Academic promotions: including Senior Lectureship, Readers & Chairs

Guidelines for the Consideration of Applications for Academic Promotions 2012 (.pdf)
Academic Promotions: Application Form (.doc)

1. Preamble

Academic promotion is based on merit. These guidelines explain the process by which applications for academic career progression are considered and are designed to assist applicants when preparing their applications.

The guidelines give an indication of the criteria the Promotions Committee will use and the kind of evidence that applicants may wish to provide in their applications.

2. Introduction

This guidance is indicative rather than comprehensive and is intended simply to indicate a framework within which qualitative judgements of overall performance are made. All cases will be considered on their individual merits and in accordance with the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

To ensure complete clarity as to how an individual may obtain promotion to the posts of Senior Lecturer, Reader and Personal Chair the applicants must obtain the following spread of scores:

2.1 Senior Lecturer:

Successful candidates must demonstrate a minimum composite score of 6 points across the three elements of the criteria (Teaching, Research & Leadership). On this basis it would be acceptable for a candidate to achieve level 2 in all three elements, or alternatively to achieve level 3 in one element, Level 2 in one element, and Level 1 in one element.

2.2 Reader:

Successful candidates must demonstrate a minimum composite score of 7 points across the three elements of the criteria (Teaching, Research & Leadership). One of the elements must include the achievement of Level 3 in a minimum of one of the three elements. On this basis it would be acceptable for a candidate to achieve level 3 on one element and level two in the other two elements.

2.3 Personal Chair:

Successful candidates must demonstrate a minimum composite score of 9 points across the three elements of the criteria (Teaching, Research & Leadership). One of the elements must include the achievement of Level 4 in a minimum of one of the three elements, and level 3 in one of the other two elements.

You may wish to use the academic role profiles, Teaching & Research (T&R) and Teaching & Scholarship (T&S), and Research (R) as an aid memoire when considering your performance in relation to the criteria below.

3. Element - Teaching

This covers all aspects of teaching, training, instruction and guidance including postgraduate supervision. Also included are any activities which assist and support students in their learning. This may include establishing new teaching opportunities e.g. distance learning or franchised provision and aspects of consulting/mentoring or similar work with external agencies. An above average teaching load may be an indicator, but is neither a pre-requisite nor sufficient on its own.

Applicants claiming performance at level 2 or 3 in teaching should note that the information they provide to substantiate their claim must be capable of being supported by reliable and auditable evidence. Examples of such evidence include: -

student or alumni feedback on teaching;
evidence of teaching effectiveness from senior colleagues who have examined the candidate's course documentation, observed their teaching methods on several occasions and moderated their assessment practices and standards;
evidence of effectiveness from external engagement in teaching;
comments from external examiners;
data on completion rates and students' progression and attainment;
evidence of a successful programme of continuing professional development.

3.1 Level 1

Performance at this level means competence in key aspects of teaching (commensurate with teaching duties), indicators of which include: -

modules designed in an effective way appropriate for the subject matter and the level and types of students concerned, and with explicit aims;
teaching delivery which is of a good standard and stimulating, and the provision of comprehensive information about all aspects of the module, making use of learning technologies including the ALTO virtual learning environment where appropriate;
teaching materials which are of a good standard and incorporate recent research material;
support for students' learning inside and outside the classroom, recognising and responding to student diversity;
assessment of students' work which fits with the teaching aims and the material, provides timely and effective feedback to students, and sets good academic standards;
contribution to setting up new initiatives e.g. team teaching, use of e-learning;

3.2 Level 2

In addition to providing evidence of a high level of competence and high standards in all the aspects of teaching listed at Level 1, an applicant should be able to demonstrate that he/she has: -

successfully developed new and innovative approaches to teaching within or outside their Department;
evaluated modules by a variety of methods;
actively engaged in curriculum development;
actively engaged in continuing professional development to enhance their teaching and sharing best practice to enhance the teaching of others;

and may have:

participated in wider professional activities such as external course validation and/or external examining;
contributed to active development and use of the virtual learning environment, electronic library resources for students and other forms of learning technologies;
mentored junior staff.

3.3 Level 3

Performance at Level 3 will be marked by innovation and leadership in teaching and by developments in teaching and learning which are recognised by one’s peers as meeting the highest professional standards. Indicators of performance at this level include for example:

leadership in significant departmental initiatives that improve teaching;
significant contributions to teaching development programmes or activities that benefit others e.g. contribution to teaching away days or to internal publications about teaching or income generation in support of teaching programmes;
dissemination of practices in the University or more widely through significant participation in discipline groups or learned-society groups for improving teaching;
major participation in national teaching initiatives (e.g. HEA Subject Centre) or their international equivalents, or success in obtaining grants for teaching initiatives;
excellence in teaching attested by, for example, evidence from a teaching profile, peer observation, student feedback or a teaching award
major contribution to successful cross-departmental projects;
innovative development and leadership within the Department and the institution more widely in the use of learning technologies;
authorship of teaching materials in one's subject area which are used outside of the University, including text books;
scholarly publications which are critical, reflective and evaluative of teaching, and which advance our ideas on how a subject should be taught;
development and successful marketing of curricula or methods of teaching designed to attract new client groups;
built, and/or generated funding for, external networks of contacts to develop and/or consolidate one or more teaching interests of the department.

3.4 Level 4

Performance at Level 4 would be marked by significant innovation and leadership in teaching and by developments in teaching and learning which would be internationally recognised by one’s peers as leading and setting the highest professional standards. An international profile in respect of teaching and learning. Indicators of performance at this level would include for example:

leadership in significant institutional initiatives that improve teaching;
significant contributions to teaching development programmes or activities that benefit others e.g. contribution to teaching away days or to internal publications about teaching or income generation in support of teaching programmes;
dissemination of practices across institutions or on an international basis through significant participation in conferences or leading discipline groups or learned-society groups for improving teaching;
Playing a key leadership role in national and/or international teaching initiatives (e.g. HEA Subject Centre) or their international equivalents, or success in obtaining major grants for teaching initiatives;
excellence in teaching attested by, for example, evidence from a teaching profile, peer observation, student feedback or a teaching award
Leadership of successful cross-departmental projects or cross-institution projects;
innovative development and leadership across the Institution and working in partnership with other HE institutions in the use of learning technologies;
authorship of teaching materials in one's subject area which are used on an international basis, including text books;
scholarly publications which are critical, reflective and evaluative of teaching, and which advance our ideas on how a subject should be taught on an international basis;
leading on the development and successful marketing of curricula or methods of teaching designed to attract new client groups;
lead on the generation of funding for external networks of contacts to develop and/or consolidate one or more teaching interests of the department.

Demonstrates a sustained record of effective strategic leadership in academic and pedagogic practice, and development as a key contribution to high quality student learning. Individuals should be able to provide evidence of:

Active commitment to and championing of all Dimensions of the UK Professional Standards Framework, through work with students and staff, and in institutional developments
Successful, strategic leadership to enhance student learning, with a particular, but not necessarily exclusive, focus on enhancing teaching quality in institutional, and/ or (inter)national settings
Establishing effective organisational policies and/or strategies for supporting and promoting others (e.g. through mentoring, coaching) in delivering high quality teaching and support for learning
Championing, within institutional and/or wider settings, an integrated approach to academic practice (incorporating, for example, teaching, learning, research, scholarship, administration etc.)
A sustained and successful commitment to, and engagement in, continuing professional development related to academic, institutional and/or other professional practices

4. Element - Research

Research outputs can take a variety of forms depending on the subject area, but, whatever the form, it is expected that they will have been subjected to rigorous peer review. In addition to books, papers, monographs, performances, exhibitions or the creation of artefacts, research may also include client-focused research, technology transfer, aspects of consultancy, income generation for research and working with external agencies.

If your list of publications contains multi-authored, co-authored or co-edited works please provide a brief statement on the nature of your own contribution to such work.

4.1 Level 1:

Research activity resulting in peer-reviewed publications.

4.2 Level 2:

As level 1 but, in addition, evidence may include:

A profile of publications indicative of a substantial contribution to the field;
Effective supervision of research students and/or research staff (where appropriate);
Some success in gaining external funding, where appropriate;
Contributions to national conferences;
Occasional contributions for international conferences;
Occasional PhD examining for other institutions;
Refereeing for national and international Journals.

4.3 Level 3:

Indicators may include evidence of:

Research reputation and recognition as an authority within their research specialisation;
Record of successful research supervision;
Regularly reviewing grant applications and acting as external examiner for PhDs at other institutions;
Invited speaker at international conferences;
Above average record of gaining research funding as measured by the norms of the discipline;
Developing new research areas including developing national and international collaborations;
Organising academic conferences;
Membership of editorial board of learned journals or book series.

4.4 Level 4

Indicators may incude evidence of:

The quality of the research output, and whether it is of international excellence;
The impact of key publications and the body of work as a whole on the field and whether the work is at the forefront of the field;
The influence of the work on the development of the field;
The volume of output, whether it is competitive and whether any significant gaps in the publication record can be explained;
Bibliometric information which is appropriate to the field in question;
The level of external funding and whether it is competitive within the field;
External esteem in terms of, for example, editorial work, involvement with learned societies, prizes and fellowships;
Invitations to give plenary or keynote lectures at national and international conferences;
The supervision of postgraduate research students;
Involvement in outreach and knowledge transfer.

5. Element - Leadership/Management/Wider Contribution

This covers a broad range of activities in the form of contributions made from an academic base to the University, the profession, the economy and the wider community. This must show demonstrable benefit to the University. Included could be work with external agencies, public service activity, third mission activities, work with voluntary organisations, generating positive publicity etc.

5.1 Level 1:

Indicators may include evidence of:

Departmental duties discharged effectively;
Involvement in departmental policy initiatives or course restructuring, e.g. through membership of departmental committees;
Involvement in recruitment (open days, promotional material).

5.2 Level 2:

As level 1 but, in addition, evidence may include:

Significant departmental responsibility (e.g. examinations officer, scheme co-ordinator, admissions, year tutor, timetable officer);
Significant contribution to activities at faculty level (e.g. sub-Dean);
Active and effective university office holder;
Initiative or innovation in administration processes;
Significant involvement in outreach events such as open days, school fares and careers events.

5.3 Level 3:

Indicators may include evidence of:

Effective and sustained management role at departmental (e.g. Director of Teaching, Director of Research), faculty level or University level;
Active and effective contribution to university management or policy formation;
Participation in wider professional activities e.g. office holder in national subject based organisations;
Effective management of colleagues, enhancing their personal and academic development;
Record of sustained success in income generation and/or business development that benefits the University;
Leadership in, or significant external engagement with, quality assurance issues.

5.4 Level 4

Performance at Level 4 would be assessed against key criteria drawn from descriptors utilising the three key areas of strategically focused leadership, business relationship management and achieving innovation & change.

Indicators of performance at this level would include for example:

Strategically focused leadership

Demonstrable leadership and management of a team at a senior level with examples of change management skills which have lead to significant organisational change.
Lead the review and assessment of the suitability of targets and objectives and the critical success factors that influence talent development, and the ability to deliver financial results, customer satisfaction, learning and growth, staff satisfaction and improvement within internal processes.
Lead in identifying targets, objectives and measurements for functional areas and across the institution to deliver workforce development, efficiency and quality improvement.
Sponsor and lead events and initiatives that promote the University culture.
Shape levels of expectation by explaining clearly what ‘good’ and ‘added value’ look like in the University at strategic level, and identify how to cascade this throughout the organisation.
Lead and identify workforce requirements necessary to achieve the organisations strategic objectives short, medium and long term.
Develop strategies that make the best use of talent from inside and outside the organisation, with adequate turnover and correct staffing mix to ensure the achievement of short, medium and long term goals.
Determine parameters for setting targets & objectives and agree critical success factors that apply broadly across the whole organisation.

Business relationship management

Identify key strategic partners and stakeholders, foster and develop relationships to facilitate external changes e.g. regeneration, community involvement.
Take a leading role to promote the institutions profile and reputation, nationally and internationally, by targeting specific working partnerships and relationships.
Identify and promote the critical success factors necessary to build long term and effective working relationships with external suppliers
Take responsibility for ensuring that the organisations vision, mission, values and ethical stance are communicated throughout the institution.
Ensure effective two way communication across the institution, identifying and managing access to requirements for strategic organisational information.
Identify objectives & targets and the critical success factors that frame the organisations approach to building external business relationships.
Identify, cascade and regularly evaluate critical success factors with regard to raising and maintaining the institutions profile and reputation, both nationally and internationally.

Achieving innovation & change

Map the environment in which the organisation operates and develop and implement (through others) a culture which allows the University to respond effectively and speedily to internal and external change.
Recognise achievement and success and encourage role models, mentors and workplace exchange schemes to provide greater opportunities to experiment for all staff.
Determine and promote the organisations vision, mission and values with regard to the successful pursuit of excellence, innovation and organisational change management.
Determine and communicate policy and influence expectations across the organisation to stimulate the energy and drive for innovation and success.
Recognise and endorse achievement and success and encourage role models for innovative and exemplary organisational behaviour.
Determine critical success factors for the development and implementation of new work processes and emerging technologies necessary to achieve the vision, mission and values and drive change across the organisation.