Reporter 19/3/03: Unified Senior Academic Promotions Exercise, 1 October 2003: Notice by the General Board

Unified Senior Academic Promotions Exercise, 1 October 2003: Notice by the General Board

12 March 2003

The proposals of the General Board's Report on the introduction of a single procedure for the consideration of applications for promotion to personal Professorships, Readerships, and University Senior Lectureships have been approved by the Regent House. The General Board wish to announce the timetable for the first exercise under the new arrangements under which promotions approved will take effect from 1 October 2003. The timetable is set out below.

In connection with the timetable the Board wish to point out that one of the Report's proposals was for a change to Statute D, XVIII to enable them to make appointments to University Senior Lectureships (as is the case now with personal Professorships and Readerships) if they result from a promotion exercise, thereby eliminating the role of Faculty Appointments Committees from the promotions process. The Board wish to launch the 1 October 2003 exercise without further delay and they believe that the outline timetable allows sufficient time for the necessary approval by the Privy Council for the proposed changes to Statute D, XVIII to come through in good time before the end of the process. However, should this not turn out to be the case, the Board have agreed that Faculty Appointments Committees should meet to consider the documentation and recommendations of the Board's Main Committee with a view to completing the 1 October 2003 exercise without the delay attendant on Privy Council approval. The Board will report further on developments concerning this matter in due course.

Another issue which the Board believes to be necessary to draw to the attention of the University is that of the funding in respect of senior academic promotions. In paragraph 5.6 of the Report referred to, the Board stated that, although they expect that decisions on all applications for promotion under the unified procedures will continue to be made primarily by reference to the criteria, the number of promotions that it will be possible to approve in a particular year maybe influenced by the University's general financial situation. This matter will be considered further in the Council's Allocations Report 2003, recommending allocations for 2003/04.

Timetable

By end March 2003	General Board determines membership of Main Committee and Sub-committees in the light of nominations from Councils of the Schools
By Wednesday, 30 April 2003	Faculty Boards determine membership of Faculty Promotions Committees including appointment of Chairs
By Friday, 16 May 2003	Submission of documentation from applicants
By Wednesday, 25 June 2003	First meeting of Faculty Promotions Committees to consider applications and other available documentation in order to determine the additional evidence that is to be sought, e.g. references, and cases for promotion (Document 4)
By Tuesday, 7 October 2003	Second meeting of Faculty Promotions Committee to evaluate complete documentation (to include Documents 5 (Senior Tutor's Statement) and 6 (NHS Statement), if applicable, against criteria
By Monday, 20 October 2003	Submission of complete and checked documentation of all applicants to Personnel Division
By Monday, 17 November 2003	Meetings of the five General Board Sub-committees
By Friday, 19 December 2003	Meeting of General Board's Main Committee
Wednesday, 14 January 2004	General Board receives recommendations of Main Committee and Report for approval and signature and publication in Reporter on 21 January 2004
By Friday, 16 January 2004	Final date for feedback and for the lodging of appeals
Mid-January/February 2004	Appeal Stage

Copies of the Guidance for the 1 October 2003 round of promotions will be distributed to Faculties and Departments shortly.

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