Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion for Candidates Level B

Parent Policy

Staff Development Policy

Preamble

Promotion at Monash University is based on merit following a thorough and fair process. The University is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in promotion and recognises that staff contribute to its vision and goals in diverse ways. The achievements of candidates for promotion are assessed relative to the particular circumstances of their career progression and the opportunities which have been available to them.

Candidates whom the dean resolves meet the criteria for promotion are to be promoted irrespective of considerations such as the increased cost of staffing.

The process for promotion to lecturer is administered exclusively within the faculty or, where the staff member is not located in a faculty, within the division. The process does not involve a promotion committee and may occur outside the normal promotion round for other levels.

This procedure applies to staff who:

• are appointed to undertake research, education and service activities;
• have a current performance development plan which complies with the requirements of the Performance Development Process: Academic Staff; and
• are seeking promotion to lecturer.

Academic staff appointed to undertake primarily research and research-related activities (‘research-only’ staff) should refer to the Staff Development Procedure - Research-Only Academic Staff - Advancement to a Higher Research Level

Definitions

CAPA: Committee for Academic Promotions and Appointments Levels B-D (CAPA). In accordance with the Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion Committees Levels C-E, CAPA is responsible for receiving and considering applications for academic promotion to lecturer, senior lecturer or associate professor from staff members not located in a faculty. Applications supported by CAPA are submitted to the University associate professor promotion committee for resolution. CAPA is chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education).

Dean: for purposes of brevity, where the dean is mentioned in this procedure, it also refers to the chairperson of CAPA.

Procedural irregularity: refers to where the University has not followed a process that is articulated in this procedure.

Head of Unit: The academic head of unit/school/department/centre or director or where applicable, a person acting as his or her nominee. If there are no heads of unit within the faculty, a deputy dean or equivalent may be delegated the head of unit’s responsibilities for the academic promotion process.

Eligibility for promotion

A successful application for promotion requires candidates to plan ahead as it takes time to assemble the case for promotion and supporting evidence and prepare the documents. A candidate must satisfy the dean that he or she has:

• been a sustained high performer at the present level of appointment; and
• has the capacity to perform satisfactorily at the level to which promotion is sought.

It may take several years to develop a track record of research, education and service which demonstrates that the above criteria are met. For this reason, candidates who are at the top salary step at the time of their application are more likely to be successful.

A candidate who moved to Monash may refer in her or his application to achievements at the previous university. The dean should take these achievements into account when considering whether the candidate has met both of the criteria.

Overview of Academic promotion process

1. Preparing for academic promotion

In approximately March, each faculty and campus will hold information sessions for prospective candidates.

It is highly recommended that candidates:

• attend the information sessions both in the year prior to applying and in the year that the application will be submitted; and
• discuss their proposed application with their performance development supervisor and head of unit.

If it is determined that the application is to proceed, candidates are required to complete their applications in accordance with this procedure.

2. Candidates complete application forms

The Academic Promotion Application Form Level B is available from the academic promotion website. It comprises three sections, namely:

• part 1 - candidate details, weightings, statement of ‘relevant circumstances’, and curriculum vitae;
• part 2 - the case for promotion – achievements in research, eduction and service; and
• part 3 – sign off (by head of unit, performance development supervisor and candidate).

Candidates applying for promotion to lecturer must:

• complete all relevant sections in parts 1 - 3 of the application form; and
• ensure that the completed application form is signed and submitted to the dean.

The dean will only accept applications that comply with the instructions on the application form.

Part 1 - Candidate details and weightings, statement of ‘relevant circumstances’ and curriculum vitae.

IA - Candidate details and weightings

Candidates must enter their work details including personnel number, classification level and current fraction. Candidates should contact HR Enquiries via phone (03) 9902 0400 if they need assistance in completing any of these details.

Candidates must allocate weightings to each of the categories of research, education and service within the parameters. The total weightings should add up to 100% and meet the minimum requirements for each category. Candidates must ensure that they have allocated a minimum weighting of:

• 30% each for the categories of ‘research’ and ‘education’; and
• 10% for the category of ‘service’.

However, the dean can choose to reduce the minimum weightings if it better reflects the agreed performance development plan of the candidate. The dean may reduce the weightings as follows:

• 20% each for the categories of ‘research’ and ‘education’; and
• 10% for the category of ‘service’.

All candidates should:

• consider the weighting of their case carefully and seek advice from their performance development supervisor and head of unit before finally determining the balance;
• chose weightings that strengthen their case in relation to achievements and reflect the assessments made annually as part of the Staff Development Procedures - Performance Development: Academic Staff;
• ensure that they provide a thorough description and supporting evidence of the relevant achievements in all areas of academic activity regardless of the weighting attached;
• make the final decision regarding the allocation of weightings; and
• be aware that the dean will focus on the quality and impact of achievement in the three areas of academic activity rather than the relative time spent on each.

IB - Relevant circumstances

Candidates should ensure that their application for promotion clearly specifies any relevant circumstances that may have impacted on any of the three areas of academic activity. Relevant circumstances may include:

• family responsibilities (for example child rearing, elder-care, illness of a partner or dependant);
• a temporary or permanent disability;
• relevant cultural expectations or circumstances;
• conditions of employment including access to authorised leave;
• limited access to university resources and facilities;
• issues relating to geographical distance, including the impact of travel requirements;
• a lack of opportunity to consult and collaborate with academic colleagues;
• working in a developing area with limited established research, education or supervision opportunities;
• a lack of access to government research funds; and/or
• limited opportunities to supervise Higher Degree by Research students.

Candidates who would like the dean to take into account relevant circumstances should:

• provide a separate brief statement in the relevant section of the promotion application form; and
• place particular emphasis on the impact that these circumstances have had on the candidate’s ability to achieve during the time period that is being considered in the application ie: since the last promotion or appointment.

For further information, refer to Supporting Materials: Suggestions for preparing relevant circumstances

IC - Curriculum Vitae

Candidates must provide a summary of their curriculum vitae in no more than three pages in length using the template provided.

Part 2 - The case for promotion – achievements in research, education and service

A candidate’s case for promotion must briefly include information about his or her activities in the three areas of activity – research, education and service. The case for promotion must provide evidence of the quality and impact of the achievements claimed and may include:

• a list of research outputs;
• research funding;
• research supervision;
• summary of teaching evaluations (MonQueST results); and
• summary of unit evaluations.

Candidates who provide summarised MonQuest and unit evaluations must provide the faculty promotion coordinator with a full set of the relevant MonQuest and unit evaluations at the time of submitting the application.

Candidates who moved to Monash from the same level of appointment or higher, and who have not since been promoted may include a representative spread of evaluations from that level of appointment at the previous university.

Candidates must:

• record research, education and service achievements in the cells and tables provided in Part 2 of the Academic Promotion Application Form Levels B;
• list publications in chronological order (starting with the most recent), numbered and cited appropriately, including all authors and journal page numbers, where applicable;
• provide clear evidence of their contribution to the publication when they are not the single author, for example by indicating their contribution with a percentage figure; and
• list their achievements and publications since their initial appointment to Monash University.

The dean will use this information to assess whether the candidate has met the criteria for promotion, taking into account the weighting allocated by the candidate for each of the areas.

Part 3 – Sign Off

The performance development supervisor and head of unit must indicate whether they agree that:

• the research, education and service weightings chosen by the candidate are appropriate; and
• there is a prima facie case for the application to be considered by the dean.

The performance development supervisor’s comments in the application must:

• refer to the staff member’s performance as documented in her or his performance development plan; and
• provide evidence that the staff member has met the criteria for promotion.

The head of unit must indicate the recommended date on which the promotion will take effect. The earliest date on which the promotion can take effect is the date on which the application was submitted to the dean, by the head of the unit.

The candidate must countersign this section of the application form to indicate that he or she has read the contents of the performance development supervisor’s comments and head of unit’s comments. Only when the candidate has countersigned the comments can the complete application be submitted to the dean for consideration.

The dean reviews the application

The dean will:

• assess the application and determine whether the candidate has met the criteria for promotion;
• consult with associate deans responsible for teaching and research regarding the candidate’s case for promotion; and
• inform the candidate and head of unit in writing of her or his decision within fourteen days of receipt of the application.

4. Candidates notified of outcome

If the dean has determined that the staff member is to be promoted to lecturer, he or she must prepare a covering memo confirming that the process outlined above has been undertaken. The memo, with a copy of the application including the comments prepared by the performance development supervisor and head of unit, together with the dean’s letter to the staff member, must be submitted to the Human Resources Division for processing.

A copy of the dean’s letter is also provided to the performance development supervisor and head of unit. In cases where the candidate is from a campus with a pro vice-chancellor, a copy is provided to the pro vice-chancellor in addition to the performance development supervisor and head of unit.

Unsuccessful applicants will be provided with written advice regarding the outcome of their application by the dean. The advice will outline the areas that need strengthening before a future application is lodged. It is suggested that the staff member uses this advice, in consultation with the performance development supervisor and head of unit, to guide the development of their performance development plan.

The dean will inform the staff member and head of unit in writing of her or his decision within fourteen days of receipt of the application.

Rehearing

Candidates not recommended for promotion may lodge an application for a rehearing on the basis that there has been a procedural irregularity resulting in material disadvantage. Candidates should seek the advice of the dean before lodging an application for a rehearing.

For further information on the rehearing process refer to the Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion Rehearing Process Levels B-E.

Responsibility

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education): responsible for educational activities and projects within the University including the oversight of the academic promotion process. As the chairperson of the University associate professor promotion committee and CAPA, the Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Education) is responsible for ensuring that the committee members carry out a fair, confidential and objective assessment of applications for promotion.

Dean: as the chairperson of the faculty promotion committee, the dean is responsible for ensuring that committee members carry out a fair, confidential and objective assessment of applications for promotion.

Head of Unit and Performance Development Supervisor: the candidate’s performance development supervisor and head of unit are required to each provide a report that forms part of the academic promotion application form. If there are no heads of unit within the faculty, a deputy dean or equivalent may be delegated the head of unit’s responsibilities for the academic promotion process.

Related procedures

• Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion Procedures for Candidates Levels C-E
• Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion Committees Levels C-E
• Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion Rehearing Process Levels B-E
• Performance Development Process: Academic Staff
• Staff Development Procedure - Research-Only Academic Staff - Advancement to a Higher Research Level
• Conduct and Compliance Procedure - Paid Outside Work

Related documents

• Academic Promotions
• Supporting Materials: Suggestions for preparing relevant circumstances
• Centre for Higher Education Quality
• Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching

Forms

• Academic Promotion Application Form: Levels B
• Performance Development Plan