Policy

Confirmation and Promotions (Academic Staff) - Policy

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1.0    Purpose and Scope

The University of Queensland (UQ or the University) is committed to ensuring a robust career and performance development approach exists for academic staff which provides a foundation for the achievement of academic excellence.

This policy identifies the underpinning principles of the academic confirmation and promotions process that demonstrate academic staff have met the expectations of academic excellence for the relevant academic level and category as detailed in the criteria for academic performance.

1.1    Scope

1.1.1    Confirmation

This policy applies to all academic staff employed on a continuing basis who are subject to a three-year probation period.

1.1.2    Promotion

This policy applies to all academic staff applying for promotion: all academic levels and categories; conjoint staff and academic secondees where UQ is the lead employer; and health professional academic title holders (non-clinical pathway).

2.0    Principles and Key Requirements

The University is committed to academic confirmation and promotion process principles which:

  1. Support the University’s objectives with regard to excellence of academic contribution.

  2. Acknowledge the University’s commitment to providing an equal opportunity environment, incorporating the principles of performance relative to opportunity.

  3. Make decisions based on merit without constraint by quota.

  4. Assess performance in line with the duties and responsibilities relevant to academic category and classification, having regard for specific discipline requirements as relevant.

  5. Have appropriate regard for actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest.

  6. Maintain confidentiality of applicant information and committee deliberations.

  7. Acknowledge UQ’s commitment to the protection of academic freedom.

3.0    Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

3.1    Local Confirmation and Promotions Committee (LCPC)

The relevant LCPC is responsible for making recommendations to the Chair regarding confirmation for staff at Academic Level A-D and applications for promotion to Academic Levels C and D.

3.2    Professorial Confirmation and Promotions Committee (PCPC)

The PCPC is responsible for making recommendations to the Chair regarding confirmation for staff at Academic Level E.

The PCPC is responsible for making recommendations regarding Professorial promotion applications and providing these recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor for approval.

3.3    Vice-Chancellor

The Vice-Chancellor is responsible for approving recommendations for promotion to Level E.

3.4    Provost

The Provost will chair and hold decision making responsibility for confirmation decisions within the Professorial Confirmation and Promotions Committee (PCPC), ensuring appropriate delivery of these processes. The Provost will also act as an escalation point for relevant matters that arise within the Local Confirmation and Promotions Committees as appropriate.

The Provost will be responsible for approving the membership of each LCPC on an annual basis on receipt by each LCPC Chairperson.

3.5    Faculty Executive Dean

The Faculty Executive Dean will chair and hold decision making responsibility for confirmation and promotion applications considered by the relevant Local Confirmation and Promotions Committee (LCPC). The Faculty Executive Dean will also consider promotion applications for Level A to B.

3.6    Institute Director

The Institute Director will approve promotion for candidates applying for promotion from Level A to B from within their own Institute, and supply recommendations for confirmation and promotion as required.

3.7    Head of School

The Head of School will supply recommendations for confirmation and promotion as required.

3.8    Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)

The CHRO (or nominee) calls for academic confirmation submissions and ensures that the applied principles and stakeholder responsibilities are enacted in an effective and consistent manner. The CHRO (or nominee) is responsible for the initial assessment of appeal requests prior to consideration by the Authorised Officer.

4.0    Monitoring, Review and Assurance

The Academic Confirmation and Promotions Advisory Committee (ACaPAC) makes recommendations on University Policy relating to academic confirmation and promotion.

The Chief Human Resources Officer (or delegated authority) is responsible for the monitoring and review of this policy and associated procedure and process, assuring its operational effectiveness.

5.0    Recording and Reporting

Promotions

Report

Produced By

Provided to

Successful academic promotion outcomes for Levels B - E

Human Resources and Marketing & Communications

Placed on University Website

Successful and unsuccessful promotion applications (Level A-D) across all Faculties and Institutes, including demographic data for key reporting areas

Human Resources and LCPC secretariat

Provost and President of the Academic Board

Report confirming successful and unsuccessful promotion applications (Level E) across all Faculties and Institutes including demographic data for key reporting areas

Human Resources and PCPC secretariat

University Senate

 

Custodians
Chief Human Resources Officer

Guidelines

Confirmation and Promotions Committee Guidelines

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1.0    Purpose and Scope

These guidelines relate to the Professorial Confirmation and Promotions Committee (PCPC) and the Local Confirmation and Promotions Committees (LCPC), in terms of their coverage, composition and the delivery of responsibilities.

2.0    Committee Coverage

All applications for confirmation at Academic Level E and promotion to Academic Level E will be considered by the PCPC.

Applications for confirmation at all other Academic Levels and promotion to Academic Levels C and D will be considered by the Faculty LCPC, incorporating Institutes and Centres where relevant as noted below:

  • Faculty of Business, Economics and Law

  • Faculty Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

    • Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

    • Sustainable Minerals Institute

  • Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

  • Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

    • Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation

    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit

  • Faculty of Medicine
    • Queensland Brain Institute

    • Institute for Molecular Bioscience

  • Faculty of Science
    • Centre for Advanced Imaging
    • Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

Applications for promotion to Academic Level B will be considered by the relevant Executive Dean or Institute Director.

3.0    Committee Composition

3.1    Principles

The principles seek to ensure appropriate representation on committees through a balance and combination of:

  1. Representation across the Faculty and Institute(s)

  2. Experience across academic categories and disciplines

  3. Gender and background

  4. New and experienced members

  5. Where possible, the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members on the Committee, particularly where applicants who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders will be reviewed.

Committee members will normally serve for three years. Where members are selected based on an identified role or management position (e.g., Head of School, Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Academic)), the term will not be limited.

3.1.1    Local Confirmation and Promotions Committee (LCPC)

Each LCPC will be chaired by the Executive Dean, include an internal and external LCPC Representative and in addition typically include either:

  • A member at Academic Level C and D, two members at Academic Level E, relevant Institute Director (or delegate), none of whom should be on probation or seeking promotion; or

  • The Heads of School and cognate Institute Directors; or

  • A combination of these compositions.

A quorum will be the Chair, the external LCPC Representative, and three other members.

Prior to the beginning of each year, each LCPC Chair will submit their nominated LCPC composition to the Academic Confirmation and Promotions Advisory Committee (ACaPAC) for endorsement before being provided to the Provost for approval.

3.1.2    Professorial Confirmation and Promotions Committee (PCPC)

The PCPC will be chaired by the Provost as the Vice-Chancellor’s nominee, with the remainder of the committee comprised of:

  • Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), or nominee

  • Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), or nominee

  • Academic Board President

  • Four members of the professoriate appointed by the Vice-Chancellor on recommendation from the Provost, and

  • Chief Human Resources Officer, or nominee acting as secretary to the Committee.

The Vice-Chancellor, on recommendation from the Provost, may invite an external member to participate as a full member of the Committee; generally, for a term of one year.

A quorum will be the Chair, the Academic Board President (or nominee), a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) and three other members.

4.0    Roles and Responsibilities

With reference to the committee responsibilities outlined in the relevant procedures, the following additional responsibilities apply:

4.1    Chair

The LCPC Chair is responsible for ensuring that the recommendations at Mid-Term Review are clearly articulated, recorded and communicated to the staff member. Similarly, where extensions are granted, the LCPC or PCPC Chair is responsible for ensuring recommendations and justification are clearly articulated.

In exceptional circumstances, the Chair position can be delegated to another Professorial member of the Committee for the purposes of allowing a meeting of the Committee to be held. However, recommendations made by the Committee must still be endorsed by the Executive Dean (in the case of LCPCs) or Provost (in the case of the PCPC) following the meeting.

4.2    LCPC Representative and Deputy LCPC Representative

The LCPC Representative is a Professorial staff member selected by the Chair. In addition to serving on their Faculty’s LCPC, they are required to serve on the LCPC of a ‘paired’ Faculty.

The Deputy LCPC representative is a Professorial staff member selected by the Chair. It is expected that the LCPC Representative will mentor the Deputy LCPC Representative prior to their succession as the next LCPC Representative. Where required due to issues of availability, the Deputy LCPC or alternative LCPC member representative may serve on the LCPC of the ‘paired’ Faculty.

4.3    Committee Members

Committee members are required to maintain confidentiality, including the contents of application documents, any disclosures made by the applicant during the interview process, and committee deliberations.

4.4    Committee Secretary

The Committee Secretary is responsible for ensuring the administration of the process, including finalising application documents for committee review, ensuring relevant Workday tasks are completed and outcomes are provided to staff members in line with required timelines.

 

Custodians
Chief Human Resources Officer
Custodians
Chief Human Resources Officer