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Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion Rehearing Process Levels B-E

Parent Policy

Staff Development policy

Preamble

Academic promotion candidates not recommended for promotion by the dean/pro vice-chancellor and president, the faculty/campus promotion committees or the University Professorial Committee may lodge an application for rehearing. The sole ground for lodging an application for a rehearing is that there has been a procedural irregularity resulting in a material disadvantage. A request for a rehearing which questions the decision not to promote based on the merit of the application does not constitute a procedural irregularity.

This procedure applies to candidates not recommended for promotion to:

  • lecturer (level B);
  • senior lecturer (level C);
  • associate professor (level D); and
  • professor (level E).

Definitions

Campus promotion coordinator: is a designated staff member from MUSC or MSA who has responsibility for coordinating the promotion process for levels B-D for the relevant campus.

Faculty promotion coordinator: is a HR Business Partner (or nominee) within the relevant HR Service Hub  who has responsibility for coordinating the promotion process for levels B-D within the faculty.

HR Business Partner: is a member of Monash HR who operates as a strategic partner responsible for providing a range of human resources services for an assigned Faculty or administrative Division. HR Business Partners are located within a HR Service Hub.

HR Service Hub: is the centre for human resources services and activities within a Faculty or Divisional Cluster.

MSA: Monash South Africa.

MUSC: Monash University Sunway Campus.

Procedural irregularity:  refers to where the University has not followed a process that is articulated in the Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion for Candidates Level B, Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion Committees Levels C-E; or Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion for Candidates Levels C-E.

Promotion committee: means the relevant committee constituted in accordance with the Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion Committees Levels C –E that is responsible for assessing and determining the promotion application.

University promotion coordinator: is a designated staff member within the Workforce Policy and Performance team in Monash HR who is responsible for coordinating the promotion process and providing secretarial support for the University Professorial Promotion Committee.

Initiating the rehearing process

Candidates must seek the advice of the chair of the relevant promotion committee, the dean/pro vice-chancellor and president, or both, before lodging an application for a rehearing.

Candidates who choose to lodge an application for a rehearing must submit it in writing,  within seven days of being notified of the decision to:

  • the Provost and Senior Vice-President for all applications except applications for promotion to professor, or
  • the Secretary to Council in the case of applications to professor.

The candidate must ensure that the written application includes:

  • a statement of the alleged procedural irregularity with an explanation of how the candidate has been materially disadvantaged;
  • sufficient evidence to enable the review panel to decide whether a prima facie case exists that the alleged procedural irregularity occurred; and
  • a copy of the outcome letter from the relevant chair. 

The rehearing process for promotion to level B lecturer/research fellow (including non-faculty based applications)

The Provost and Senior Vice-President will consider an application for rehearing for promotion to level B within fourteen days of receipt.

Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome by the Provost and Senior Vice-President within fourteen days of her or his decision.

If the Provost and Senior Vice-President is satisfied that a prima facie case exists, the application will then be referred to a sub-committee of the relevant faculty/campus senior lecturer promotion committee for consideration. The sub-committee of the relevant faculty/campus senior lecturer promotion committee will consist of the following individuals:

  • the chair of the faculty/campus senior lecturer promotion committee (usually the dean/pro vice-chancellor and president); and
  • three members from the faculty/campus senior lecturer promotion committee.

Where the application is referred to the senior lecturer promotion sub-committee, the committee will meet within twenty-one days of receiving notification from the Provost and Senior Vice-President.

Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of the meeting by the chair of the sub-committee within seven days of the review panel making its decision.

The rehearing process for promotion to senior lecturer/senior research fellow, associate professor and professor (including non-faculty based applications)

Applications for a rehearing are subjected to a two-stage process with an initial assessment undertaken by a review panel. If the review panel is satisfied that a prima facie case exists, the application will then be referred to the relevant promotion rehearing committee.

1. The review panel

The review panel will meet to consider an application within fourteen days of receipt and will comprise:

  • the Provost and Senior Vice-President, or nominee (chair);
  • a representative from the University professorial promotion committee, nominated by the Provost and Senior Vice-President; and
  • a representative at the level of professor nominated by the President, Academic Board.

The majority of the review panel will not have been members of the committee that dealt with the original application.

Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of the meeting by the chair of the review panel within seven days of the review panel making its decision.

Should the review panel decide that the grounds for a rehearing have been established, the decision will be referred to the promotion rehearing committee with a written report including the:

  • original application;
  • application for a rehearing, with its supporting evidence; and
  • review panel’s findings.

There will be no appeal beyond the decision regarding the outcome from the review panel.

2. The promotion rehearing committee

2.1 Faculty/campus senior lecturer/senior research fellow and associate professor promotion rehearing committees (including non-faculty based applications)

The faculty/campus promotion rehearing committee will meet within twenty-one days of receiving notification from the chair of the review panel. In the case of non-faculty based applications, the application will be considered by the faculty promotion rehearing committee of the faculty that originally assessed the candidate’s application for promotion.

The membership of the faculty promotion rehearing committee will include:

  • at least two-thirds of the members of the relevant faculty promotion committee, including the chair;
  • a representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President; and
  • a nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch.

A quorum for the faculty promotion rehearing committee is six members, comprising the chair, external member, at least one of the elected and one of the appointed members, the representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President and the nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch.

The membership of the campus promotion rehearing committee will include:

  • at least two-thirds of the members of the relevant campus promotion committee, including the chair; and
  • a representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President.

A quorum for the campus promotion rehearing committee is five members, comprising the chair, external member, at least two of the members, and the representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President.

The rehearing committee will consider the case, taking into account the facts of the procedural irregularity as found by the review panel and the extent of the material disadvantage to the candidate.

The chair will notify candidates in writing of the outcome within seven days of the committee making its decision.

2.2 University professorial promotion rehearing committee

The membership of the University rehearing committee will be:

  • at least two-thirds of the University Professorial Committee, including the chair;
  • a representative appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and President; and
  • a nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch (Australian-based campus applications only).

A quorum for the University promotion rehearing committee is six members, including at least one of the Vice-Chancellor and President, the Provost and Senior Vice-President, the external member of Council, or the representative appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and President. In addition, for Australian-based campus applications the nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch is also required for quorum.

The chair will notify candidates in writing of the outcome.

There will be no appeal beyond the decision regarding the outcome from a faculty, campus or university promotion rehearing committee.

2.3 Voting

Each voting member may cast one ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote. Abstentions are only allowable if a committee member has declared a conflict of interest. In this case, the chair will determine whether the conflict of interest can influence the outcome of the application and will request that the committee member abstains from the discussion of that applicant. If a committee member abstains from voting, this is to be noted by the promotion coordinator and any view will not be considered by the committee as a vote. A candidate will be promoted if a majority of those present and voting cast a ‘yes’ vote.

Responsibility

Committee members are responsible for:

  • carrying out a fair, confidential and objective assessment of applications for promotion and not act as advocates for candidates; and
  • ensuring the voting process is duly followed.

The chair is responsible for:

  • ensuring the committee has as close to equal gender representation as reasonably practicable, with a minimum of one-third representation of each; and
  • ensuring the committee carries out a fair, confidential and objective assessment.

Workforce Policy and Performance in Monash HR is responsible for:

  • providing a Workforce Policy and Performance representative to attend and provide procedural support for the review panel and rehearing committees;
  • providing full secretarial support for the review panel;
  • supporting the faculty/campus promotion coordinator to convene the faculty/campus promotion rehearing committee;
  • coordinating the University rehearing committee as the University promotion coordinator; and
  • preparing letters following any promotion rehearing committee meetings.

The faculty/campus promotion coordinator is responsible for:

  • providing assistance to Workforce Policy and Performance in Monash HR, as required; and
  • convening the faculty/campus promotion rehearing committee and distributing the relevant documents to committee members. 

Related Procedures

Related Documents

Version number: 4.2
Effective date: 27 February 2013
Procedure author: Director, Workplace Relations
Procedure owner: Executive Director Monash HR
Contact:
  • ask.Monash
  • or phone Human Resources on 990 20400