Information for Educational Directors

• For Workgroup Teachers in a Teacher 4 position, we offer a Workgroup Teachers Programme (WTP; formerly known as the BKW). The Workgroup Teachers Programme is also recommended to PhD students. The programme takes two years, after which it is possible to follow the UTQ when the Workgroup Teachers Programme is completed.
• For more experienced teachers, we offer the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ; also known as the BKO). The University Teaching Qualification is an initial benchmark for all lecturers. Professionals with this qualification have the knowledge and skills necessary to design education and deliver it to students, are structurally and responsibly involved in education and can supervise, instruct, test and assess students, both individually and in groups. The underlying core values are social safety, inclusiveness, and academic integrity.

Both programmes help teachers bridge the gap between the UvA vision on education and their daily educational practice. We do this by creating a rich learning environment in which we provide teachers with scientifically guided training modules, teaching tools, and an open community of teachers to share and co-create education. Both the Workgroup Teachers Programme and the UTQ aim to stimulate the 5 core competencies of university teachers:

1. Course design
2. Teaching
3. Testing and assessing students
4. Supervising students
5. Evaluating one’s own teaching

In the Workgroup Teachers Programme, participants are introduced to these competencies at an introductory level that is well-suited for the workgroup classroom. In the UTQ, these competencies are further developed. Throughout the programmes, competencies are collected in a digital portfolio. Once a portfolio is finished, and the assessment committee agrees that all competencies are met, participants receive the University Teacher Qualification (UTQ) certificate.

Our teacher programmes have been created with two starting points, as we differentiate between two groups of teachers: Workgroup Teachers (teaching assistant, teacher 4, PhD’s) and Head teachers (teacher 3-1, assistant/associate professors)

Registration Workgroup Teachers Programme

1. In July, the FMG-TLC will send an information email about the programme, along with registration form, to the respective coordinator of the Workgroup Teachers of each FMG domain.
2. These Workgroup Coordinators will forward this email to Workgroup Teachers who are new at UvA and are appointed as Workgroup Teacher position. Workgroup teachers will then individually register for the programme.

For Workgroup Teachers who start in a teacher 4 position, it is required to follow the two-year Teacher Journey for Workgroup Teachers.

Registration University Teaching Qualification (UTQ/BKO)

In the 2022-23 academic year, the UTQ/ BKO will be hosted by the Central TLC.  A total of 4 groups (12 teachers per group) are presently planned, two groups starting in September and two groups in January. Every individual interested to participate in the UTQ/ BKO must follow the Central TLC registration procedure. This is detailed below:

1. Teachers go to their respective UTQ/ BKO coordinator of their department to seek permission to enroll. The exact procedure is dependent on each domain in the FMG.
2. These coordinators follow a procedure to determine whether someone can register for the UTQ/ BKO program. It is possible that the UTQ/ BKO coordinator will inform the teacher that s/he must first have permission from his/her supervisor. This exact route is determined per domain.
3. If registration is permitted, the UTQ/ BKO coordinator will register the person in the TLC-Central Registration.
4. After an intake interview, organized by the Central TLC, the teacher moves on to the 1-year UTQ trajectory. The Central TLC arranges the entire UTQ programme and updates the faculty UTQ coordinators as appropriate.

WTP Costs and Compensation

The FMG-TLC hosts the Workgroup Teachers Programme. This includes all costs for the trainers of the programme. All participants of the Workgroup Teachers Programme should receive 60 hours per year, as part of their professional development (a total of 120 hours over two years). This is arranged within the domain.

UTQ Costs and Compensation

For the UTQ/BKO, domains pay the Central TLC directly. In addition, participants of the program receive 120 hours for participation, as part of their professional development. This is arranged within the domain.

Contact Persons for the Workgroup Teachers Programme (WTP)

Contact Persons for the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ/BKO)