COUNCIL

Subject: Promotion to Senior Lecturer – Research Route (Engineering Faculty)

Origin: Human Resources Committee

The Engineering Faculty Directorate proposes amendments to its criteria for Promotion to Senior Lecturer by the Research Route, and that these should be introduced in stages in the years 2005, 2008 and 2010.

The proposed revised criteria are shown in the attached document.

The Faculty also intends to review its criteria for promotion by the Teaching route in due course.

Council is asked to note that the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities are also reviewing their promotion criteria at Directorate level. This is a commitment made to HEFCE in HR2.

The Human Resources Committee recommends for approval the introduction of the 2005 criteria in the Faculty of Engineering but has postponed a decision on the years 2008 and 2010, pending consideration at its next meeting of any changes to criteria proposed by the other two Faculties.

Authors: Mary Thomas

Date: November 2004

Current Guidelines (2004)

Engineering Faculty : Promotion to Senior Lecturer

Guidelines for Promotion Submissions made with Departmental Support (not for self-submission)

It is important that the following criteria are seen as guidelines towards a minimum standard set for promotion to Senior Lecturer within the Faculty.

Although there are separate sections below in respect of the different routes for promotion (the Teaching and Research routes), candidates seeking promotion under either route will be expected to make an appropriate contribution to the administrative work of their Department.

The Faculty Directorate has agreed that there should be a degree of flexibility in applying the Guidelines and that, in particular, a candidate's achievements in one area may be set off against deficiencies in others.  In addition, it is recognised that the application of the normal criteria may disadvantage staff appointed from industry having no recent or any previous academic experience who are nevertheless contributing significantly to the work of the Faculty.  The Faculty Directorate has agreed that the Dean should accordingly be permitted to put forward cases for the promotion of such staff on an exceptional basis.  The impact of career breaks is also taken into account when the profile of individual cases is being considered.

1.    Research Route

The Faculty will seek to establish that a sustained contribution to research has been made and is continuing.  In this respect performance indicators would be judged over a 5 to 10 year period where possible.

Performance indicators would be:

(i)    A total of typically 10 academic journal papers published and a publication rate in excess of one academic journal paper per year.  The journal papers must be considered top quality as judged by peers/colleagues in the same research area.

(ii)    At least two PhD students successfully supervised and evidence of PhD students being graduated on a consistent basis at typically two in a four-year period.  (Research Assistants registered part-time for PhD counts as full-time in this respect).

(iii)    Investigator on an at least one major contract with external funding and evidence of a continued application rate of one grant/contract application per year.  The grants and contracts should reflect a sustained award value of typically £50K pa.

(iv)    Evidence of activity at least at national level through conference attendance and publication of papers in refereed conference proceedings.  Invitations to give keynote presentations, chairmanship of conference sessions etc.

(v)    Clear evidence of potential for growth in a research area as defined by the candidate and described in the case.

(vi)   The teaching of candidates for promotion to Senior Lecturer by the "R" route should be judged at least satisfactory by the QAU.

Author: Eng Directorate/Mary Thomas

Date: May 2003