Merit System for Teaching at UNIS

Since 2017, UNIS has been part of the same merit system for teaching as the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Bergen. Teachers at UNIS from all four scientific departments can get their pedagogical competence and efforts evaluated for the distinction Excellent Teaching Practitioner (ETP) by the Pedagogical Academy at the University of Bergen.

The distinction is awarded to teachers that can document a systematic effort to develop their teaching and student learning, and that contributes to a scholarly and collegial teacher culture. Those awarded with the status as ETP become members of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences’ Pedagogical Academy at UiB and will also get a rise in salary.

Appointment of Excellent Teaching Practitioners takes place every two years and has been announced in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024 and now in 2026.

Three UNIS teachers have been awarded Excellent Teaching Practitioner (ETP) status from UiB: former UNIS Professor Pernille Bronken Eidesen (2019), Professor Maria Jensen (June 2023), and Associate Professor Simone Lang (June 2025). In addition, Professor Gunhild Sætren was awarded ETP from Nord University in 2023.

Call for Excellent Teaching Practitioner 2026

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science at the University of Bergen (MN-UiB) hereby invites the academic teaching staff at UNIS (Group A) to apply for an assessment of their teaching competence and admission to the Faculty’s Pedagogical Academy. Successful applicants will be awarded the pedagogical distinction Excellent Teaching Practitioner (ETP) / Fremragende underviser (FUND). The distinction also includes a salary increase for the individual recipient.

The UNIS deadline is set to 10 January 2027. Send your application to archive@unis.no.

Who can be awarded Excellent Teaching Practitioner status?

The status of Excellent Teaching Practitioner (ETP) is awarded to teaching staff based on an application submitted in the form of a teaching portfolio, followed by an assessment conducted by an evaluation committee. The assessment process consists of a review of the application, teaching portfolio, and supporting documentation. Selected candidates will be invited to an interview.

In the application and accompanying documentation, applicants must describe, analyse, discuss, and document their systematic and purposeful work to enhance educational quality in relation to four main criteria (see attachment).

The distinction is awarded to individuals who, through systematic effort and over time, have developed their teaching competence to a level substantially higher than the expected baseline competence.

Teaching staff awarded the status of ETP/FUND become members of the Faculty’s (MN-UiB) Pedagogical Academy. The Academy is expected to contribute to a collegial culture of teaching and learning within the Faculty, based on the principles of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). This includes taking responsibility for and participating in academic, pedagogical, and didactic development initiatives, sharing experiences and promoting exchange through collegial forums for educational development, and mentoring colleagues.

1. Focus on student learning

The applicant has a clear focus on students’ learning in all their teaching activities
The applicant has a conscious relationship to the connection between form of teaching, learning outcomes, form of assessment, and types of learning.
There is a clear and justified connection between the applicant’s basic perceptions of teaching and learning, and teaching activities.
The applicant has good relations with the students, and requests and responds constructively to feedback from the students.

2. Clear development over time

The applicant strives consciously and systematically to develop her/his teaching, both in form and content, to support student learning
The applicant has ideas and plans for continued development work and further development of their own teaching competence and practice in the future.

3. A research approach

The applicant plans, maps, evaluates and modifies his teaching practice with a view to what and how one best supports during the students’ learning.
The applicant reflects on his or her own teaching activities in the light of university pedagogical theory and subject didactic knowledge.
The applicant conducts research-based education, both in the form that the academic content is based on updated and current research in the subject, and that the students use elements from the research process in their learning work.

4. A collegial attitude and practice

The applicant shares experiences with others, and interacts constructively with students and colleagues to develop teaching and educational quality.
The applicant cooperates with others through mutual exchange and sharing, for example through discussions, conferences and publications.
The applicant contributes to reaching the strategic goals for educational quality at the institution.

Assessment of applications:

Applications will be assessed during Spring 2027, with final decisions expected in June 2027. The criteria and detailed information regarding the application content and assessment process are available on the Pedagogical Academy website.

For any questions, please contact the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences’ Vice Dean for Education at UiB, Monica Jordheim (monica.jordheim@uib.no), or the Director of Academic Affairs, Bianca Nygård (bianca.nygard@uib.no).

Workshop:

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science at the University of Bergen (MN-UiB) will host the workshop “How to Write a Well-Structured Teaching Portfolio” on 22 September, from 12:15 to 15:00, in K3/K4, Biologen, Thormøhlensgate 53B. Registration is done by sending an email to roy.andersson@uib.no. For more information: Excellent teaching practitioner portfolio workshop

Peer-feedback follow up session:

There will be a peer-feedback follow up session, led by Roy Andersson from Lund University, at a later date following the workshop, in which UNS staff will have the opportunity to participate online. If you are interested in taking part in the peer-feedback process, please contact roy.andersson@uib.no by 20 September. Participation in the workshop is not a prerequisite for joining the peer-feedback session.

Links:

Pedagogical Academy MN Faculty at UiB (in Norwegian)
Excellent Teaching Practitioner and Pedagogical Academy MN Faculty at UiB (in Norwegian)
White paper on Quality Culture in Higher Education