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In the 1990s, Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� began a ‘teaching offensive’. Research had become so dominant in university careers that the quality of teaching began to suffer. For thirty years, it was pioneered. UU invested in teachers, allowing them to develop both themselves and their teaching. And initiatives by individual lecturers to improve teaching found their way to the entire university. Some Utrecht ideas even fell on fertile ground nationwide, such as the Basic Teaching Qualification used by all Dutch universities since 2008. These efforts have not gone unnoticed. In a recent international survey, UU was most often cited as an example by experts in the education field.

‘At Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��, we invest in inspiring and empowering teachers,’ explains Manon Kluijtmans, vice-rector of Teaching & Learning. ‘We do this by involving a broad, diverse group of colleagues, students and stakeholders in our teaching. From IT colleagues to didactic experts.’

To play an optimal societal role as a university, teamwork and dynamic careers are essential.

Kluijtmans continues: 'There is also an extensive offer for teachers regarding teacher development, teaching innovation and research into their own teaching. This is expressed, for instance, in the Utrecht Education Incentive Fund from which teaching teams can apply for grants for innovations. This cuts both, or rather three ways. It enables teachers to realise innovations; it promotes cooperation and dissemination of ideas; and it contributes to teachers' CVs and thus to the recognition and appreciation of education.’

‘Paying attention to the recognition and appreciation of education is also part of a broader academic culture shift towards ‘Open Science’,’ Kluijtmans said. ‘To play an optimal societal role as a university, both teamwork and diverse and dynamic careers are essential.’ In Utrecht, this has led to the TRIPLE model for assessment and promotion. This offers scholars the flexibility to tailor their careers to individual strengths and interests."

Education and research equally important

According to Kluijtmans, however, even before that, you could already notice that there is recognition and appreciation within the UU for leadership in the field of education. ‘’Ever since 2004, Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� has made it possible to become a professor with an emphasis on education. With this, the university radiates that research and teaching are equally important, and that not merely leadership in research but also leadership in teaching translates into academic recognition. Since 2017, there has even been a specific career track: the Senior Fellow Programme. With that kind of recognition, we hope to encourage scholars to continuously improve their teaching.’

‘It is inspiring to see colleagues trying new things in teaching, and that these ideas are sometimes taken up more widely within the university. For example, Niels Bovenschen, then Senior Fellow and now Professor, received the Teacher Award in 2019 for asking students during their bachelor's to come up with research proposals that they were then allowed to actually carry out. Since then, this initiative of ‘research hubs’ has spread across all faculty. In addition, you can see other forms of challenge-based education happening in several places within UU, and in particular in UU's alliance with Wageningen and Eindhoven."

There is an increasing focus on education research. We examine whether we are doing the right things and whether we are doing them in the right way.

Kluijtmans: ‘In short, at UU, we have been working on empowering and appreciating teachers for a long time. This benefits both the quality and the development of education, and therefore student learning. In recent years, appreciation in particular has gained momentum as more attention has also been paid nationally through the ‘Recognition and Rewards’ programme. In addition, there is also more focus on research into education, so that we actually investigate whether we are doing the right things and whether we are doing them in the right way."

‘International recognition is great compliment’

In a recent international survey initiated by the ‘Advancing Teaching Network’ to which most Dutch research universities belong, it turns out that UU is the most frequently mentioned by experts in the teaching field when they have to name an example of a university where there is attention and recognition for teaching. The findings were published at the end of January in the report . The report writes about UU:

The university most consistently identified was Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� in the Netherlands, cited by almost one in four interviewees. Utrecht was characterised as “a global front-runner” in the support and reward of university teaching, with educational cultures and practices said to be “engrained in the DNA of the organisation”. It was suggested that Utrecht had “institutionalised many of the things that other universities are interested in but have never tried”, positioning it as an exemplar of how evidence-led and pioneering practices can be put into practice. These policies and practices include, for example: the quality of educational development programmes offered by the university’s Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning, particularly those focused on nurturing educational leadership like the Senior Fellow Programme.

‘It is a great compliment to the Utrecht educational community and the long-standing commitment of a wide range of university staff,’ Kluijtmans said. The CAT and Senior Fellow Programme mentioned in the report are part of a culture change within Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� that focuses on educational leadership. We sometimes hear from academics coming from other universities that it is a pleasant surprise that there is so much attention and appreciation for teaching as an academic task in Utrecht."