The Academic Promotions Framework sets out to recognise and encourage the many diverse contributions colleagues make to the success of the University and its impact in the world. Rooted in academic excellence and collegiality, the Framework comprises three domains that are seen as the enduring essence of academic work.
Criteria, examples and quality indicators have been carefully written to reflect the current and future nature of higher education careers, and colleagues should be able to recognise their roles and use the framework to understand and plan pathways to success. As the sector evolves and the University gains experience in its application, the framework will be reviewed periodically to ensure it is fit for purpose, maintaining our principles of excellence, flexibility and fairness.

Domains

Education and Student Experience

The design, delivery and development of inclusive education. It includes the reflective practice and collaboration that enable both professional development and enhanced quality of the learning experience. At more advanced levels, this domain includes pedagogic research and educational development that lead to impacts outside the University.

Research and Innovation

Original contributions to knowledge and their application to make a positive difference in the world through impact and innovation. As well as individual pursuit of understanding, this domain recognises importance of collaboration, cross-discipline connections and opening new areas of scholarship.

Citizenship

The contributions and behaviours that are essential for the University and higher education sector to function effectively for everyone, with a focus on proactive leadership, driving change and building a positive culture. It also includes operational roles and tasks that are shared among the academic community, and the behaviours of inclusion, responsibility and fairness that sustain a healthy community.

The University’s values of inclusion, integrity and ethics are implicit throughout the framework and applicants will be required to signal clearly how they are demonstrating them. Leadership and management are essential elements of many academic careers and can be demonstrated under any of the domain headings as appropriate. Applicants being considered for promotion will need to demonstrate their contribution and excellence in the domains, in various combinations depending on their contract types and career history. The framework and supporting documents should be used together to indicate clearly the quality of contribution required at each level, and examples of the kind of activities that academics are pursuing that can be used to evidence this contribution. In making a case for promotion, candidates are asked to evidence not just what they did, but why they chose that path, how they conducted themselves and how their work has made a difference. Particularly at higher levels, they should provide a narrative explaining their identity as an academic and how their contributions have advanced education, knowledge and practice in their field.

Principles

1. Excellence

The University of Bath aspires to global excellence in education, research and innovation, and so expects its academic staff to strive for the highest quality in their work as appropriate to their career stage and discipline.

2. Fairness

Academic colleagues have many different contexts, strengths and opportunities, and the scheme is designed to recognise excellence in many ways for many types of people.

3. Flexibility

The scheme takes account of the changing circumstances in an academic career, whether they are personal, institutional or disciplinary. Careers take different paths at different times, and the framework is intended to recognise that.

4. Clarity

The framework has a simple structure, allowing many different pathways and combinations of evidence, but with clear view of what is expected.

Profiles

The distributions of contributions and evidence to be provided are described as profiles, depending mostly on the contract held by the applicant. Within each of the three available profiles, there is flexibility to recognise different strengths and areas of focus. This is intended to giving colleagues the opportunity to build varied and flexible careers, able to contribute in different ways over time as their activities, ambitions and the needs of the University change.

Education and Research Profile

Contracted to undertake research and teaching. The majority of applicants will need to present evidence in three domains.

Education Specialist Profile

Contracted to undertake education, possibly including pedagogic research and educational development, but not usually expected to be involved in disciplinary research.

Research Specialist Profile

Contracted to undertake research, sometimes with a possibility (but not expectation) of limited involvement in teaching.

There may be special circumstances in which an applicant holding an Education and Research contract may submit a promotion application with a Specialist Profile. These circumstances are detailed in the process guidance.