Senior Teaching Qualification (STQ)
The Senior Qualifying Education (STQ) programme focuses on curriculum improvement and serves both the participants and the degree programme in their further professional development. The aim of the programme is to give an impulse to the quality of academic teaching.
Programme details
The STQ programme is intended for lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors and full professors who stand out through their commitment to and dedication for teaching. They look beyond their own courses and discipline and take the lead in in interdisciplinary projects or educational innovation. They know how to engage colleagues in these processes, innovate academic teaching together with them, and ensure that innovations are embedded in the curriculum.
Participants hold a position/role at curriculum level, such as director of education of programme director, coordinator of a larger coherent set of course units (e.g. year of learning-track coordinator), member or chair of the programme and/or curriculum committee, chair of the examination board.
The aim of the SKO programme is to support lecturers with a pivotal educational role within degree programmes in carrying out curriculum development. From the start of the SKO programme, the participant fulfils various roles at curriculum level:
- Curriculum developer
- Supervisor of (junior) lecturers
- Organizer of innovation
- Connector between staff and department
- Educationally informed visionary
STQ participants carry out an interdisciplinary project within their own degree programme, aimed at curriculum development. During the UTQ programme they are supported in the process-oriented leadership of this project, in developing deeper educational expertise, and in sharpening a theoretically grounded vision on education. Participants bring their own project and learning question, and apply the content of the programme directly. They are guided by two trainers, using the four phases of the SIE model (Brouwer & In ’t Veld, 2023): exploration (self), engagement (together), design (self) and realisation (together). Together with fellow lecturers they work on their own project, while their personal learning question is mainly addressed during three individual coaching sessions.
Examples of projects: improving first-year student success, designing an interdisciplinary programme, redesigning the methodology learning track and thesis trajectory, developing a self-regulation learning track, developing a bachelor learning track.
In short
| Target audience | Lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors and full professors who design, innovate and safeguard the quality of education at curriculum level. Candidates are nominated by the faculty board. |
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| Requirements | In possession of the BTQ (BKO), fulfilling various roles at curriculum level (see programme details), responsible for an interdisciplinary project within their own programme/department, sufficient time available for personal development and the interdisciplinary project, support from their supervisor. | |
| Language | Their is always both a Dutch-language and an English-language group. | |
| Time investment | 160 hours: 70 hours of contact time (six training days and coaching) and 90 hours for assignments, peer groups and the project within one’s own faculty | |
| Dates |
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Nomination by faculty board
The dean nominates candidates on the advice of directors of education and/or programme directors. After nomination, the candidate submits their CV and completed questionnaire.
Each candidate has an intake interview with an SKO trainer. Based on this, the trainers advise the Programme Committee for Educational Leadership (POL). The POL decides on final admission on the basis of the suitability of the candidates, the interfaculty composition of the groups and the number of applications.
STQ assessment
During the programme, each participant compiles an SKO portfolio and receives feedback and coaching on it from the trainers. At the end of the programme, the candidate submits the portfolio for assessment to the SKO Assessment Committee. Two assessors (an SKO trainer and a former participant or another suitable person from the assessor network) assess the portfolio and conduct an assessment interview with the participant.
After a successful final assessment, the certificate is awarded during a celebratory event.
Relation to BTQ and LOL
The Basic Teaching Qualification (BTQ), Senior Teaching Qualification (STQ) and Educational Leadership Programme (LOL) are aimed respectively at course level, curriculum level and programme (cross-programme) level.
Contact
If you have questions about the SKO programme, your first point of contact is the Teaching & Learning Centre of your faculty (see links below). Depending on your question, they can refer you to the appropriate person.