University Teacher/Senior University Teacher

A. Policy and principles on use of new appointment of University Teacher and Senior University Lecturer

1. The University recognises that the successful achievement of its mission is dependent on the most effective contribution of all its staff. Central also is the link between teaching and research and this is reflected in the terms and conditions of service of the core academic staff appointed on the nationally designated academic career grades. These require staff to undertake both teaching and research in addition to undertaking duties of administration or service. The University as a research-led institution remains strongly committed to the preservation of this central principle in terms of its overall strategy and recruitment to the main academic career grades which will remain the principal means of filling academic posts.

2. At the same time, however, the involvement of other groups of staff in the University's delivery of teaching and associated teaching-related activities has grown, as it has throughout the sector. Properly managed, such arrangements can operate to the benefit of students, the staff concerned and the institution in supporting the delivery of high quality teaching and encouragement of learning. To this end the University is seeking to introduce new provisions in this area, which may also assist the rationalisation of some existing anomalies.

3. It is now proposed to recognise the new categories of staff appointments of University Teacher and Senior University Teacher, in which the principal duties will be teaching and service/administration. This form of appointment will replace the existing ad hoc practice of employing staff for 'teaching only' duties on Other Related Staff grades in the limited circumstances where such an appointment is justified. In addition, these proposed appointments will be available to existing Lecturers and Senior Lecturers who no longer wish to be research-active.

4. Colleagues in the new appointment categories will be academic staff of the University and will be expected to play a full part in service to the relevant academic unit. In addition, they will be expected to engage in such scholarship as is necessary to keep up-to-date with developments in their discipline and in the practice of teaching in order to provide a high quality research-informed teaching contribution. Such obligations will, therefore involve such staff in duties during vacations, as well as term time, subject to normal holiday entitlements.

5. Designated University Teacher appointments will be created in line with University and Faculty strategy and departmental needs within the context of approved University and departmental plans and budgets. In approving such posts the University will take an overall view, recognising that need and practice will vary for justifiable reasons across departments and over time. Such appointments will be reported to the Academic & Related Sub-committee of the HR Committee, who will maintain an overview of the usage of such appointments

6. Existing staff may seek, or be approached, to transfer from Lecturer grade to University Teacher grade. Taking cognisance of the Faculty Strategic Plan, this will be effected by the relevant Territorial Human Resource Manager, in association with the appropriate Dean of Faculty and Head of Department. It will be reported to the Academic and Related Sub-Committee of the HR Committee.

7. The University undertakes that this arrangement will be voluntary and will not be used as a precedent for varying the terms and conditions of career lecturing staff employed on academic grades.

8. Existing Lecturers will be able to apply for promotion to the Senior University Teacher grade.

9. These proposals have been discussed fully within the University Human Resources Committee structure, principally by the HR (Academic and Related) Sub-Committee, and within the University's Human Resources Department, as well as with officers of UCUG, Deans and Senate Assessors.

B. Role of a University Teacher

(whether full-time appointment or part-time)

1. University Teachers and Senior University Teachers will enjoy status equivalent to Lecturers and Senior Lecturers, respectively, but will make relatively greater contributions to teaching and service/administration. Those employed on clinical work and teaching in the Faculty of Medicine, including the Dental School should be classified as Senior Clinical University Teachers or Clinical University Teachers, where the job description does not require the appointee to be research active. All the principles detailed for University Teachers apply to these staff, with the exception of salary, which will be determined in accordance with the attached Grading Matrix and in liaison with Human Resources.

2. Generally, the division between scheduled teaching and administration should be approximately two-thirds to one-third. However, the actual allocation of hours should take account of the circumstances of the particular appointment, and should be seen within the context of a departmental workload model. In some cases, by agreement, it may be appropriate to vary time between one area and the other.

3. Appointees will be expected to be informed of relevant research and maintain and develop through scholarship their disciplinary base and this is recognised in this role description. In particular, they will be encouraged to attend scholarly conferences, seminars on innovative learning and teaching methodology and be involved in LTSN/Subject Centre activities, where appropriate.

4. Accordingly, for this category of staff there will be no expectation for the conduct and publication of research, although staff development in this area in appropriate circumstances will be encouraged. It might lead to such staff who do become research active being re-categorised as University Lecturers, although this cannot be a normal expectation.

5. At all times, Heads of Departments involved should ensure that the allocation of duties is both fair and equitable as between University Teachers with different responsibilities and between University Teachers and University Lecturers and where inter-departmental involvement is required.

6. Teaching

Scheduled teaching for a full-time appointment will normally be in the range 450-550 contact hours per year , dependent on the mix of teaching duties which will inform the precise number of allocated teaching hours and on the allowance under 8 below for 'Teaching Support Activities'. Scheduled teaching is defined to include:

Lectures
Seminars
Tutorials
Laboratory classes
Project supervision
Placement (including School experience) supervision
Clinics
Field classes
Revision classes

In addition, the following will be required:

preparation for teaching duties
the setting and assessment of course work
the setting, invigilation and marking of examinations will be required.

The actual allocation of teaching should also take into account the balance and mix and be made in accordance with the normal departmental practice and procedures.

7. Service

University Teachers are expected to undertake an amount of academic service or administration typical of the post in question. This would occupy approximately one-third of the annual workload, although this may vary subject to adjustments in teaching load. Specific responsibilities would be determined in consultation with the HoD at a level appropriate to the individual's overall workload, and FTE status.

Examples include:

Co-ordinating courses or programmes
Co-ordinating examinations
Administration of placements and/or practical work
Formal pastoral care responsibilities such as Adviser of Studies
Quality Assurance Officer.
Faculty or University representative roles (e.g. committee memberships)
Professional practice responsibilities (e.g. clinical duties, teaching, practice supervision)

8. Teaching support activities

The remainder of the annual workload would be spent on the support of teaching, to include:

Scholarship i.e. maintaining and developing knowledge within an individual's specialism, and academic professional discipline, as necessary to fulfil an effective research-informed teaching role. This would be through personal study, personal research and/or reflective practice, and attendance at appropriate meetings and conferences. It may also include publications and other output e.g. textbooks, language courses, computer-aided learning/assessment software etc.
Pastoral duties/tutoring of their designated students
Course design and planning
Developing and implementing new courses/programmes
Operating quality assurance procedures
Record keeping/reporting and other general administration associated with teaching
Attendance at scheduled meetings e.g. departmental staff or teaching committees including Boards of Studies and examination boards
Personal self-development e.g. TLS courses, preparation for membership of the ILT

C. Criteria for promotion to Senior University Teacher

1. There is no automatic progression from University Teacher to Senior University Teacher. Rather, the status of Senior University Teacher will be attained by promotion analogous to that of Senior Lecturer.

2. The relevant Academic Territorial Committee of Review will consider applications for promotion to the grade of Senior University Teacher during the annual promotion round.

3. The criteria under Teaching and Service (including professional practice) for promotion to Senior Lecturer will be employed in consideration of each applicant. Candidates, regardless of their full time equivalence, will be expected to demonstrate overall standards of excellence in their contribution to the University under each of the two broad headings. Candidates will be expected to support their case in all appropriate circumstances and provide evidence (e.g. student feedback; application for, and success in, awards which recognise the quality of their work; publications in the area of teaching and learning; application for, and success in, awards for developing teaching and learning; recognition of their success in teaching and learning by outside bodies). In addition, evidence of wider involvement and responsibility in professional bodies and learned societies will be considered.

4. However, in order to be successful it is also essential that applicants are able to demonstrate/provide evidence of their excellence in scholarship i.e. maintaining and developing knowledge of their specialism and academic/professional discipline, as necessary to fulfil an effective research-informed teaching role through personal study, personal research and/or reflective practice after attendance at appropriate meetings and conferences. This may include publications and other output not normally considered under the heading of Research e.g. textbooks, language courses, computer-aided learning/assessment software etc.

5. In all other respects, the procedures will follow that for promotion to Senior Lecturer.

6. Where a Faculty has Senior University Teachers, these staff will be regarded as equivalent in status and responsibilities to Senior Lecturers and eligible for election to relevant committees (including Faculty Promotions Committees) on that basis, and other senior appointments, including Headships of Departments and Faculty appointments.

D. Grade/conditions of service

1. Initial appointment as a University Teacher will be on the University Teacher scale (UT1 spine points 8-11; UT2 Spine points 12-18).

2. Where University Lecturers become University Teachers, their existing placement with respect to spinal points on the Academic Scale will be maintained on translation to the University Teacher scale (which may also include UT2 spine points 12-18.

3. Probation requirements for newly-appointed University Teachers will be identical with those expected of new appointments to Lectureships (but with no requirement in respect of research), and similar mentoring and monitoring procedures will be put in place.

4.Advancement from UT1 to UT2 is assessed at the Faculty level, with final recommendation to the Board of Review.

5. Promotion to Senior University Teacher will be to the Senior University Teacher scale encompassing spine points 20-24, i.e. equivalent to Senior Lecturer on the Academic scale. The procedures will be as for Senior Lectureship promotions i.e. via the Academic Territorial Committee of Review.

6. Existing ex-St Andrews College staff may also elect to be re-designated as University Teachers or Senior University Teachers, with assimilation to appropriate spinal points on the GU UT scale, and transfer to GU terms and conditions.

7. In sum, the conditions of service, career development possibilities and support for such development should be broadly comparable with those staff on career lecturing grades, whilst recognising the differences in their respective roles.

E. Transfer to Academic grades

1. As specified in B4 above, in appropriate circumstances University Teachers who become research-active may be eligible to be considered for re-categorisation as University Lecturers. Existing staff may seek, or be approached, to transfer from University Teacher grade to University Lecturer grade. Taking cognisance of the Faculty Strategic Plan, such transfers will be effected by the relevant Territorial Human Resource Manager, in association with the appropriate Dean of Faculty and Head of Department, and reported to the Academic and Related Sub-Committee of the HR Committee.

2. As the normal promotion expectations for a University Teacher would be to Senior University Teacher, there is no intention to change the normal route of promotion to Senior Lecturer i.e. from the University Lecturer grade.

F. Clinical Teachers

Those employed on clinical work and teaching in the Faculty of Medicine, including the Dental School should be classified as Senior Clinical University Teachers or Clinical University Teachers, where the job description does not require the appointee to be research active. The salary will be determined by Human Resources.

Notes within the document:

Note: 1 These are indicative figures and will differ in detail in different subject disciplines. It is not expected that appointments in different departments will have identical allocations.
Note: 2 It is not expected that appointments in different departments will have identical allocations.
Note: 3 See Definitions of Teaching and Service for Senior Lecturers
Note: 4 IMPORTANT NOTE: It is expected that all applicants for promotion to Senior University Teacher will be working towards membership of the Institute of Learning and Teaching (ILT) and that they must be able to demonstrate their committment to continuing professional development e.g. through TLS courses. In the longer term, ILT membership will be a pre-requisite for all applications.

UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW