Guidelines for
Conferment of Titles
of Professor and
Reader
January 2015
ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY
GUIDELINES FOR CONFERMENT OF TITLES AND DESIGNATIONS
AT ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY
1.
INTRODUCTION
These Guidance Notes have been prepared to assist staff with the preparation of
their case for appointment as a Professor or Reader of Anglia Ruskin University.
Please see section 5 for details regarding the required format for applications. Guidance
is also provided for staff preparing the documentation to support the appointment of
Visiting Professors or Readers. The reference numbers used relate to the Titles
and Designations at Anglia Ruskin University document.
2.
APPLICATION PROCESS – INTERNAL CANDIDATES
There will be an annual call for applications from existing members of staff who
wish to be considered for appointment as a Professor or Reader of Anglia Ruskin
University. The closing date for applications will normally be in June each year.
Applicants should submit their application to HR Services in the format indicated in
the annual call for applications.
Unless you specifically ask us not to do so, your Dean and Head of Department will
be informed of your application and its progress. We encourage you to tell your
line manager of your application before submission.
3.
GUIDANCE ON CRITERIA - PROFESSORS OR READERS
3.1
The Professorship and Readership Panel must interpret their terms of reference
widely and holistically in order to safeguard the reputation of Anglia Ruskin
University and also the standing of its Professors or Readers as persons of
outstanding academic achievement.
3.2
Bearing in mind 3.1 above, the Professorship and Readership Panel will
normally have regard to the following aspects of an individual’s case, recognising
that candidates will have a different balance of the three aspects listed below:
3.2.1
academic leadership, demonstrated by significant educational development
initiatives;
3.2.2
contributions to the advancement of learning through substantial scholarship
or research;
3.2.3 the professional standing of the individual nationally and internationally.
In conferring the title of Professor regard shall be had to the person's proven
standing in the relevant subject or profession as established by outstanding
contributions to its advancement through publications, creative work, clinical
activity, public policy or other appropriate forms of scholarship, and through
academic leadership and teaching development. Other contributions to the
work of Anglia Ruskin University, learned societies and other relevant bodies
may also be taken into account.
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In conferring the title of Reader regard shall be had to the person's proven
standing in the relevant subject or profession as established by
contributions which are significant and judged to hold very considerable
promise.
4.
CASE STATEMENT
4.1
Applicants are advised to prepare a case statement which clearly indicates
their experience and highlights specific aspects of their CV, conscious that the
Professorship and Readership Panel will be interested in the quality of the
submission as well as the quantity of publications, research grants etc. Applicants
who successfully applied for the title of Reader and are now applying for the title of
Professor, should additionally submit a statement articulating the additional outputs
and achievements since being awarded the title of Reader. Direct reference to
the criteria contained within section 3.2 of this document is required and
applicants should also consider section 4.4 of these Guidance Notes. Applicants
may also find it helpful to refer to the ‘Expectations of a Professor at Anglia
Ruskin’ and the Reader level criteria, published by HR Services.
4.2
The Professorship and Readership Panel must interpret their terms of reference
widely and holistically in order to safeguard the reputation of Anglia Ruskin
University and also the standing of its Professors or Readers as persons of
outstanding academic achievement.
4.3
Without prejudice to the generality mentioned in 3.2, the Professorship and Readership
Panel will normally have regard to the following aspects of an individual’s case:
4.3.1
academic leadership
development initiatives
demonstrated
by
significant
educational
Evidence of significant contribution to the pedagogy of the subject/
professional practice
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involvement in learning and teaching at a national/international
level, for example running workshops or specialist courses in
universities outside the UK;
conference presentations on pedagogy;
contributions, eg. books, articles or development of computer
schemes, that have shaped the way in which the subject is taught
nationally or have been adopted internationally;
contribution to a professional organisation or learned society;
collaboration - examples of teaching and research across subject and
disciplinary boundaries that demonstrate a contribution to inter
disciplinary/ professional education;
external examining;
contributions to national or international curriculum and pedagogy
debate.
Evidence of teaching innovation and/or course development
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development of new teaching materials or methodologies influencing
the pedagogy of the subject;
contribution to the development of new approaches to course
design, learning and teaching and assessment practice which may
have been adopted internationally;
contributions eg. books, articles or the development of computer
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schemes, that have shaped the way in which the subject is taught at
Anglia Ruskin University;
acting as an innovator/champion in Learning and Teaching.
Scholarship related to learning and teaching
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joint or sole authorship of books, publications in refereed journals,
and other articles, papers and conference proceedings particularly
with regard to the status of the publication and the role of referees in
its assessment;
development and/or design of learning and teaching resources;
evidence of obtaining external funding for learning and teaching
developments.
Evidence of a high level of teaching quality as indicated by quantifiable
measures and confirmed by the Faculty
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a reflective, reasoned and innovatory approach to teaching, course
design, assessment and evaluation;
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familiarity with, and use of, theory and publications on learning and
teaching in higher education;
commitment to quality of teaching;
explicit attention to meeting the needs of individual students;
use of student feedback to evaluate and develop teaching;
development and/or use of peer assessment of teaching;
evidence of successful assessment of teaching by students and peers;
commitment to the development of the teaching skills of other staff
within the Faculty;
evidence of commitment to continuing professional development.
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Evidence of clinical teaching, if appropriate
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4.3.2
evidence of clinical relevance, demonstrated by linking teaching with
evidence-based health care.
contributions to the advancement of learning through substantial
scholarship or research
Sustained output of high quality
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joint or sole authorship of research publications, publications in
refereed journals, and other articles, papers and conference
proceedings, particularly with regard to the status of the
publication and the role of referees in its assessment; design
portfolios; musical compositions and creative artefacts;
other nationally/internationally recognized research-based articles in
refereed publications;
exhibitions, performances;
publication of book(s);
regular presentations of research findings at major national/
international conferences;
organisation of major international academic conferences/meetings;
award of medals, prizes or other academic distinctions by learned
societies.
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Evidence of external grant support
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external research grant support: information to include indications of
support received from Research Council/other funding bodies and
charities, including grading (where available) and budget of grant
applications;
formal evaluations of final grant reports;
involvement of work with research funding bodies.
Successful supervision of researchers/research students, indicating whether
as first or second supervisor
Evidence of external contribution at a local or national level to the
subject and/or professional bodies and/or external esteem
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status within the subject/profession, eg. to be recognised as an
expert member of a specified field/profession both at a national
and international level;
professional activity: eg. membership of national/international
professional committees and panels; exhibitions and performances of
work; invited addresses to professional national/international
meetings and conferences, including keynote/plenary sessions;
experience of membership of editorial board(s);
refereeing of articles for peer-reviewed academic journals;
refereeing of grant applications by research councils and other
major funding bodies;
contribution to the public understanding of the subject.
Contribution to impact, innovation and engagement
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innovation and knowledge transfer;
Evidence of research leadership
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evidence of leading research teams/groups;
evidence of mentoring colleagues, for example, to apply for the title of
Reader or Professor.
Evidence of impact of research
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4.3.3
contribution to the successful commercialisation of patents, inventions
and any other exploitable intellectual property;
involvement in work that has made a significant contribution to the
advancement of knowledge and/or its application to the subject
area/professional practice/policy-making at a national/international level;
contribution to the public understanding of the subject at a
national/international level.
the professional standing of the individual nationally and internationally
Enhancing Anglia Ruskin University’s reputation or profile
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the initiation or maintenance of significant links between Anglia
Ruskin University and national/international groups, organisations and
businesses and the community;
significant involvement in academic quality assurance at
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external institutions;
advising government bodies;
significant involvement in the enhancement of Anglia Ruskin
University’s profile for promoting equality and diversity;
contribution to capacity building in East Anglia and wider communities;
contribution to culture and cultural enrichment.
Contribution to inter-disciplinary or University administration and management
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significant and substantial contribution to management and policy
formation at faculty, University, national and international level;
significant and substantial contribution to planning, governance
and academic management;
significant and substantial contribution to staff/student processes;
Leadership and senior level management
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project management for large projects including interdisciplinary
groups that have a national/international profile;
financial management for large projects or interdisciplinary groups,
with a national/international impact;
leadership and co-ordination of large University projects, with
national/international significance.
The above lists (in 4.3.1, 4.3.2 and 4.3.3) are not intended to be exhaustive and may
vary depending on the applicant's discipline.
4.4
In considering staff for progression/promotion the relevant panel will take the
following circumstances into account, as appropriate.
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Fractional employment
Maternity leave, statutory adoption leave, and additional paternity leave
Disability, ill health or injury
Mental health conditions
Constraints relating to pregnancy, maternity, breastfeeding, adoption,
paternity or childcare in addition to periods of maternity, statutory adoption or
additional paternity leave taken. This could include for example, pregnancy
related illness and health and safety restrictions in laboratory and field work
Other caring responsibilities
Gender reassignment
4.5
The time available for duties and appropriate adjustments in terms of expected
outputs of the person applying for promotion will be factored in as it is the
quality of the contribution and the overall match with the promotion criteria which is
most important, and undue emphasis should not be placed on the quantity of
outputs such as the number of research publications.
4.6
If an applicant wishes the panel to take one or more of the above circumstances
into consideration, they should write a letter to the Chair of the relevant Panel giving a
statement of their individual personal circumstances outlining the significance of the
circumstances and how this has affected their case. This should be supported
by relevant evidence and be sent in an envelope marked “Confidential, for the
attention of the Panel Chair” along with their application.
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4.7
Information provided will need to be verified through HR Services. This information
will be shared with the panel members only as necessary and will be treated as
sensitive information.
4.8
In assessing academic achievement it will be important to determine the
professional standing of the individual nationally and internationally and the
individual’s specific contribution where there has been collaboration with others.
4.9
The Professorship and Readership Panel will need to be satisfied of the standing of
an individual both in terms of past academic record and of current activities.
4.10 In determining whether to award a title of Reader or a title of Professor,
the Professorship and Readership Panel will take into account the extent,
volume and quality of the candidate’s outputs, the period over which they were
produced and their currency. In the case of a Readership, there should be clear
signs that the author’s output is growing in quality and quantity, and that the growth is
likely to continue and demonstrates very considerable promise.
4.11 On completion of their draft application, candidates are strongly advised to
seek guidance from an academic colleague who has already attained the
level of a Professor or Reader, including members of the Professorship and
Readership Panel as appropriate. Peer comments at this stage are extremely
valuable and will assist candidates to present a clear well rounded application.
5.
FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
5.1
These new requirements have been developed in response to comments from
referees and panel members. The underlying objective is to ensure that applications
are accurate, clear and consistent and that, wherever possible, they contain
information in a format which enables verification by panel members and/or referees.
5.2
We reserve the right to reject applications which do not conform to these
requirements. The Panel reserves the right to call for evidence in support of claims
made in an application. These requirements are relevant to both the covering
application and the curriculum vitae but are of particular relevance to the presentation
of the CV.
5.3
Those making applications should be conscious that the CV submitted will come
under considerable scrutiny. Every aspect of the CV must be accurate in every
particular detail.
We require applications to be submitted in the following format.
Font
5.4
Applications should be in an easy-to-read font with a minimum size 11 point.
Qualifications
5.5
List the precise titles of each qualification in full including name and level of the
award, date awarded and name of awarding institution or body.
Publications and other outputs
5.6
Publications should be separated out into sections eg. books, book chapters,
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refereed journal articles etc. Conference presentations should be labelled as such
and it be made clear whether they are peer reviewed or not.
5.7
All sections should be ordered in reverse chronological order, ie. most recent first.
5.8
The status of outputs not yet published should be made clear. Articles ‘in press’
should be listed separately. Articles in preparation or forthcoming should not be listed
in the CV but may be referred to in the application statement.
5.9
Publications should be in Harvard format and include all details including full list of
authors and page numbers for journal articles and whether the contribution to a book
is as author, joint author, editor or contributor. Include the DOI number where
possible.
5.10 Include journal impact factor/journal ranking data where possible.
5.11 Where joint publications are included identify the principal author, ensuring details of
authors are correct, as stated in the published paper. It is essential that the extent of
your contribution is made clear. Estimated percentage contributions should be
included.
5.12 If the publication had more than 5 authors, and you are not the first or last senior
author, then state whether:
a)
You made a substantial contribution either to the conception and design of the
study; or to the organisation of the conduct of the study; or to carrying out the
study (including acquisition of study data); or to analysis and interpretation of
study data.
b)
You helped draft the output; or critique the output for important intellectual
content.
5.13 If you were included in the 2014 REF please indicate which publications were
selected for inclusion.
5.14 If you were not included in the REF please highlight what you regard as your four
most important pieces of work in the last REF period.
5.15 For other outputs, eg. creative works list in order of type and prestige eg.
international, national or regional exhibition and whether sole exhibitor etc.
Grants
5.16 Outline all grants awarded and include the following details:
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name of the awarding body
the names of the grant holders and whether you are the Principal Investigator
the value of the award (including the value to Anglia Ruskin if different)
the start and end dates
5.17 Categorise grants so that the reader can see clearly whether the bid was internally or
externally funded. Pending grants should be clearly stated as such. If you decide to
include highly rated but unsuccessful grants the ultimate outcome must be made
clear.
5.18 If you are not the formal, legal, contractual Principal Investigator (as identified in the
grant award document) identify what your contribution is.
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5.19 Successful research or consultancy collaboration with industry or commerce should
be included. State the company, the size and type of grant ie. consultancy or
knowledge transfer.
Patents
5.20 If you are including details of patents, please identify the patent holder(s) as identified
at the Patent Office and the Patent number.
Academic supervision
5.21 Outline the volume of research students supervised and include the following details:
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Name of the Student
Source of funding (internal or external)
Institution that the student is/was registered at
Whether the student is/was part-time or full-time
Whether the student is current, completed or did not complete – and the
degree awarded (MPhil/PhD/DBA etc)
Whether you are the first, second or third supervisor
All other details
5.22 It is important that all other details included in your CV are accurate and complete.
These include but are not limited to:
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Prizes and awards (include details of which national/international body the
award or prize was given by)
Memberships of professional bodies indicate whether ‘Member’ or ‘Fellow’
status and state membership number
Journal Editorships, state precise role and when it started/finished
Membership of external grant awarding bodies : state precise role and when it
started/ finished.
Successful collaboration with external researchers: state tangible outcomes
from that collaboration ie. PhD supervision, successful grants, joint
publications
Evidence of multidisciplinary collaboration. State tangible outcomes from that
collaboration ie. PhD supervision, successful grants, joint publications
Significant contributions to cultural outreach- state this precisely giving details
of organisations involved, dates and tangible outcomes
Citation data
5.23 If you decide to include citation data use one of the currently available citation indices
(eg. Scopus, Researchgate, Web of Science) and indicate the basis on which the
citation has been calculated, using verifiable data.
Impact
5.24 Was your research submitted as a Case Study in the REF 2014? If so provide details
of UOA and title of case study.
5.25 In all other cases outline a very brief indication of the reach and significance of your
work as defined by the REF, ie. impact beyond the academy.
5.26 Applications which have progressed from stage one to stage two have included all
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or some of the following features:
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6.
A clear introductory statement outlining which of the three criteria set out in
para 3.2 of the Regulations the case is based upon.
Succinct, logical applications which addressed the criteria, provided
evidence for statements made and which outlined a clear trajectory and
future plans, as well as past achievements.
External referees who are established professors with a distinguished
reputation in their fields.
A short statement on the benefits to us as well as to the applicant should
the title be awarded.
A commentary on the volume and sources of external funding achieved.
APPLICATION
The application needs to provide the Professorship and Readership Panel with
details of four proposed academic referees.
It is important that a clear rationale is provided for each nominee proposed.
In particular information should be provided in relation to the following:
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Area of expertise
knowledge of the candidate – in what capacity and for how long
a brief description as to why he/she was nominated.
Referees: referees may be nominated from anywhere in the world and may, where
appropriate, include Professors from industry. Referees should be Professors in
their discipline.
7.
PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING INTERNAL APPLICATIONS
Stage 1: all applications are considered (normally in July) by the internal Standing
Members of Anglia Ruskin University’s Professorship and Readership Panel
as outlined in section 2 of the Titles and Designations document. They will decide
whether or not a prima facie case has been established and whether to call
for external academic references from referees nominated by the candidate and by
the PVC and Dean of the Faculty in which the candidate is based.
Stage 2: on receipt of written external references the internal Standing Members
will make a final decision as to whether or not to recommend that the application be
considered by a full Panel (ie. by the two external Professors).
Stage 3: the Panel will consider all the written submissions, including comments
from the two external Professors, and decide on the appointment based on this
information. The candidate will not be called to meet the Panel.
The Professorship and Readership Panel’s decision must be unanimous. In the
case of applications for appointment as Professors of Anglia Ruskin University,
where the Panel does not approve appointment as a Professor, the Panel may
immediately consider appointment as a Reader where the candidate does not
already hold this appointment.
Stage 4: candidates will receive written confirmation of the Panel’s decision within
seven days of the final meeting.
Unsuccessful candidates will be given detailed feedback on request by a
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member of the Panel.
Unsuccessful candidates may reapply at a future date but normally a period of at
least two years should elapse before a fresh application is made.
8.
NEW APPOINTMENTS OF PROFESSORS OR READERS
Subject to the approval of the appropriate authority of Anglia Ruskin University,
posts may be advertised as a Professorship or Readership. Anglia Ruskin
University’s approved Recruitment and Selection procedures will be followed but in
addition candidates will be asked to provide the detailed information specified in
section 4.3 of the ‘Titles and Designations’ document.
Individuals holding the title of Professor or Reader joining Anglia Ruskin
University from another UK University will have that Professorship or Readership
recognised by Anglia Ruskin University subject to ratification by the Vice Chancellor.
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