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Promotion for academic staff
Planning for promotion
Each year academic staff are invited to apply for promotion as outlined
in Chapter 4 of the
staff handbook
Some hints:
- Familiarise yourself in general terms with the criteria and the forms
of evidence you might collect (see criteria and
evidence for promotion).
- Use your PMS process as a way of ‘storing’ information
which will later inform an application for promotion.
- Place four drop folders in a handy filing cabinet, one each labelled
Teaching, Research, Leadership/ University Service, Professional and
Community Service. When you do something such as a talk for a local
school, get a letter thanking you, produce something of which you are
proud, get unsolicited feedback from a student, drop it or a note about
it into the relevant folder. Three years later you have often forgotten
the name of that student or local community group.
- When you are on a committee or working party, or carry out a significant
task (organise Open day, produce a revised approach to RPL, ghost write
a report) ask for feedback or comment from someone who would know (a
committee Chair, Associate Dean). Several years later they may have
disappeared or forgotten.
- Attend the Faculty's promotion information seminar, usually held in
April (see Faculty Calendar) a couple of years (or at least a year)
before the requested promotion.
- Prepare a mock application a year before you plan to apply, get advice
from your supervisor and other critical friends who would be likely
to know. Use it to identify your apparent ‘weak spots’ and
what additional information you will need.
Criteria and evidence for promotion
Candidates are required to establish a case that demonstrates sustained
achievement at the highest level of performance at the present level of
appointment. This case must also indicate the ability to undertake the
level of appointment for which they are making application. It is not
enough to be satisfactorily meeting the criteria at the current level
of appointment.
Teaching
Essentially this is:
- Effective teaching in subjects (campus based, distance, on-line,
award, short course)
- Effective supervision of honours and postgraduate theses, practica
or projects
- Consistency in meeting teaching related obligations and deadlines
- Conscientious work on out-of-class matters associated with teaching
- Efforts to improve own teaching
- Development of improved, new or exemplary curriculum and methods
- Innovation and/or leadership in teaching
- Scholarship in teaching
- Independent/external recognition of teaching expertise
- Enhancement of the teaching of others
Examples of evidence:
- Surveys of students in units you teach and comments about how you
have responded to feedback
- Data on completion rates and feedback from examiners reports
- Unsolicited notes from students*
- Testimonials from past students
- Evidence of student outcomes including awards, evaluations of work
and work products by external groups (professional associations, employers,
industry evaluators, reviews)
- Confidential peer reports from colleagues who have observed your teaching/your
contributions to student welfare/your contributions to the improvement
of your colleagues’ teaching, etc
- Confidential reports from independent academics who have reviewed
your teaching materials
- Awards and distinctions
*It is generally not appropriate to ask current students for references
or comments.
Research and scholarship
Essentially this is:
- Engagement as a researcher and/or professional scholar
- Outcomes: joint or sole authorship of publications, productions or
creative work
- Inputs: attraction of funds in the form of grants, contracts, sponsorships
- Research collaboration and/or leadership
- Impact of work in the field and reputation as a scholar
- Effective supervision of honours and postgraduate theses
- Leadership in research
Examples of evidence:
- An organised list of the public outcomes of your research, scholarship
and creative activity
- Evidence of research grants with clear explanations of your role in
gaining grants and tenders
- Invitations, awards, honours and other scholarly achievements
- Confidential peer reports from colleagues who have worked on collaborative
projects
- Confidential reports from highly regarded academics in your field
about the quality, significance and impact of your work
- Feedback from your students’ examiners reports, publications
and awards of students
Leadership and management
Essentially this is:
- Faculty maintenance such as involvement in enrolment, recruitment,
public relations, open days,
- Effective involvement in administration and management functions
- Enhancement of the educational environment for students
- Promotion of a supportive and productive environment for colleagues
- Outcomes from Faculty/University consultative and decision-making
processes
- Effective entrepreneurial work in the University's interest
- Policy formulation/leadership
Examples of evidence:
- A list of your activities and confirming/supporting statements from
others
- A list of the tasks you undertook/results you achieved in the execution
of a task or role
- Peer or collegiate statements about the impact of your contributions
- Feedback from students
- A statement from the Chair of a committee or working party about your
contributions to the outcomes of the group
- Documentation of extent of participation in extra curricular activities
including open days, graduation
Professional and community service
Essentially this is:
- Contribution to professional organisations or learned societies,
- Professional and industry links
- Known and well regarded community service related to the University’s
mission
- Contribution to community education, public policy and community issues
in the context of the University’s mission
Examples of evidence:
- A list of your activities and confirming/supporting statements from
others
- Unsolicited comments and feedback from members of the community
- Awards and distinctions
- Newspaper articles/media reports
- A statement from the Chair of a committee or working party about your
contributions to the outcomes of the group
- Confidential peer reports from independent professionals/members of
the public who have observed your contributions to the profession/community
Code of Practice for Faculty of Education Promotions Committees
Members of promotions committees within the Faculty of Education are
expected to adhere to the following principles:
- a committee member who works closely with, or is a friend of, an
applicant should speak last in the course of discussions
- potential conflicts of interest should be flagged
- comments of a personal nature should be avoided
- committee members cannot act as advocates for any candidate or themselves
bring additional information to the committee
- discussion should be restricted to matters relevant to the application
- applications should be read in full and preliminary judgements of
the worthiness of the case be made prior to coming to the meeting although
it is expected that views will often change in the course of discussion
- the applicant‘s case should not be discussed with others, including
members of the committee, prior to the meeting
- all matters discussed in committee should remain completely confidential
- committee members should not engage in discussions with candidates
about their application or the committee processes or conclusions, the
exception being the Chair of the committee and any Committee member
specifically charged to discuss an applicant’s case with him or
her
- if any member feels unable to comply with the above, s/he should
make this clear to the Committee prior to receiving applications, in
order that the issue may be dealt with.
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