27
June
2013
|
01:00
Europe/London

National Teaching Fellowship for Manchester lecturer

A University of Manchester Professor of Nursing has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Professor Philip Keeley from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, was one of 55 higher education staff to receive the accolade - the most prestigious awards for excellence in higher education teaching and support for learning.

The successful National Teaching Fellows (NTFs) were chosen from over 180 nominations submitted by higher education institutions across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Each will receive an award of £10,000 which will be used to support their professional development in teaching and learning or aspects of pedagogy.

Professor Keeley has made a sustained and substantial contribution to professional education for more than 27 years. Areas of teaching expertise include nursing in general, mental health nursing in particular and professional and ethical practice. His teaching has been informed by his clinical experiences as an adult and mental health nurse working in hospital and community settings.

His academic qualifications were all achieved while studying part-time, in addition to holding substantive clinical or academic posts. This experience helps him to appreciate the challenges for students embarking on professional programmes as they juggle clinical and academic work.

Professor Karen Luker, Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, said: “Philip is a strong advocate for students being partners in education and has a strong track record of promoting their interests. The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work now has a robust peer-assisted study scheme in operation and he takes pride in providing timely and detailed constructive feedback to students, especially at the start of their programme but also for students studying up to, and including, doctoral level.”

A desire to enhance the quality and accessibility of learning opportunities has led Professor Keeley to pursue an interest in online learning. He previously held an appointment as Director of Innovation in Learning and Teaching and successfully led a series of projects to enhance the online and blended learning experiences of students. He believes that, where appropriate, educational innovations should be evaluated and disseminated. He has published 19 academic papers related to teaching, learning and health care research since 2008.

Professor Keeley said: “Students at The University of Manchester are a privilege to teach and it is pleasing to receive an award for something that I enjoy! I see the award as recognition for the excellent work within the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work and the University, and I want to thank my academic and administrative colleagues and collaborators who constantly strive to enhance the student learning experience.”

In his current leadership role, Professor Keeley is keen to recognise and reward excellence contributions to teaching and learning by colleagues and students. He has a strong track record of supporting students to achieve awards and colleagues to secure promotion.

Professor Keeley strongly supports academic colleagues to secure teaching qualifications recognised by their professional regulatory body and the Higher Education Academy. He is keen to ensure the development of future leaders in teaching and learning, and offers mentorship to colleagues.

The scheme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, and the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland.

Professor Craig Mahoney, Chief Executive of the HEA, said: “The 55 new National Teaching Fellows announced today are all an inspiration to me.  They have each made a significant impact on the teaching at their own institution, and many of them even further afield.

“Becoming a National Teaching Fellow is a great honour and will undoubtedly lead to many new and exciting challenges, but I believe that it is students who will benefit  most from these awards. Our students deserve the best possible learning experience and it is colleagues like those we celebrate today who can make a real difference to their futures. I congratulate all the successful Fellows and wish them every success in their own learning and teaching experiences.”

 

Notes for editors

For further information, please contact:

Alison Barbuti | Media Relations Officer | Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences |The University of Manchester

Tel. +44 (0)161 275 8383 | Mobile 07887 561 318 |Email: alison.barbuti@manchester.ac.uk