour to provide a supportive, responsive and cost-efficient service. To this end it will seek to establish Service Level Agreements with its clients. These will set out the agreed parameters of all work that is entered into on a bespoke or consultancy basis including suggested lead-in times required by the Centre when such bespoke programmes are requested. These can be negotiated but account needs to be taken of variables such as the length of programme required, the number of participants to be trained, the extent of material development required and the availability of CPLD staff to support the activity. The Centre will determine the learning and development work it can support in partnership with client groups and will consult them regularly about the appropriateness and relevance of its provision. In cases where the Centre cannot support a client request it will provide good reason for this and, where possible, guidance on alternative approaches to or sources of support. Support for continuing professional development is an institutional-wide responsibility, as articulated in the Learning and Development Strategy. In taking oversight of and developing university-wide initiatives in relation to CPD the Centre will work collaboratively with other departments and teams within the University. In particular, it will work closely with the Centre for Academic Standards and Quality in support of the Institutional Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy. Appendix 1 provides an overview of the roles of CASQ and CPLD in relation to some current areas of practice. 7. Parameters of service provision The Centre will provide a range of provision in support of the broad learning and development agendas at NTU. This provision will include: a. A programme of workshops and seminars in support of key strategic imperatives (face to face and online); 9

10 b. Facilitation of learning and development events at departmental/team levels; c. Policy development on learning and development matters; d. Advice, guidance and referral; e. Resources (online/hard copy). The Centre will not provide a service for university staff on a 1-1 basis excepting when this type of activity constitutes an agreed element of a wider developmental initiative. 8. Evaluation and review In order to ensure that the Centre works to continually improve and develop the service it offers, it will engage in regular evaluation of its work. This will include consultation with stakeholders on a periodic review basis. Outcomes of evaluation activity will be made available for clients to review and will be formally reported on annually to Academic Standards and Quality Committee, following approval by the Learning and Development Advisory Group. 10

11 Appendix 1: Roles of Centre for Academic Standards and Quality and Centre for Professional Learning and Development Areas of work CASQ CPLD Learning and Teaching Strategy development Lead development of University strategy and policy and commission support for implementation. Contribute to strategy development as appropriate and align learning and development strategy with learning, teaching and research policy and strategy development. University-wide learning and teaching development programmes 1 Annual Learning and Teaching Conference Local CPD initiatives (School level) 2 Advice and guidance on QA/QE policy Liaison with external bodies (e.g. HEA) Influence development and delivery and contribute to this as appropriate. Determine themes in consultation with stakeholders. Commission and support delivery of conference. Contribute from policy perspective and provide consultancy. Develop and provide via staff and resources (e.g. web site) Strategic focus Consult on and manage programme structure, delivery and administration. Contribute to delivery. Collaborate on delivery of conference with CASQ. Provide consultancy service in support of development and delivery of initiatives. Referral to CASQ, Learning and Teaching Co-ordinators and Educational Development Unit as appropriate. Provide support for quality assurance/quality enhancement policy implementation as commissioned by CASQ. CPD focus Summary of CPD-related roles Influence shape of CPD support. Commission and contribute to delivery of CPD support as appropriate. Manage delivery of university-wide programmes of CPD (including delivery from within Centre). Broker (via consultancy role) relationships between functional areas. 1 E.g. Introduction to Academic Policy and Practice, Getting Started as a Teacher in HE 2 e.g. Local academic induction programmes, development of local CPD frameworks, School development events 11