Dutch universities have decided to mutually recognize the Senior University Teaching Qualification (SUTQ). In doing so, they are taking an important step toward further strengthening quality and collaboration within university education. This development builds on the successful nationwide recognition of the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ), which since 2008 has contributed to the continued professionalization of teaching staff in higher education.
The SUTQ is aimed at experienced lecturers who play a leading role in educational improvement and innovation at the curriculum and programme level. With the newly established mutual recognition, senior lecturers who obtain the qualification at one university will no longer need to obtain it again at another institution. This enhances the mobility of teaching professionals and promotes the exchange of expertise between universities.
The universities have jointly developed a framework and a declaration outlining the standards a SUTQ must meet. To this end, they compared all existing SUTQ programmes and, based on this analysis, determined the requirements the qualification should fulfil. Within this shared framework, universities retain the flexibility to shape their own SUTQ programmes. In this way, diversity is preserved while quality is safeguarded. Universities that are currently developing a SUTQ can align with the framework, ensuring that their qualification will also be recognized in the future.
The mutual recognition also aligns well with the national Recognition and Rewards programme, which emphasizes career development, professional growth, and the recognition of the diverse contributions of teaching professionals.
The declaration on mutual recognition and the accompanying framework can be found here. The declaration and framework will be evaluated after approximately two years and, where necessary, supplemented or revised.
