The University Teaching Qualification (UTQ)

The core of the UTQ is the development and demonstration of 5 didactic competences in a personal UTQ dossier: 

• Competence 1: Designing or redesiging education
• Competence 2: Teaching and supervising 
• Competence 3: Assessment
• Competence 4: Evaluating teaching
• Competence 5: Professionalization

Check here for the specification of the UTQ competences and criteria.

Step 1:  Intake & Self-diagnosis 

The UTQ starts with an intake interview with the UTQ contactperson of your own faculty: 

• BMS: Coralie Johnson/ c.johnson@utwente.nl
• ET: Chantal Scholten/ chantal.scholten@utwente.nl
• EWI/EEMCS: Karen Slotman/ k.m.j.slotman@utwente.nl 
• EWI/EEMCS: Robert Middelburg/ r.middelburg@utwente.nl
• EWI/EEMCS: Sonja Borst/ s.borst@utwente.nl
• TNW - Science: Cornelise Vreman/ g.c.vreman-deolde@utwente.nl
• TNW - Health: Marleen de Haan/ m.dehaan@utwente.nl 
• ITC: Marie Jose Verkroost/ m.j.verkroost@utwente.nl 

During the UTQ track you will be supervised by your own UTQ supervisor; this is the educational consultant of your faculty.

The UTQ supervisor will provide you with information, feedback and supervision meetings with peers. If you want you can also follow (UTQ) courses and/or practical workshops to educate yourself into the several education principles and techniques.

Step 2: Plan your learning route 

After your intake,  you can plan yourself how you want to acquire the knowledge and skills you need to complete your dossier. This is done on your own personal Cancas page that is also accessible by your supervisor. 

For competences 1 to 5 CELT offers courses. Although following our courses is not obliged (the UTQ learning path is characterized by a self-directed approach) we do advice to follow (some) basic courses. 

All UTQ courses, and other educational courses/workshops are presented in our Course Overview.

You may also choose for a self-study approach. Our Toolboxes might help you with this. 

Step 3: Fill your portfolio

With a good plan, you can start filling your portfolio with text and other 'proof' of your competences.  This is a individual process. During your writing process you can plan feedback moments with your supervisor or your peers. In some faculties, writing sessions are organized. 

UTQ writing sessions are sessions for participants in the UTQ that need help or planned time to work on their dossier. Main goal is to make the UTQ dossier ready for the assessment.

Writing sessions are organised within the faculty or with other faculties. Participants mainly work intensively on their dossier under the guidance of UTQ-supervisors. The character is practice oriented; the focus is on filling and writing the UTQ dossier in the most efficient manner. Participant beforehand collects all the needed evidence/materials.

Writing session in short:

• For teachers in the UTQ track;
• Half day or one day sessions;
• Writing sessions, not a course; 
• Preparation: participants upload the required materials into their UTQ dossier environment on Blackboard; 
• During sessions: receiving & incorporation of immediate feedback on products;
• Only organised with enough participants.

If you have interest in a writing session please contact your UTQ supervisor.

Step 4: Assessment of the dossier

When your dossier is ready, you notify your supervisor. They will notify the UTQ coordinator who will start the assessment procedure. The complete assessment procedure of the UTQ dossier is described in the UTQ manual.

Step 5: Ceremony! 

When your portfolio is assessed as 'sufficient' your UTQ is complete. You will receive your certificate during a nice ceremony with drinks with your peers. 

4TU REGULATIONS

The 4TU UTQ regulation describes the joined procedures, competences and the arbitration and appeal procedure in case of disagreement of the assessment result.

rules:

An UTQ exemption stands for an equivalent of the UTQ competences and is granted in case of:

• a diplom of a post graduate teacher training (eerstegraads bevoegdheid), followed by a reflection report of the UTQ competencies focused on the application of the educational theory in the academic context.
• a VELON certificate
• an abroad achieved pedagogical diplom/certificate in academic context, equivalent to the UTQ competences. 

Note: an UTQ exemption means the acquitance of the UTQ obligation. An UTQ exemption will not lead to an UTQ certificate/qualification.

UTQ PARTIAL CERTIFICATE

If you already obtained a UTQ partial certificate at another university in the Netherlands, you do not need to join the UTQ workshops and/or assignments that are related to partial certificate. Ask your UTQ supervisor for advice on how to incorporate this exemption in your UTQ dossier.

Exemption Procedure:

• If you think you are eligible for an UTQ exemption, please contact the HR advisor of your own faculty.
• The HR advisor requests for the exemption through the exemption advisor of CELT.
• The CELT advisor evaluates the evidences delivered by the candidate (diploms, supporting documents).    
• The CELT advisor will schedule a meeting with the candidate to talk about the reflection report, diplom/certificate and the UT educational context
• CELT advises the faculty (dean/HR) about granting or not the UTQ exemption.
• Finally the faculty decides whether to assign the exemption and informs the candidate

‘UTQ gave me a new perspective on teaching’

Mark Bentum (associate professor Telecommunication & Engineering):
“UTQ* has given me more insight into the way in which I teach. This critical self-analysis is what I consider to be the most useful aspect of obtaining my BKO certificate.

When I heard about UTQ I was not the first person to sign up. With two demanding jobs this trajectory was the last thing on my mind. In retrospect I am very happy I did it, because participating in the UTQ trajectory doesn’t have to cost you a lot of time, certainly if you are an experienced teacher. I had completed my portfolio within a month. Besides, it isn’t difficult. Roughly, it consists of three parts. First, collecting (existing) evidence, such as course material, handouts and subject evaluations, then collecting (critical) feedback and lastly self-analysis.

Participating in a UTQ trajectory forces you to clearly put on paper everything you do in the area of teaching and to have a critical look at yourself. I enjoyed receiving feedback from colleagues and students and the self-analysis was certainly a most interesting exercise.

I formulated the UTQ myself, but there are various options for doing this in a group and/or within the context of educational reform. I consider it a good thing if everyone were to obtain his or her BKO. We should always endeavour to continue to improve our teaching. Taking a close look at your own activities is important in this context. It gives you fresh ideas: a new perspective on teaching.”