Academic promotion criteria

Academic citizenship

Contents

Introduction

Academic citizenship covers activities additional to ‘normal’ teaching and research.

It encompasses a broad range of externally and internally focused contributions and is defined as engagement with those elements of university life that enable the smooth and collegial operation of the institution.

While due account will be taken of the different requirements of specialist contracts, all members of staff are expected to demonstrate good citizenship, the norm for which will include such areas as:

  • attendance at and informed contribution to committees and staff meetings;
  • attention to deadlines (whether for marking or for research applications or for consultations);
  • where included in role, assiduous performance of duties as personal supervisor to students and mentor to junior staff;
  • involvement in positive promotion of the University through public engagement activities and/or open days;
  • effective representation of colleagues, for example as trade union representative;
  • willingness to volunteer for one-off duties.

Internally, this includes:

  • taking responsibility for significant managerial and administrative roles and performing these successfully;
  • support of the University’s commitment to equality and diversity;

and where appropriate to the role:

  • an excellent record in pastoral and co-curricular work with students;
  • support for student recruitment activities;

It also includes building a profile of external engagement activities of which the following provides an indicative list:

  • industrial or professional liaison;
  • policy formation at national and international levels;
  • knowledge exchange;
  • engagement with non-specialist public and community audiences through public lectures and activities;
  • contribution to the management and leadership of regional, national and international organisations, such as learned societies and professional associations;
  • relevant public service activity and/or work with voluntary organisations to the benefit of the University (e.g. through serving on the board of a school or college, or a charity which has links with the University);
  • regional reputation enhancement (e.g. with partners or small & medium-sized enterprises)
  • building international partnerships, promoting inter-cultural understanding and advancing the University’s internationalisation strategy.

These activities must show demonstrable benefit to the University. Claims must be supported by reliable evidence at every level which demonstrates effectiveness, scale, quality, impact and importance of achievements.  Appropriate quantitative indicators will be valuable.

Where an applicant cites leadership roles they are currently undertaking, they are expected to demonstrate the contributions and successes they have already achieved and not merely to highlight roles they are about to or have very recently assumed.

Level 1

The applicant should indicate the process involved in initiating, managing and bringing to a successful conclusion the indicator involved. Sustained performance over a minimum period of 2-3 years will be expected. Performance at this level means competence in key aspects of academic citizenship as indicated by:

  • effective discharge of departmental/interdisciplinary responsibilities, eg engaged and effective participation in departmental/inter-disciplinary administrative activities and committees;
  • active involvement in formal departmental general activities, eg open days, student support, student employability, staff meetings, relevant committees;
  • representation of the department's/inter-disciplinary grouping’s activities with other audiences;
  • involvement in departmental/interdisciplinary policy initiatives or course re-structuring proposals;
  • the beginnings of an external engagement profile;
  • effective pastoral and co-curricular work with students (where appropriate to the role).

Level 2

Applicants for promotion claiming performance at Level 2 should be fulfilling the criteria for Level 1 and, in addition, should demonstrate:

  • effective discharge of significant responsibility in a department/inter-disciplinary centre* or in the wider University;
  • evidence of an effective contribution to the department and University by balancing their academic citizenship activities (both internal and external) with their academic work
  • an established external engagement profile.

Supporting indicators at Level 2

Other supporting indicators that would strengthen the case include:

  • effective contribution to University level committees or projects;
  • effective contribution to committee(s) above departmental/inter-disciplinary programme level;
  • evidence of a leading role in engaging with non-specialist audiences (e.g. through contributions to cultural enrichment or science outreach events beyond the University’s own initiatives);
  • evidence of setting up, developing and sustaining new relationships with client organisations or other Universities and/or an established reputation and acknowledged expertise with senior managers in client organisations and/or professional associations;
  • serving as an officer of a national or international learned society;
  • active and effective contribution to departmental/interdisciplinary programme management, policy formation and strategic development;
  • successful initiatives or innovations in administrative processes, or departmental/interdisciplinary responsibilities;
  • evidence of active engagement with our international partners;
  • active and effective contribution to mentoring students, for example through the college system;
  • active and effective contribution to promoting the equality and diversity agenda, internally or externally.

*NB: Once they are performing at Level 2 in Academic Citizenship, applicants for promotion to Professor would need to have the confidence of the University that they could take on a major managerial / leadership role. While performing at Level 2, therefore, they might successfully discharge a role with significant responsibilities, such as Chair of the Board of Studies.

Level 3

Although Level 3 is not explicitly required for promotion to any of the academic grades, it is included here as an indicator of what would normally be expected of a Professor.

Performance at Level 3 (Academic Citizenship) will be expected of applicants for promotion to professorial bands 2 and 3 and would include most of the following:

  • active and effective contribution to departmental, interdisciplinary, faculty and University management, policy formation and strategic development;
  • successful performance in a major departmental/inter-disciplinary programme administrative role (e.g. Head of Department, Chair of Board of Studies, Chair of Teaching Committee / Director of Teaching & Learning, Chair of Research Committee / Director of Research);
  • evidence of outstanding management and leadership qualities;
  • effective management of colleagues and facilitation of their academic and personal development;
  • leadership in securing productive partnerships with business, public sector bodies, research funders, policy makers or other users of our research and teaching expertise;
  • a record of sustained success in business generation, for instance securing new or repeat business;
  • leadership of sustainable academic networks with other higher education and/or further education institutions which bring benefit to the University;
  • evidence of a leadership role in initiating, developing and/or sustaining public and community engagement to the benefit of the University;
  • leadership of an aspect of the equality and diversity agenda, either within the University or externally;
  • service as a member of a national or international funding body.