Associate Fellow status is awarded to members who possess a degree and/or equivalent professional career knowledge, skills and experience in tertiary education management. To become an Associate Fellow, you must have at least three years experience in tertiary education management and have held a management or leadership position for a minimum of two years.

Associate Fellows must complete a minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year, and can use the post nominal ATEMAF.

A list of our current Associate Fellows can be seen here.

Upgrade to Fellow

Fellow status is awarded to members who have been working in tertiary education administration and management for at least eight years, and in a senior role demonstrating strategic management and leadership for a minimum of two years. Leadership and service to the tertiary education community over at least five years must also be demonstrated. The award of ATEM Fellow recognises members who have pursued their professional development and helped to improve professional practice. The award of Fellow represents the culmination of a sustained period of commitment to the profession and reflects the superior level of achievement in both professional practice and professional development of the member.

In this context a leadership role could include organising professional development activities, participating on a committee at region or Association level, presenting papers or chairing sessions at region and Association conferences or during this time, the member must have undertaken a significant period of academic and/or professional education in a field of study that is directly related to the practice of the profession of tertiary education administration or management.

Academic and professional education will be interpreted broadly but the member must be able to demonstrate clearly that their professional development activities during their time as a tertiary education administrator or manager has been focused and directed towards improving both their professional practice and their professional standing. 

Fellows must complete a minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year, and can use the post nominal ATEMF.

A list of our current Fellows can be seen here.

Applying for a Membership Upgrade

Everyone's career path is unique, so we don't have a standard application form. To apply for an upgrade, you will need to submit  a written application addressing the criteria for membership level you wish to upgrade to, including required evidence of qualifications and experience, to Paul Abela in the ATEM Secretariat.

The ATEM Awards and Grants Committee will assess you application against the criteria for the level of membership for which you are applying. You will be notified by the ATEM Secretariat when a decision has been made about your application.

As well as addressing the criteria above, please make sure you include with your application

• the membership level you are applying for - Associate Fellow or Fellow,
• your personal details (name, contact address, telephone number and email address),
• a summary of the hours of professional development as recorded in your personal professional development log, and
• a copy of your full curriculum vitae.

Some Points to Note

• If you do not have a tertiary qualification but believe you have equivalent knowledge, skills and experience, then you can apply to have your prior knowledge, skills and experience recognised by the Awards and Grants Committee.  Please include a detailed explanation about why you think your experience is equivalent to the relevant qualification requirements. 
• The requirement to be working in management or leadership positions are taken very seriously. As a general rule, you should - at a minimum - be managing staff, be responsible for a department, faculty or institution wide function and manage an associated budget. 
• Your work experience does not have to be all completed in tertiary education, but you do need to demonstrate that you meet the criteria.