Guide to grading and progression/promotion for staff in the Teaching & Scholarship job family
Note: a Task and Finish Group is currently reviewing the progression and promotion arrangements on the grounds of excellence in Education and Scholarship. The Task and Finish Group will report its recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor's Executive Group (VCEG) at the beginning of the 2011/12 University year for wider consultation with Colleges. VCEG have agreed that, pending these changes, applications for promotion from staff in the Teaching & Scholarship job family will be deferred until the new arrangements are in place. |
UPDATE 22.12.11 - Please note that the process for promotion is currently being amended and will be available by the end of January 2012
First appointment
New appointments may be as Associate Teaching Fellow (grade E) or Teaching Fellow (grade F), subject to an assessment by the College of the requirements of the role. The expectations of staff at these levels are summarised in the role profiles for Associate Teaching Fellow and Teaching Fellow.
Progression to Grade F
There is no provision for the automatic progression of Associate Teaching Fellows (grade E) to Teaching Fellow (grade F), but there may be circumstances where it is appropriate for an Associate Teaching Fellows to progress to grade F. Promotion/progression to a higher grade is subject to: (a) the need for work at the higher level – ie the responsibilities of the role; and (b) the skills and competences of the roleholder.
The College Dean should assess whether the member of staff is ready for progression/promotion to a grade F role by reference to the Academic Role Profiles for staff in the Teaching and Scholarship Job Family. Heads are reminded that, under the agreement with the UCU, there is an expectation that staff fully meeting the role profile would be demonstrating an ability to perform at a higher level and they would be seeking promotion. This means that staff should be fully meeting the requirements of the grade E profile and demonstrating a potential to undertake a grade F role. It is not necessary for a member of staff to be undertaking all of the duties in the grade F role profile before they progress to that grade. Similarly, account should only be taken of the range of activities which the member of staff is expected to undertake in their role .
If the Dean is satisfied that they should submit a written case for progression/promotion to grade F to their HR Business Partner (using form PD127) for consideration by the Director of Human Resources. If the Director of Human Resources is satisfied that the member of staff should progress to grade F, the employee will be re-graded to grade F. Normally these decisions should be taken to be effective from 1 August; if the progression/promotion is approved mid-year it will be effective from the 1st of the following month.
Appointment at Grade F: Teaching Fellow
Progression to Grade G
There is no provision for the automatic progression of Teaching Fellows (grade F) to Senior Teaching Fellow (grade G), but there may be circumstances where it is appropriate for a Teaching Fellows to progress to grade G. Promotion/progression to a higher grade is subject to: (a) the need for work at the higher level – ie the responsibilities of the role; and (b) the skills and competences of the roleholder. The Teaching and Scholarship Career Path (TSCP) mirrors the performance measures of the Professional Development Programme for staff in grade F and acts as a gateway to progression/promotion to Senior Teaching Fellow (grade G).
The ‘Initial Milestone’ indicates the level which a full-time Teaching Fellow (grade F) will normally be expected to have achieved three years following appointment to the grade. The ‘Further Milestone’ indicates the performance levels which a Teaching Fellow (grade F) will be expected to have demonstrated through sustained performance over a number of years for promotion to the grade of Senior Teaching Fellow (grade G). A full-time Teaching Fellow (grade F) will normally be expected to have achieved these targets five years following appointment to the grade. A Teaching Fellow (grade F) must have achieved both the initial and the final milestones for consideration for promotion. Where permanent appointments were made, the milestones form a career path for promotion to Senior Teaching Fellow (grade G); for fixed term appointments the milestones show the criteria for promotion in the event that the appointment is extended.
The College Dean should assess whether the member of staff is ready for progression/promotion to a grade G role by reference to the Academic Role Profiles for staff in the Teaching and Scholarship Job Family and the Teaching and Scholarship Career Path. Deans are reminded that, under the agreement with the UCU, there is an expectation that staff fully meeting the role profile would be demonstrating an ability to perform at a higher level and they would be seeking promotion. This means that staff should be fully meeting the requirements of the grade F profile and demonstrating a potential to undertake a grade G role. It is not necessary for a member of staff to be undertaking all of the duties in the grade G role profile before they progress to that grade. Similarly, account should only be taken of the range of activities which the member of staff is expected to undertake in their role.
If the Dean is satisfied that they should submit a written case for progression/promotion to grade G to their HR Business Partner (using form PD127) for consideration by the line manager Deputy Vice-Chancellor. If the DVC is satisfied that the member of staff should progress to grade G, the employee will be re-graded to grade G and be re-titled Senior Teaching Fellow. Normally these decisions should be taken to be effective from 1 August; if the progression/promotion is approved mid-year it will be effective from the 1st of the following month.
Appointment at Grade G
Exceptionally, an appointment may be made at Senior Teaching Fellow (grade G) level (subject to funding approval via the SR1 process and the approval of the line manager Deputy Vice-Chancellor) provided the preferred candidate has satisfied the requirements of the Teaching and Scholarship Career Path.
Appeals
Employees in grades E and F may make an individual application for progression/promotion to their College Dean, to be considered in accordance with the procedures outlined in the grading/progression sections above for Associate Teaching Fellows and Teaching Fellows. Where an individual application for progression/promotion is not supported following the application of these procedures, the employee may appeal. The appeal will be considered by a panel nominated by the University, normally comprising the Director of Teaching (or equivalent) for the employee’s own College and two Directors of Teaching from other Colleges.
Progression to Grade H
See the section on Associate Professors Grading/progression for further details of the arrangements for progression/promotion to Associate Professor (grade H) and for making new appointments at this grade.
