2005 6th Conference of the International Consortium for Educational Development Enhancing Academic Development Practice: International Perspectives 1. Contact Name: Hanno van Keulen 2. Title: Dr 3. Institution(s): Utrecht University 4. Department: IVLOS Institute of Education 5. Address for correspondence: PO Box 80127 6. Country: The Netherlands 7. Postcode/Zipcode: 3508 TC Utrecht 8. Telephone: +31 30 253 1718 (office) / +31 6 5213 8991 (GSM) 9. Email: j.vankeulen@ivlos.uu.nl 10. Title and authors of other proposals in which you are involved: none 1. Session title: Towards a national system of teaching qualifications in Higher Education in The Netherlands 2. Conference theme Informing and responding to policy 3. Session Objectives/Learning Outcomes 1) A better understanding of how to design and approach consensus on a teaching qualification system with regard to: • Content (i.c. the teaching competencies); • Assessment (e.g. portfolio assessment) • Pathway (e.g. compulsory teacher training or more personalised approaches) 2) A better understanding of how to implement such a qualification system with regard to: • building a learning culture within institutions and departments; • influencing and engaging institutional and governmental policies and leaders; • respecting and building on local autonomous practices while maintaining a shared framework; 4. Intended audience Institutional management Educational consultants Staff developers Researchers on staff & educational development 5. Session Activities I would like to start with a short introduction into the current situation in The Netherlands (as outline below in the abstract), and then I would invite the audience to come up with suggestions informed by experience, research and theory. I suppose we in The Netherlands take a middle position: some countries, notably the UK, already have a national qualification system whereas many other countries are just opening up for this issue and want to learn how to start. My personal aim (and in this respect I ...