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Promotion - Academic Promotion Procedures

This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.

Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) Nil.

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Section 2 - Definitions

(2) Nil.

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Section 3 - Policy Statement

(3) Nil.

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Section 4 - Procedures

Part A - Application Method

(4) The Vice-Chancellor and President will invite applications for promotion annually at least two months in advance of the closing date for applications. This invitation will include a timetable for completion of the promotion process.

(5) Works accepted for publication but not published before the closing date for applications may be included in the publications list if they are marked as such. Applicants are required to demonstrate the quality and significance of any such publications and evidence of acceptance by the journal or publisher will need to be provided to the relevant Dean or Research Institute Director for endorsement and submission to the Promotions Coordinator four (4) weeks before the Promotions Committee meets.

(6) Where appropriate, the application should include citation data from the relevant citation index for each publication, excluding self-citations. It is acknowledged that citations will only be supplied where they are routinely available.

(7) The applicant must provide evidence of information in the application (e.g. publications, research grants, consultancies etc.) to the Dean or Director, who must verify that the evidence has been sighted. This information must be provided at the time of submitting the application to the Dean or Director.

(8) Applicants who are applying for promotion from Level A to Level B, Level B to level C and Level C to Level D must nominate up to five works in their publications list that they regard as the most significant and explain their significance.

(9) Applicants who are applying for promotion from Level D to Level E, for fields of "distinguished" activity, the template includes provision for a short comment about the five best, or most significant, publications, or, where appropriate, about major achievements or other outputs, one in each field.

(10) Applicants who are applying for promotion to Level D or Level E, three (3) copies each of these five cited works must be provided to the Promotions Coordinator within one week of submitting the application.

(11) Applicants must clearly state the percentage of their contribution to publications, must include the number of pages in books, the page numbers of articles or chapters in books and must use the referencing system recognised as appropriate in their discipline. Publications in alternative media should include an explanation of their content and significance.

(12) Applications must be made on the template provided, which consists of a cover sheet (including personal details, academic qualifications and employment history), the written case for promotion, which should not exceed 4,000 words (including tables) for Levels B, C & D and 6,000 words (including tables) for level E Applicants, and evidence of achievements, including;

  1. details of qualifications,
  2. appointments,
  3. publications, which should be listed under the standard HERDC categories,
  4. grants,
  5. courses and units developed and taught,
  6. supervision of research students and major student projects,
  7. scholarly activities,
  8. committee membership/s, leadership roles and community engagement, in tabular form.

(13) Applicants are required to address all the requirements for promotion as outlined in both the Requirements for Promotion and the Criteria for Promotion of the relevant promotion policy, (i.e. all three fields of attainment), except where not applicable, in which case, the requirements for promotion outlined in the relevant policy will apply; paying particular attention to the relevant general standard and descriptors contained in Appendix 1, Appendix 2 and the Expanded Descriptors document (see Associated Information).

(14) Although applicants may refer to achievements across the criteria, they must ensure that they do not duplicate their case in more than one criterion.

(15) Applications should include a complete list of achievements, publications, etc. Each application will be assessed on an all-of-career basis, taking account of the candidate's career trajectory, with an emphasis on the achievements (grants, supervision, publications, etc.) in the last five years and/or since the last promotion and/or since appointment.

(16) Guidelines, tips and various other resources are available at the academic promotion website to assist in completing the application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the guidelines and other resources and to provide evidence of their claims when preparing their application for promotion.

(17) Applicants for Levels B, C & D are required to specify for each promotion criterion whether their level of attainment is to be considered by the Promotions Committee as outstanding, meritorious or satisfactory. Definitions of these terms can be found in Appendix 1.

(18) Applicants for Level E are required to specify for each promotion criterion whether their level of attainment is to be considered by the Promotions Committee as distinguished or meritorious. Definitions of these terms can be found in Appendix 2.

(19) Applicants are invited to provide a brief personal statement on any relevant personal considerations of significance, that have occurred either during the last three years before the application for promotion is being considered or since the last promotion (but no more than three years), that will facilitate an assessment of their achievements relative to opportunity relevant to their application. Relevant personal circumstances or arrangements can include:

  1. family responsibilities (for example primary carer for children, elder-care, illness of a partner or dependant);
  2. a temporary or permanent disability (for example a visual impairment or mental illness);
  3. relevant cultural expectations or circumstances (for example some cultures don't support educating women);
  4. periods of part-time work (for example returning to work after the birth of a child); and / or
  5. absences due to ill-health or injury (for example recovering from a major operation).
Candidates are not required to describe specific details about sensitive issues such as a medical illness.

(20) Applicants may provide a one page supplementary statement where relevant information which was not available at the date of the close of applications subsequently becomes available. Supplementary statements must be provided to the Promotions Coordinator no later than four (4) weeks prior to the scheduled Promotions Committee meeting.

(21) All material cited in the application must be available to the Committee if requested.

Part B - Submission of Applications

(22) Applicants are required to submit an electronic Microsoft Word version of the application to the Promotions Coordinator (email: promotions@uws.edu.au) by the closing date specified in the notice calling for applications. At the same time, applicants should also submit a copy of his or her application to his or her Dean or Research Institute Director (if not located in a School) and Academic Supervisor. Applicants must provide evidence of their publications, research grants and consultancies etc. referred to in the application to the Dean/Director for sighting at the time of submitting their application.

(23) Applicants and Deans/Directors should meet to discuss applications before they are submitted. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to seek guidance from their Academic Supervisor.

(24) All applications for promotion will be acknowledged by the Promotions Coordinator within one week of receipt of the application.

(25) The Promotions Coordinator will request a recommendation report from the relevant Dean or Director within seven working days of the closing date for applications. The Report is to be completed by the Dean or Director in consultation with the Academic Supervisor. The recommendation must be co-signed by the Academic Supervisor and submitted to the Promotions Coordinator on the required template within 21 calendar days of the request. The template contains provision for addition or qualification by the Academic Supervisor.

(26) Prior to submission of the recommendation report, the Dean or Director and Academic Supervisor are required to read the application in full. On completion of the recommendation report, the Dean or Director must submit the report to the Promotions Coordinator, who will in turn send this out to the applicant for their feedback if they wish to provide it.

(27) If an applicant disagrees with any aspect of the Dean's or Director's recommendation report, he or she has a right of reply. The applicant must send a response (no more than one page) to the Promotions Coordinator within seven working days of the receipt of the copy of the Dean's or Director's report. The Promotions Coordinator must end a copy of the response to the Dean or Director for their consideration. The relevant Dean or Director may not delegate the submission of a recommendation report.

(28) Once the Promotions Committee has met, an applicant cannot normally withdraw his or her application except in the following circumstances:

  1. if the applicant has accepted an offer of redundancy, a position in another institution, or has resigned from the University.

Part C - Referees

(29) Applicants are required to provide the names, addresses (email and postal) of three referees who may be consulted about the applicant's suitability in terms of the criteria for promotion. Specifically:

  1. Applicants for Promotion to Lecturer are normally expected to nominate at least one (out of the three required) referee external to the University from within the applicant's field of expertise.
  2. Applicants for Promotion to Senior Lecturer are normally expected to nominate two referees (external to UWS) of at least national standing from within the applicant's field of expertise and one internal referee who holds a position of Senior Lecturer or above at the University.
  3. Applicants for Promotion to Associate Professor are normally expected to nominate two referees of international standing from within the applicant's field of expertise and one who would be an internal referee who holds a position of Associate Professor or above at the University.
  4. Applicants for Promotion to Professor are normally expected to nominate two referees external to the University and, except where referees of international standing are unobtainable or not relevant because of the nature of the applicant's work, of international standing. At least one referee must be internal to the University

(30) All referees' reports will be requested by the Promotions Coordinator immediately following receipt of applications. Applicants should try to avoid nominating members of the Promotions Committee as referees.

(31) While applicants may provide their nominated referees with relevant supporting documentation the University will make the formal request for written reports from the nominated referees and provide those referees with copies of the application for promotion.

(32) Referee reports are confidential and will not be forwarded to the applicant at any stage of the process nor after the outcome of the application is known.

Part D - Independent Assessors - for Associate Professor and Professor Applicants Only

(33) The relevant Dean or Director and the Academic Supervisor will confer, without reference to the applicant, to nominate a panel of ten experts to act as independent assessors. The independent assessors must be experts within the relevant discipline at full professorial level and with a significant publication level, or if this is not appropriate they should be readily identified as distinguished industry leaders. The list of independent assessors must be completed within one week of receiving the applicant's application and forwarded to the promotions coordinator.

(34) The Chair, Promotions Committee will evaluate those listed to determine their suitability or otherwise and submit the approved list to the Promotion Coordinator who will invite three of the nominees to assess the various works. The selected assessors will review the significant works nominated by the applicant, in addition to providing information on the standing of the applicant in their particular discipline.

(35) Independent assessors and their reports are confidential and will not be forwarded to the applicant at any stage of the process nor after the outcome of the application is known. The identity of the nominated independent assessors is to be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

(36) The applicant may inform the relevant Dean or Director, via their application, of those people whom the applicant would not wish the University to approach. Applicants electing to exercise this option will be required to provide a written case to justify any such request.

Part E - Determination and Notification

(37) Each Committee has the right to recommend promotion or not, without interviewing applicants, and interviews are not normally held. If the Committee does decide to interview the applicant it will communicate in writing to the applicant those aspects of the application that it wishes to clarify. Interviews are to seek further clarification on certain aspects of the application and new information or material may not be presented.

(38) Applicants must not contact a member of a Promotions Committee to discuss their application, except to receive official feedback from the Chair or nominee after results have been notified.

(39) Recommendations of the Promotions Committee to the Vice-Chancellor and President to promote must be supported by a minimum of the full complement of the Committee members excluding the Chair, less two members.

(40) Having considered the recommendations of the Promotions Committee, the Vice-Chancellor and President will determine which applicants are to be promoted.

(41) Each applicant will be notified in writing of the outcome of his or her application within 14 working days of the Vice-Chancellor and President's decision. Written notifications will indicate the Committee's assessment of each of the Fields of Attainment (per the relevant Criteria for Promotion)

(42) All successful applicants will be promoted with effect from 1 January of the year following application, unless the Vice-Chancellor and Presidentdetermines an earlier date for all successful applicants.

(43) At the completion of the annual promotions process, the Vice-Chancellor and President will report to the Academic Senate about the following:

  1. the number of applicants in the round;
  2. the number of promotions approved (with breakdown by gender);
  3. information of the timing of the promotions round;
  4. the names (and positions held) of the members of the Promotions Committee;
  5. names of successful applicants and their level of promotion; and
  6. the number of appeals and outcomes.

Part F - Promotion Committees

(44) The composition of the Promotions Committee will have regard to gender balance, in accordance with University policy, and disciplinary balance. While the Committees should be broadly- based, there is no requirement that all disciplines are represented. The Director, Equity and Diversity may provide advice on the composition of the Committee.

(45) The Promotions Committee to consider applications for promotion from Level A to Level B and from Level B to Level C will be cluster based. There will be two clusters - Arts and Business, and Health and Science. (refer to Appendix 3)

(46) Applicants to Levels B and C from academic staff not located in a School will be considered by the Promotions Committee deemed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Research and Development to be the most appropriate.

(47) Membership of each Lecturer and Senior Lecturer (Level B & Level C) Promotions Committee will comprise at least:

  1. a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, as appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and President, (Chair);
  2. an Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) as nominated by the appropriate Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
  3. Chair, Academic Senate, or nominee;
  4. two academic staff members (at Level C or above) of the relevant cluster, nominated by the Chair;
  5. two academic staff members (at Level C or above) nominated by the Vice-Chancellor and President, one of whom should be from one of the other clusters; and
  6. one academic staff member at Level C or above elected by the academic staff members of the relevant cluster.

(48) Membership of the Associate Professor (Level D) Promotions Committee will comprise at least:

  1. a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, as appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and President, (Chair);
  2. the Chair, Academic Senate;
  3. the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Academic; Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Research and Development and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Strategy and Performance. Note: relevant position deleted dependant on Chair selection;
  4. three members of the academic staff at Level D or above nominated by the Vice-Chancellor and President; and
  5. one external member at Level D or above appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and President.

(49) Membership of the Professor (Level E) Promotions Committee will comprise at least:

  1. The Vice-Chancellor and President (Chair);
  2. the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Academic;
  3. the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Research and Development;
  4. the Chair, Academic Senate;
  5. three members of the academic staff at Level E nominated by the Vice-Chancellor and President;
  6. two external members of Level E or above appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and President.

(50) Where a member of the Promotions Committee is also a Dean or Director, or an Academic Supervisor of any of the applicants they must remove themselves from the discussion relating to those candidates' applications.

(51) The Director, Equity and Diversity may be invited to be in attendance, as a non-voting observer. If the Director has any concerns regarding procedural matters in a Committee session, it is expected that he or she will normally raise them with the Chair of the Committee either during the session or, in a written report, immediately afterwards.

(52) Members of the academic staff appointed or elected to a Promotions Committee, will normally serve as members of the Committee for a period of two years and are eligible for re-appointment or re-election.

(53) All members are expected to be present for meetings of the Promotions Committees. The Vice-Chancellor and President will nominate an appropriate replacement if a committee member is unable to attend or continue to serve once the consideration of applications has commenced (e.g., owing to illness or other unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances).

(54) The Promotions Coordinator will ensure that the Committee members have received appropriate orientation in the procedures and practices of the promotions process.

(55) Each Promotions Committee will provide a written report to the Vice-Chancellor and President, clearly recommending for promotion applicants who are successful in meeting the promotion criteria and identifying applicants who do not meet the criteria.

Part G - Appeals

(56) Unsuccessful applicants for promotion who believe that they have been treated unfairly owing to a defect in the process followed during the promotion round, and who consider that defect has materially affected the decision of the Promotions Committee, may lodge a formal appeal. The grounds of any such appeal are limited to:

  1. failure by the Promotions Committee to comply with the procedural requirements of the Policy; and/or
  2. failure to observe the requirements of procedural fairness during the Committee process.

(57) Any such appeal must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director, People and Culture within 20 working days of receiving the outcome notification, specifying the procedural grounds on which the appeal is made per the above clause.

(58) Appeals must refer to the Promotions process and cannot be based on advice received after notification of the result.

(59) A Promotions Appeals Committee will be established on a triennial basis to consider appeals from all levels, including Level E (Professorial).

(60) The Promotions Appeals Committee will consist of three members, approved by the Vice-Chancellor and President, being:

  1. an independent Chairperson, with appropriate knowledge of procedural fairness and administrative justice, nominated by the Vice-Chancellor and President;
  2. a staff member nominated by the Vice-Chancellor and President; and
  3. a staff member nominated by the Academic Senate.

(61) Any person, including staff, involved in any part of the decision-making process regarding an appellant's application should not be member of the Promotions Appeals Committee.

(62) In the case of the staff members of the Promotions Appeals Committee, the nominees will be UWS staff members, classified as full-time (being half-time or greater), who have accepted and entered upon duty in a position with a duration of one year or more.

(63) Each appellant is to be notified of the membership of the Committee and be given the opportunity to present a case for the consideration of the Vice-Chancellor and President, where there is any perceived conflict of interest. Any case claiming perceived conflict of interest is to be made to the Vice-Chancellor and President via the Promotion Coordinator within 5 working days of notification of the committee composition.

(64) Members of the Committee are entitled to examine all documents relevant to the appeal under consideration, including referees' reports and independent assessor reports that have been submitted in confidence to the University. The deliberations of the Committee are confidential. Control of documents available to the Committee is the responsibility of the Committee Secretary.

(65) The Chair, Promotions Committee may be required to present an oral statement to the Promotions Appeals Committee.

(66) The Chair of a Promotions Committee shall not receive or consider the Report of any Appeals Committee unless the appeal is upheld. All proceedings of the Promotions Appeals Committee shall be conducted in the strictest confidence.

(67) The Promotions Appeals Committee will then advise the Vice-Chancellor and President via a formal written report of their recommendation to uphold or reject the appeal. The appellant will be notified of the decision of the Vice-Chancellor and President to uphold or reject the appeal within 5 working days of the decision being made.

(68) In the event of a successful appeal, the Chair of the Appeals Committee will furnish an account of the reasons for upholding the appeal to the Chair of the original Promotions Committee. The original Promotions Committee will then reconvene (as far as practicable) to reassess the application for promotion while taking every care to avoid the procedural issue that led to the successful appeal. The outcome will be forwarded to the Vice-Chancellor and President for approval. The applicant will be advised of the outcome of the reconsideration of their application within 5 working days of the Vice-Chancellor and President's decision. Following this decision, there is no further avenue for appeal open.

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(69) Refer to the following documents attached as associated information:

  1. Promotion to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor Expanded Descriptors
  2. Promotion to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor Appendix 1
  3. Promotion to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor Application Guidelines
  4. Promotion to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor Application Template
  5. Promotion to Professor Policy Appendix 2
  6. Cluster Grouping for Promotion Committees Appendix 3
  7. Promotion to Professor Application Guidelines
  8. Promotion to Professor Application Template