Staff on the Professional Development Programme (PDP)
Introduction
Lecturers at the University of Exeter are initially appointed to a ‘Professional Development Programme’ (PDP) of up to five years and their appointment and progression to Senior Lecturer status will be confirmed upon successful completion of the programme.
Personal targets are agreed in line with the PDP Framework and represent the minimum level of performance which the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Dean of College will normally seek in relation to successful completion of probation.
New lecturers are assigned an Academic Lead (AL) to ensure that they receive the appropriate level of support to enable them to become fully effective in their role.
The Performance and Development Review (PDR) system is used to monitor progress and agree future actions.
This list below represents the core items which new academics need to be acquainted with. There is no expectation that the AL will be an ‘expert’ on these matters, in many cases they will simply need to signpost where advice and support can be found and ensure that best use is made of these opportunities.
(a) Induction
Starting a new job can be very disorientating particularly for International staff, the AL has an important role to play in helping the new member of staff adjust, navigate University systems and processes and help prioritise activities.
In the first few weeks attention should be drawn to the University’s on-line induction material.
(b) Professional Development Programme
The AL should ensure that the new member of staff is aware of these probation targets and through the PDR process is expected to help guide the new member of staff in the achievement of these targets.
Progress will be formally reviewed at year three and year five. Normally the Head of Discipline will ask the academic member of staff to produce a first draft of a report (with support from the AL) which summarises achievements against the PDP framework. The Head of Discipline will also ensure other relevant staff are consulted for instance the Director of Research and Education. The final report will be shared with the academic member of staff before it is considered by the DVC.
(c) Teaching Practice
Normally the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP) programme is mandatory for Lecturers (Education and Research) and is part of their probation. It is also strongly recommended for Lecturers (Education and Scholarship), and advised for any other staff members who have a role in the University which entails creating effective student learning. Check with Human Resources if you are in doubt about whether a colleague needs to complete this. The PCAP programme covers all areas of activity and professional values referred to in the Professional Standards Framework, and successful completion of the programme enables the colleague to become a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)
For teaching staff who already have at least three years’ experience of teaching in a UK university, there is also a direct entry route to HEA Fellowship: a short workshop runs at regular intervals, as part of the You Teach suite of sessions, to give advice on submitting an application.
(d) PhD Supervision
The Doctoral Supervision half-day workshop is mandatory for all those who are new to supervising research students. Even experienced colleagues arriving at the University can benefit from attending, because useful guidance is given regarding requirements specific to the University. All colleagues should be directed to the online Supervisor Handbook.
