CAD news and events
Professional development opportunities, academic events, workshops, seminars, and the latest news from the Centre for Academic Development.
Stay connected with the latest developments in academic development and teaching excellence. Here you'll find upcoming events, workshops, seminars, and news from the Centre for Academic Development.
Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Learning and Teaching (PHELT) information sessions
The Centre for Academic Development invites staff and PhD students to an information session about the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Learning and Teaching (PHELT). If you are interested in finding out more about PHELT or asking questions about your particular situation, please register for one of the info sessions:
- Info Session 1 (for Teaching Pathway academics), 4 Feb
- Info Session 2 (for all staff or PhD students), 9 Feb, Kelburn Campus
- Info Session 3 (for all staff or PhD students) 17 Feb, Pipitea Campus.
You can find, and enrol for, the current HELT courses in Course Finder. Check back soon for a new HELT information webpage and FAQs at Teaching Support: Professional development for teachers.
Newly designed professional development programme offers a flexible postgraduate qualification for teaching staff
The Centre for Academic Development invites staff and PhD students to an information session about the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Learning and Teaching (PHELT).
The Centre for Academic Development is excited to announce the relaunch of the Higher Education Learning and Teaching (HELT) programme, to support professional development for teaching staff at the University.
“We have known for some time that staff want to engage in professional development about teaching, but just couldn’t make time for the 30-point courses on offer in the old version of HELT,” says Associate Professor Kathryn Sutherland.
“300 hours of learning in one trimester was too difficult for most people to fit in alongside their regular teaching, research, service, leadership, community, family and life responsibilities.”
The new programme is a postgraduate qualification designed with a core of six mini-courses worth 5-points each, a 15-point portfolio course, and 15 further points made up of either three more mini-courses or an approved course from another qualification schedule that aligns with the higher education focus of the programme.
Participants in HELT will be able to take these courses at their own pace—one a trimester over four or five years, or two to three a trimester to finish in two years.
HELT offers a flexible, modular approach to professional development that aligns with the work academics and professional staff involved with teaching already do, making it easier to participate without significantly increasing workloads or compromising other commitments.
The courses were designed to help staff achieve practical outcomes. For example:
- Developing a Teaching Philosophy (HELT 551) is useful for people wanting to create a teaching philosophy statement for academic promotion, job applications, or teaching award submissions.
- Programme and Course Design (HELT 533), is designed to teach participants about evidence-based practice for course design, giving participants hands-on support from CAD experts and their peers, finishing with both a (re)designed course and 5-points towards a postgraduate qualification.
- The 15-point portfolio course (HELT 539) aligns with Te Arawai Ako—Pathway to Learning and Fellowship to prepare you to apply for fellowship, accredited by Advance HE, or other award and fellowship applications. If you already have a fellowship, CAD will work out a way to recognise that prior learning.
Courses will be offered in various formats including intensive block courses, online-only self-directed learning and blended active learning and will be free for Te Herenga Waka staff on permanent contracts with New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, with participants covering the cost of the student levy themselves.
PhD students are also welcome to enrol and may be able to use some of their coursework allocation if the topics are relevant to the focus of their PhD.
If you are interested in cohort-based experiences for any core courses, you can contact CAD to arrange custom-built course offerings for groups of eight or more—ideal for teams already developing new programmes or courses or wanting to learn together.
Enrolments will open before the end of this year, with teaching beginning in Trimester 1, 2026.
While enrolment systems are still being finalised, interested staff should email CAD-contact@vuw.ac.nz to be added to their mailing list, or for more details.
Updates will also be provided through Oko.
HELT qualification structure
The HELT qualification comprises 30 points of core courses, a 15-point portfolio course, and 15 points from other courses.
CORE courses—6 × 5‑point courses
The core of the HELT qualification consists of six foundational 5‑point courses that build essential knowledge in teaching and learning:
- HELT 530—Theories of Teaching
- HELT 531—How Students Learn
- HELT 532—Feedback
- HELT 533—Programme and Course Design
- HELT 534—Technology‑Enhanced Teaching
- HELT 535—Akoranga in Aotearoa New Zealand.
These courses form the 30‑point core and must be completed before enrolling in the portfolio course.
15‑point portfolio
Learners reflect upon and develop a written portfolio:
- HELT 539 (15 points)—Portfolios for Professional Practice.
15 further points from 5‑point courses (or another approved course)
Students select an additional 15 points from the following elective 5‑point courses to tailor the qualification to their interests:
- HELT 550—Mātauranga Māori in Teaching
- HELT 551—Developing a Teaching Philosophy
- HELT 552—Assessment Design in the AI Era
- HELT 553—Active Learning and Student Engagement
- HELT 554—Ako in Action: Enhancing Teaching in Partnership with Students.