Supplementary guidelines for promotion to professor

Introduction

This document contains relevant sections of the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University (UU AR) and the Faculty of Languages’ supplementary guidelines for promotion from senior lecturer to professor.

Instructions to applicants are attached as an appendix to the document. These instructions may be used by the referees as support.

Relevant sections of the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University, UFV 2019/1673 (revised on 22 April 2021)

Promotion (Chapter 6)

Promotion in general

Section 46 Promotion may be requested only by teachers who are permanently employed by the University and active at the time of application, and by associate senior lecturers.

Section 47 Disciplinary Domain Boards or Faculty Boards issue supplementary criteria for promotion, specific to the disciplinary domain or faculty concerned, to supplement the qualification requirements for each category of teachers. Section 48 The subject area is normally the same as for the appointee’s previous post, but may be changed if there are special reasons for doing so.

Promotion from senior lecturer to professor

Section 49 Promotion of a senior lecturer to professor, or of a lecturer to senior lecturer, entails a skills review and a change of job title. A senior lecturer or lecturer who has been promoted is not entitled to changed duties or terms and conditions of employment.

Section 50 A senior lecturer is promoted to professor and a lecturer to senior lecturer if he or she applies for this promotion in writing, is eligible for it and has been assessed as suitable for such a post according to the specific criteria laid down by the respective Disciplinary Domain Board or Faculty Board.

Section 51 Promotion from senior lecturer to professor may not take place earlier than five years after the doctoral degree, in order to ensure adequate experience of independent research work and doctoral supervision, unless there are special reasons for doing so.

Section 52 Before announcing a vacant post as lecturer or senior lecturer, the Disciplinary Domain Board or Faculty Board may decide to allow direct promotion. Accordingly, at the time of the appointment, an applicant can apply for and be granted promotion to a higher post.

Section 53 A written application from a senior lecturer or lecturer to be considered for promotion must be received by the Disciplinary Domain Board or Faculty Board concerned not later than nine months before the applicant’s current employment comes to, or is expected to come to, an end.

Recruitment process (Chapter 7)

7.4.1 Preparation

Section 79 Disciplinary domain/faculty boards are responsible for processing recruitment and promotion matters, including fixed-term teaching appointments, and are to adopt complementary instructions and procedures for this process. Section 80 One precondition for appointing an associate senior lecturer is the existence of a documented operational need and financial scope for a senior lecturer appointment within the relevant subject area.

Section 81 The head of the department to which the vacant position belongs in organisational terms is to have the right to attend and speak at meetings processing the recruitment and promotion of teachers. However, the head of department must not participate in the part of this processing that is devoted to final deliberations on a proposal for a decision on the candidate to be appointed. At the proposal of the head of department or the vice-rector/dean, another representative from the department can substitute for the head of department.

Section 82 One or more recruitment committees or equivalent bodies can be appointed to deal with appointment and/or promotion matters.

6.4.3 Referees

Section 88 When appointing or promoting an individual to professor (including adjunct professor or visiting professor) or senior lecturer (including adjunct senior lecturer) or associate senior lecturer, at least two referees from other higher education institutions or the equivalent must be engaged to assess the expertise of applicants, unless this is manifestly unnecessary.

Section 89 Guidelines on engaging and instructing referees are to be issued by the disciplinary domain/faculty board for the purpose of rationalising the work of referees and assuring its quality.

The Faculty’s supplementary guidelines on promotion from senior lecturer to professor

Process

A permanently employed senior lecturer who wishes to apply for promotion to professor reports this to the faculty administrator who, following consultation with the applicant, opens a case for further processing. The applicant is requested to fill in the application according to Appendix 1.

As part of the process, the recruitment group, in addition considering the written documentation, also conducts an interview with the applicant. The applicant must also make a brief presentation of his or her research carried out, plans for future research projects and basic view of teaching.

Assessment criteria in general

The Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University (UU AR) state, under 4.1 Assessment criteria, that:

‘Section 18 A Disciplinary Domain Board or Faculty Board may adopt definitions of expertise specific to the domain or faculty concerned. These supplement and further specify the definitions of expertise found in Sections 19–31’

Of the six assessment criteria for teacher appointments that are listed in the University’s Appointment Regulations, four are relevant to the Faculty of Languages: expertise in research, teaching, administration and management respectively.

Although the Appointment Regulations acknowledges that only research expertise and teaching expertise are considered essential, all four of the above-mentioned assessment criteria are taken into account for promotion from senior lecturer to professor at the Faculty of Languages. Under the Appointment Regulations, the administrative and management expertise assessment criteria in appointments involve or may come to involve administrative work and staff supervision respectively.

Among the four assessment criteria, research expertise has a special status. In a comprehensive evaluation, research expertise is therefore an essential requirement. An applicant’s possession of particularly advanced teaching, administrative or management expertise does not mean that the requirement of research expertise may be lowered. Above all, the applicant’s qualifications relating to the past 10 years must be taken into account.

1. Research expertise

UU AR 4.2.1 Teaching appointments in general

Section 19 Research expertise is an assessment criterion in appointment of professors and senior lecturers.

Section 20 Research expertise relates to research qualifications. In assessment of research expertise, research quality is the prime consideration. The scope of the applicant’s research, primarily in terms of depth and breadth, is also considered. Consideration is also given to the applicant’s capacity to plan, initiate, lead and develop research and education at research level, ability to obtain research funding in competition and demonstrated capacity for interaction with others, both within academia and in the wider community.

UU AR 5.1.1 Specific aspects of professor appointments: eligibility and assessment criteria

Section 31 Research expertise is demonstrated by independent research work and by the consistent international and national standard of the applicant’s work. The applicant must have demonstrated expertise in planning, initiating, leading and developing research; a capacity to obtain research funding in competition; and well-documented expertise in supervising research students. Criteria for assessing applicants’ contributions to the international and national academic community include quality and scope of academic publications in the publishing channels most relevant to the subject. Requirements for international qualifications are assessed with reference to the nature and specific conditions of the subject

Faculty of Languages

Research expertise is assessed according to the criteria specified in the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University, Section 31:

1. independent research work of a high international and national equality
2. capacity to obtain research funding in competition
3. well-documented expertise in supervising research students 4. expertise in planning, initiating, leading and developing research etc.

At the Faculty of Languages, the basis of assessment is as follows.

Independent research work

The applicant’s research production must, in terms of scale, quality, independence and ambition level, considerably exceed what is required for the post of associate professor (docent status). It must show both breadth, depth and clear development of research.

This production may comprise both books and articles of varying length, depending on the publication strategies of the discipline, but should correspond to at least three doctoral theses in quantitative terms.

To a large extent, the production must be published in publication channels that have good national and international distribution and are recognised for the subject area concerned.

Research funding in competition

The applicant must be able to document success in obtaining external funding from research councils, foundations or similar funders with respect to project research or longterm posts obtained in national or international competition.

Supervising research students

In the capacity of supervisor, the applicant should have supervised at least one doctoral student during the greater part of the study programme period up to completion of the doctoral degree. In the event that the applicant has not been a main supervisor, the scope and content of the supervision must be clearly specified. Exemption from the requirements of supervision in research education may be granted if there are special reasons for doing so, based on the nature of the doctoral education subject. In such cases, experience of supervision at other levels must be described by the applicant.

The applicant must have had at least three weeks’ training in supervision of doctoral students.

Planning, initiating, leading and developing research etc.

Research expertise and commitment over and above the applicant’s own research is required. Examples are the ability to develop research fields, take responsibility for research environments and successfully complete projects. The applicant is also expected to be active in the research community by taking on several varied academic positions of trust, such as assignments as opponent in a public PhD thesis defence and examiner, assignments as referee for appointments and journals, editorial posts, membership of academic editing councils, etc. (see Appendix 1).

Experience of collaborating with stakeholders outside academia also confers a qualification.

2. Teaching expertise

UU AR 4.2.2 Teaching appointments in general

Section 21 Teaching expertise is an assessment criterion in appointment of a professor, senior lecturer and lecturer.

Section 22 Teaching expertise comprises educational and teaching qualifications. In assessment of teaching expertise, teaching quality is the prime consideration. The scope of the applicant’s teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, is also considered. Consideration is also given to the applicant’s capacity to plan, initiate, lead and develop education and teaching; ability to connect teaching with research based on research in the subject concerned; subject didactics; and teaching in higher education. Teaching expertise also includes capacity for interaction, concerning issues of teaching in higher education, with stakeholders both within and outside academia.

UU AR 5.1.1 Specific aspects of professor appointments: eligibility and assessment criteria

Section 32 Teaching expertise must have been shown by means of educational and teaching qualifications in accordance with Section 23. In addition, the applicant must demonstrate well-documented expertise in supervision at basic (bachelor’s), advanced (master’s) and research (doctoral) level.

A precondition for teaching expertise being deemed to exist is the applicant’s completion of at least ten weeks’ academic teacher training relevant to work at the University, or corresponding knowledge. The academic teacher training may be implemented during the first two years’ employment if there are special reasons for doing so. The teacher training must also include doctoral supervision

Faculty of Languages

Teaching expertise must be assessed according to the criteria specified in the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University, Sections 22 and 32:

1. the applicant’s own teaching: quality, breadth and depth
2. expertise in planning, initiating, leading and developing teaching and education etc.

At the Faculty of Languages, the assessment is carried out on the following basis.

Own teaching: quality, breadth and depth

The applicant must have documented, broad experience of education at basic and advanced levels and various forms of teaching, and of supervision of independent degree projects.

The applicant must have shown an ability to link the teaching with research.

The applicant must have attended at least 10 weeks’ academic teacher training (see Appendix 1).

Applicants must report their teaching qualifications in such a way that their quality and scope can be assessed.

Expertise in planning, initiating, leading and developing teaching and education etc.

The appointment requires teaching expertise and commitment, such as the ability to develop courses and programmes, implement teaching projects, produce teaching material, take part in educational conferences and in evaluations of courses and programmes, be a member of working groups and review bodies, and take up positions of trust, such as director of studies, programme coordinator or subject coordinator (see Appendix 1).

Experience of collaboration with stakeholders outside academia also confers a qualification.

3. Administrative and management expertise

Administrative expertise concerns ability to organise, plan and prioritise work effectively within defined time frames. The applicant’s administrative qualifications must be documented in the form of certificates concerning administrative work, such as operational planning and resource management, and active participation in working groups, committees, boards and councils.

UU AR Teaching appointments in general

Section 27 Administrative expertise constitutes an assessment criterion in appointments that involve or may come to involve administrative work.

Section 28 Administrative expertise is demonstrated by means, for example, of the applicant’s capacity to plan, organise and prioritise work in an efficient and taskrelated manner, and ability to specify and observe time frames. Expertise includes overarching planning of operations, a capacity to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities and an ability to work in a structured way, based on awareness of goals and quality.

Section 29 Management expertise is an assessment criterion in appointments that involve or may come to involve work management, i.e. responsibility for leading operations and/or staff.

Section 30 Management expertise is demonstrated by means of the capacity to lead operations and staff, make decisions, take responsibility, and motivate others, providing them with what is needed for the efficient achievement of common goals.

An ability to coordinate the group and help create a sense of involvement,

participation and enjoyment in work and an ability to manage conflicts are further examples of demonstrated expertise

Faculty of Languages

Administrative and management expertise are assessed according to the criteria specified in the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University, Sections 28 and 30:

1. capacity to plan, organise and prioritise work and manage resources
2. capacity to lead operations and staff, motivate and facilitate matters for others.

At the Faculty of Languages, the assessment is based on broad qualifications that, after a comprehensive appraisal, are deemed sufficient. Since administration and management take place in Swedish to a large extent, the applicant must be able to use Swedish as a working language.

Planning, organising and prioritising work and managing resources

In a balanced assessment for the purpose of promotion, assignments with responsibility for education and educational development are given special consideration.

Leading operations and staff, facilitating for others

Management expertise and commitment over and above the applicant’s own research and teaching are special qualifications. These may be demonstrated through a capacity to manage operations and staff well; take responsibility for attainment of common goals; facilitate operational development; and contribute to a good work environment.

They are shown by means of knowledge and education in management and/or experience of taking part in management of a unit, department, faculty or university.

If the applicant has participated actively in working groups at department, faculty, disciplinary domain or university level, this experience too is taken into account (see Appendix 1).

Appendix 1

Instructions to applicants

Activities that may be included in the qualifications considered are listed below. Some are requirements for promotion, while others form part of a comprehensive assessment. These instructions are a guide to applicants in formulating their applications.

The application must contain the following parts: curriculum vitae (CV), research qualifications, teaching qualifications, management expertise and administrative expertise. See the Faculty of Language’ instructions to applicants for teaching appointments (SPRÅKFAK 2012/64, Appendix 2).