When to apply
Cases can be considered at any Academic Staff Committee meeting, which take place five times a year.
Heads of Department (Dean of School of Management) will invite submissions for promotion from eligible staff at least once a year. In addition, applications can be made at any time of the year.
How to apply
Candidates for promotion to Professor are expected to have made:
a major contribution in one of the three categories at an outstanding level, and
an effective contribution in one other category
In exceptional cases, applications which are almost wholly on the basis of research will be considered.
If you believe you meet the criteria, you will need to complete the application form and submit this − along with the supporting documentation − to your Head of Department (Dean of School of Management).
As part of your supporting documentation you must include a metrics report. This can be provided by the Research Analytics Librarian research-analytics@bath.ac.uk who you will need to contact. Please give at least two weeks’ notice to request this report.
Next steps
Your Head of Department (Dean of School of Management) will consult senior staff within the Department on whether your submission for promotion is supported.
If your Head of Department (Dean of School of Management) supports your case, they will submit it to the Faculty along with:
the names and details of at least two independent referees as recommended by your Head of Department/Division.
The suggested referees should not be from the University of Bath, and should normally be full professors or of professorial standing. At least one must also be of international standing. Heads of Department/Division must seek the agreement of suggested referees to provide a reference before submitting the case to the Faculty.
Your Faculty will consider your application, supporting evidence, Head of Department/Division assessment and suggested referees and decide whether a prima facie case for promotion exists.
If a prima facie case is not established, you will be advised of this by your Head of Department (Dean of School of Management).
If a prima facie case is established, the Dean will provide their assessment of the case as a separate document as well as the minutes from the Faculty/School Promotions Committee and the aforementioned information to Human Resources. HR will contact the suggested referees by sending your full application (not including the Head of Department/Division and Dean’s assessment) and the criteria requesting their comments.
The referees will also be asked to provide the names of other referees who can be contacted by HR for a reference. Once at least four references are received (two of which must be second stage referees, such as from referees recommended by the first stage referees), your case will be considered at the next Academic Staff Committee.
Considering your case
Your Head of Department and Dean of Faculty/School will be invited to attend ASC to answer any questions the Committee may have to make a decision.
There is the option for the Head of Department and Dean of Faculty/School to bring with them an expert in the discipline of your subject matter.
Academic Staff Committee will decide whether to:
confirm the promotion
decline the promotion
interview you before a decision is made.
Your Head of Department (Dean of School of Management) will be able to notify you of the outcome immediately after the Committee meeting.
Promotion will take effect from the 1st of the month following the Committee decision. For more information on starting salaries for successful promotions, please refer to the University guidance.
For successful promotions, you will be asked to agree a chair title with your Head of Department/Division and Dean of Faculty/School, notifying HR for approval.
If a case for promotion is not supported either by the Department or by Academic Staff Committee, your Head of Department/Division will arrange for a Personal Action Plan to be developed.
This page provides a summary only and should be read in conjunction with the Career Progression in the Education and Research Job Family: principles and framework document.
Deadlines for completed applications
Find out more about the deadlines for submitting your completed application to HR and when it will be considered by ASC.
Useful resources
This guide, related pages and the CPER document should be your first point of reference to understand more about the process, procedures and criteria for promotion. However, you might also find it helpful to refer to our academic promotion: useful information page to help answer questions you may have on individual topics.