Below is the  ILT's August news briefing.  It may be freely circulated or
published.  Please pass it on to anyone who may be interested in receiving
it within your own organisation and contact me if you would like more
detailed information on any of the items mentioned.

> Andrea L. T. Rayner
> Assistant Director: External Relations
> Institute for Learning and Teaching (ILT)
> Tel: 01904 434025
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> http://www.ilt.ac.uk
> 
> AUGUST 2002 BRIEFING FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING (ILT)
> 
> *     A record number of staff applied to join the ILT during July.
> Applications from staff eager to meet the 31 July deadline for the
> original entry route for experienced staff were coming in at rates of up
> to 600 per day, resulting in a surge of 3,000 applications in the final
> week of the old route. The Initial Entry Route for Experienced Staff,
> launched in 1999, has proved extremely popular, recruiting over two-thirds
> of the ILT's current membership.  The surge means that with over 16,500
> applications to date, the ILT has already exceeded its Business Plan
> target for year 4, ending in April 2003. 
> *     The new Individual Entry Route for Experienced Staff (IEES) was
> launched on 1 August 2002.  It was developed after extensive consultation
> with members, higher education institutions and other stakeholders, and
> builds on the success of the previous route.  A new section has been added
> to the application form, asking for examples of how applicants draw on
> subject research, scholarly activity or other professional activities in
> support of learning and teaching.  Details of the new route and
> application forms can be viewed at
> http://www.ilt.ac.uk/news/n20020806.html.
> *     The ILT has now accredited 125 programmes at 105 higher education
> institutions as routes to Membership.  It has also accredited 20
> programmes as routes to Associateship.
> *     The ILT has again attracted over 60 applications from within its
> membership for current accreditor vacancies.  A further 12 accreditors
> have been appointed to complement the existing team, bringing the total
> number of ILT accreditors to 64.  The growing number of accreditors is
> needed to assist with the surge of applications and the continuing
> interest in programme accreditation.
> *     The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has invited
> the ILT once again to manage the process of rewarding and celebrating
> excellent teaching through the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS).
> The scheme, now in its fourth year, is managed by the ILT on behalf of
> HEFCE and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) in Northern
> Ireland.  
> *     This year's National Teaching Fellowship winners received their
> awards from the Rt Hon Margaret Hodge, Minister for Lifelong Learning and
> Higher Education, at a gala dinner in Westminster on 9 July.  The ceremony
> was attended by winners and their partners, heads of their institutions
> and invited representatives of the Funding Councils and other higher
> education organisations.  The 20 winners, chosen from 82 nominations from
> higher education institutions throughout England and Northern Ireland,
> were each awarded £50,000, to be used for projects that will make a
> significant contribution to learning and teaching.  This year a
> preponderance of winners (30%) came from the North East region.  The
> disciplines of History and Geography/Environmental Sciences were also well
> represented, with three winners each.
> *     The ILT's third Annual Conference, on Learning about learning, was
> held at the end of June at Heriot-Watt University and attracted over 350
> delegates from eight countries.  Feedback from delegates has been very
> enthusiastic.  ILTAC has now become the largest general conference devoted
> to HE learning and teaching in the UK.  See
> http://www.ilt.ac.uk/news/n20020722.html for a full Conference report and
> pictures.
> *     Next year's Conference will be held from 2-4 July 2003 at Warwick
> University. The theme will be What works? Reviewing good practice for
> learning and teaching in higher education and the keynote speakers will
> include Thomas Angelo, author of the influential US text Classroom
> assessment.
> *     Three seminars have been held for the leaders of ILT-accredited
> courses.  The one-day events were held in Edinburgh, Birmingham and York
> and attracted approximately 100 colleagues representing 55 HEIs.  The
> seminars brought together programme leaders to share issues of interest
> and concern in delivering accredited staff development programmes.
> Feedback from each of the events has been extremely positive. Suggestions
> for events next year are being considered with the intention that they
> should be held annually.
> *     65 applications have been received for this year's round of ILT
> Small Grants. Grants of up to £1,000 are available to 'make a difference'
> in the support of learning and teaching.  Funding towards this year's
> Small Grants has generously been provided by TechDis (the Technology for
> Disabilities Information Service).  Details of activities being undertaken
> by recipients of the first round of Small Grants can be viewed at
> http://www.ilt.ac.uk/news/n20011221.html.  The successful bids will be
> selected in October. 
> *     Nominations are now being sought from the membership for elections
> to the ILT's Council, to be held in November and December.  There will be
> four vacancies for Members and one for an Associate.  All paid-up members
> who have completed the application process by 28 October are eligible to
> stand or vote in the elections.
>