Academic Promotions
- Academic Promotions (Higher Education) Policy
- Academic Promotion for Level B Only (Higher Education) Procedure
- Academic Promotion for Levels C, D and E (Higher Education) Procedure
- Academic Promotion for Levels C, D and E (Higher Education) Policy
- Forms
- Printable PDF Version
Document Currently Under Review
Current Status: Under Review - With Editor 30 January 2019
The purpose of the Academic Promotions (Higher Education) Policy is to recognise and reward individual merit and achievement by academic staff of the University.
Academic staff who have successfully completed their probationary period and who have completed at least one year's service at the date of call for applications are eligible to apply for promotion.
Applicants must have participated in the University's Performance Review and Development Program (or probationary period) during the 12 months prior to the closing date of applications and demonstrated at least satisfactory performance and professional development.
Academic staff who have applied unsuccessfully for promotion are eligible to apply in the year after an unsuccessful application, but are encouraged to discuss the timing of the next application with his/her Dean.
Casual and sessional academics are not eligible to apply for promotion.
Term | Definition |
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Academic Organisational Unit (AOU): | Academic staff of the University may be employed in variously named academic organisational units such as a School, Portfolio and Research Centre, and directorates/sections that undertake teaching and research functions as a primary objective. |
Academic Promotion: | Advancement to a higher academic level based on evidence that the applicant is performing satisfactorily at the higher academic level to which promotion is sought and that the applicant meets the levels of achievement required for promotion to the higher level. |
Achievement Relative to Opportunity: |
The University is committed to ensuring that the principles of equal opportunity are applied in relation to the promotion process through providing the opportunity for evaluation of an applicant's achievements relative to the opportunities available. The promotion process takes account of work arrangements that have not been consistently full-time by enabling staff to outline relevant personal circumstances and working arrangements, and their impact on career progression and performance. The consideration of ‘achievement relative to opportunity’ ensures that merit standards are being maintained and positively acknowledges what has been achieved given the actual opportunities available. Relevant personal circumstances or arrangements that might have resulted in limitations to opportunity can include:
Applicants need to make explicit the relationship between these relevant personal circumstances or arrangements and the relative impact on the opportunities available to them and their career progression and performance. Promotion committees will consider whether overall, and on balance, applicants holding, or having held, fractional appointments demonstrate an appropriate level of contribution and of the requisite quality, relative to the opportunities available to them. This aims to reduce the possibility of applicants being assessed against the norm of an uninterrupted full-time fraction where it does not apply. |
Application Types: |
Applicants may elect to apply for academic promotion using either a standard application or an intensive application. These two types of applications, together with levels of achievement per area of achievement assigned by the applicant, allow applicants to identify the emphasis of their activity and outcomes and to represent their achievements accordingly in order for these achievements to be evaluated and rewarded. In consultation with their respective Dean, applicants are responsible for electing to apply for academic promotion using either a standard application or an intensive application. Applicants are responsible for clearly indicating in the relevant section in the application template whether they are applying using a standard or an intensive application type. |
Application Type: Intensive: |
An intensive application will normally apply to academic staff with non-standard duties as described in their position description and which normally preclude them from submitting a standard application. An intensive application in Learning and Teaching or Leadership and Engagement does not normally apply to Academic Level A staff seeking promotion to Academic Level B. Applicants are responsible for clearly indicating that they are using an intensive application. An intensive application allows applicants to describe an intensive engagement with resulting increased achievements in one of the three areas of achievement, e.g.:
Applicants must indicate the area of achievement in which they are claiming intensive outcomes and achievements. The promotions committee will assess an intensive application based on the outcomes and achievements in the area of achievement indicated by the applicant. |
Application Type: Standard: | A standard application allows applicants to describe activity with outcomes and achievements across all three areas of achievement. Applicants are responsible for assigning levels of achievement for each area of achievement based on their assessment of outcomes and achievements in each area and in line with the level of promotion sought. |
Areas of Achievement: |
Three areas of achievement, reflecting the University’s Charter, provide a framework for describing achievements in applications. These are:
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Area of Achievement: Leadership and Engagement: |
Achievement in Leadership and Engagement will be demonstrated through internal and/or external activity, the achievement of outcomes and impact in relation to:
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Area of Achievement: Learning and Teaching: |
Achievement in Learning and Teaching will be demonstrated through:
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Area of Achievement: Research and Creativity: |
Achievement in Research and Creativity will be demonstrated through the scope, quality and impact of research and creative endeavour, determined by the nature of the individual contribution, and in relation to:
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Dean: | The Academic Promotions (Higher Education) Policy and Procedures refer generically to the Dean, the School being the main employer of academic staff who may seek promotion. This may also be taken to refer to Deputy Vice-Chancellor or Director of other academic organisational units (AOU) such as a Portfolio, a Research Centre and directorates/sections that undertake teaching and research functions as a primary objective and who employ academic staff who may seek promotion. |
Equivalent Accreditation and Standing: | An applicant who can demonstrate a case for promotion, but who does not hold the expected qualifications for their level and discipline as outlined in the relevant Academic Promotion Procedures and Generic Academic Profiles, may apply for equivalent accreditation and standing status prior to applying for promotion. Applicants who believe this category may apply to them should discuss this with their Dean and with reference to the Generic Academic Profiles. This status must be established separately from, and prior to, the applicant submitting an application for promotion. Refer to Equivalent Accreditation and Standing Status in this Procedure for action in this regard. |
Formal Qualifications: | The Academic Promotion Procedures and Generic Academic Profiles stipulate a requirement of a doctoral or a master's level degree or equivalent. An applicant without the required degree may make a case for equivalent accreditation and standing status prior to, and separately from, the promotion process. |
Generic Academic Profiles: | The Generic Academic Profiles are guidelines for achievements and expectations of an academic at each prescribed academic level, and include guidelines and expectations for standard and intensive applications. The profiles complement the Minimum Standards for Academic Levels. |
Level of Achievement: |
In the application documentation, the applicant must indicate the level of achievement being claimed in each area of achievement (Learning and Teaching; Research and Creativity; and Leadership and Engagement), according to the following criteria:
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Levels of Achievement Required at each Level of Promotion: |
Depending on the application type, the following levels of achievement are required for promotion at each level and according to the application type (Table A and B): |
Table A: Levels of Achievement required in Areas of Achievement for Promotion to relevant Academic Level – Standard Application: | ||||
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Levels of Achievement: | to Level B | to Level C | to Level D | to Level E |
Sustained Contribution | Across the three areas of achievement | At least in two areas of achievement | At least in one area of achievement | |
Meritorious Achievement | At least in one area of achievement | At least in one area of achievement | At least in one area of achievement | |
Outstanding Achievement | At least in one area of achievement | At least in one area of achievement | ||
Distinguished Achievement | At least in one area of achievement |
Table B: Level of Achievement required in Area of Achievement for Promotion to relevant Academic Level – Intensive Application: | ||||
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Levels of Achievement: | to Level B | to Level C | to Level D | to Level E |
Sustained Contribution | ||||
Meritorious Achievement | In intensive area of achievement | |||
Outstanding Achievement | In intensive area of achievement | |||
Distinguished Achievement | In intensive area of achievement | |||
Highly Distinguished Achievement | In intensive area of achievement |
Term | Definition |
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Minimum Standards for Academic Levels (MSALs): | The Minimum Standards for Academic Levels are a generic listing of standards and/or expectations of an academic at each level. For further information refer to the Union Collective Agreement. |
Performance Review and Development Program: |
The University's performance management process whereby:
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Procedural Observer: | The procedural observer is an NTEU nominated staff member. The role of the procedural observer is to provide feedback to the promotion committee on their application of and adherence to the Academic Promotions Procedures at the end of the committee meeting. The procedural observer has no voting rights on promotion committees. |
Professional Folio: | The application templates require the presentation of evidence in professional folios. This is a structured format for presentation of evidence of achievement in the three areas of achievement and provision of critically reflective comment on both the scope and quality of activity and achievement. |
Referee: |
For academic promotion purposes there are three types of referee:
A testimonial document does not represent a reference in the context of the Policy and Procedures. |
- The Academic Promotions (Higher Education) Policy is part of an integrated system of human resource management which aims to attract, retain, develop and motivate the people needed to achieve the University’s Charter. It complements and is complemented by the academic appointment processes, Performance Review and Development Program, and staff development programs and activities.
- The purpose of this Policy is to:
- foster the achievement of the University’s Charter by ensuring that individual activities and performance which are formally recognised and rewarded also contribute to the achievement of the strategic directions of the University and reinforce the principles and culture to which the University aspires;
- provide a career structure and development path for academic staff by describing a framework of three areas of achievement being Learning and Teaching, Research and Creativity, and Leadership and Engagement;
- ensure all academic staff are clear about the standards of performance expected at each academic level;
- provide a fair and equitable system that recognises and rewards sustained achievement;
- encourage, acknowledge and reward leadership and engagement in the University and in the community; and
- facilitate alignment between the reward for high achievement of individual academic staff and the School’s staffing structure, budget and strategic directions.
- Satisfactory performance at their current academic level is considered the norm for staff. To be promoted to a higher academic level, a staff member needs to demonstrate that they are performing satisfactorily at the higher academic level and meet the levels of achievement required for promotion to the higher level.
- Staff, in consultation with their Dean or Senior Discipline Leader, elect to apply using a standard or intensive application. An intensive application in Learning and Teaching or Leadership and Engagement does not normally apply to Academic Level A staff seeking promotion to Academic Level B.
- This Policy provides for Schools and other Academic Organisational Units to assess candidates seeking promotion from Level A to Level B with a committee chaired by the Dean and with University and school/academic organisational unit representation on the committee. Candidates seeking promotion to Level C will be assessed by a committee chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) with internal and external representation. Candidates seeking promotion to Levels D and E will be assessed by a committee chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) with internal and external representation.
- The implementation and outcomes of the Academic Promotions (Higher Education) Policy will support and be supported by the University’s Equal Opportunity and Valuing Diversity Policy through providing the opportunity for assessment of achievement relative to opportunity, with a candidate able to specify personal circumstances that might have resulted in limitations to opportunity to achieve.
- The Policy makes provision for applicants to present a case for promotion without the required formal qualifications. Equivalent accreditation and standing acknowledges the professional standing and recognition of expertise deemed to be equivalent to formal qualifications at any academic level as defined in the Minimum Standards for Academic Levels (MSALs) and the Generic Academic Profiles. Equivalent accreditation and standing status is achieved through a separate process from promotion.
- The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and the Director, Human Resources are responsible for ensuring compliance with the Policy and for ensuring that appropriate Procedures and other systems are in place where relevant.
- The Dean has specific responsibility for ensuring that appropriate Procedures and other systems are in place for compliance with the Academic Promotion for Level B Only (Higher Education) Procedure.
- The Director, Human Resources has specific responsibilities for the maintenance of the related Procedures.
The Academic Promotion Policy is to be implemented throughout the University community and will take the form of:
- An Announcement Notice under 'FedNews' on the University's website and through the University Policy - ‘Recently Approved Documents’ webpage to alert the University-wide community of the approved Policy;
- Inclusion on the University's online Policy Library;
- Information Sessions conducted by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Manager, Human Resources to Deans.