Guidance for Heads of Institution

Heads of Institution, with the assistance of appropriate senior colleagues if necessary, play an important role in the career development of all eligible academic and research employees in their Institution.  The list of eligible employees will be provided to Institutions via the burst report mechanism at the launch of each year’s ACP 6-9 exercise. Burst report recipients must share the eligibility lists with the Head of Institution, so they can review the list and offer eligible employees the opportunity to discuss promotion.

The University’s Staff Review and Development (SRD) scheme, whilst remaining a separate and independent mechanism for reviewing personal contribution and professional development, should be used to discuss career aspirations, assess an individual’s readiness for promotion, and help inform and support the ACP 6-9 process.  These discussions should take place on a regular and ongoing basis throughout the course of an individual’s career. Heads of Institution or relevant line managers must have open and honest conversations with employees in their institution about whether it is the right time for them to apply for promotion, and for which office/post they should apply.  They should also provide guidance to employees on areas they may wish to work on in order to better demonstrate their achievement of the assessment criteria. 

Heads of Institution or relevant line managers should help facilitate career development and progression, including ensuring employees are aware of the mentoring and application support available (see here). They should also support staff who work part-time, or who have high teaching loads, to identify ways in which they can make contributions in relation to service.

The decision whether to make an application will ultimately sit with the individual.

Approving referees

Applicants are required to consult their Head of Institution and obtain approval before nominating a referee. Heads of Institution are responsible for approving referees who are able to provide a qualitative assessment of the applicant and give a full and frank appraisal of their suitability for promotion. Heads of Institution can discuss this with the applicant’s line manager if required. 

Referees should not be close colleagues, collaborators, co-authors or former students of the applicant. As a guide, co-authoring two or three publications with an applicant would not normally be considered a conflict of interest. However, a more extensive publication record together may indicate a close professional relationship and could be regarded as a conflict. Similarly, where any collaboration or co-authorship took place five or more years ago and there has been no substantial subsequent collaboration, this would not normally be considered a conflict of interest.

It should be noted that Heads of Institution will not be provided with any references received, unless they are a member of one of the panels assessing the application.

Employees with multiple posts

For employees who hold more than one T&S contract, their application will apply to all T&S contracts they hold.  Where the grades are different, they will be promoted to the higher grade of all roles, in all institutions.

For employees who hold more than one R contract, they may only apply for promotion in the institutions where there is funding available to support promotion. If there is funding available in both institutions, they will only need to submit one application form covering both posts. If there is funding available to support the promotion in one institution only, they will only be able to apply for promotion in that institution.