Academic career pathways framework

Introduction

Oxford Brookes University is committed to supporting the career development of academics at all stages of their career, and to helping its people to reach their potential and make a significant contribution to their discipline, the University and society more broadly. We welcome those who have started their careers in other professions or in industry and recognize the importance of bringing new perspectives into our teaching and research.

As an Oxford Brookes academic, there are opportunities to progress from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, and to be promoted by the Senior Academic Promotions Committee (SAPC) to Associate Professor and Professor, and through the four grades of Professor.

For staff on research-only contracts, there are opportunities for progression from Research Fellow to Senior Research Fellow and then for promotion through SAPC to Associate Professor, Professor and through the grades of Professor.

Pathways

Promotions through SAPC take place in one of three pathways, which help staff to structure their career, focus applications for promotion, and identify areas for development:

Education and HE Practice (EHEP)
Education, Knowledge Exchange and Professional Practice (EKEPP)
Education and Research (ER)

Career paths may change over time and therefore the framework allows people to choose a criterion from another pathways when applying for promotion and to move to a different pathway for future promotions.

Grade	Education and HE Practice (EHEP)	Education, Knowledge Exchange and Professional Practice (EKEPP)	Education and Research (ER)
9	Lecturer	Lecturer	Lecturer or Research Fellow
Progression from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer
10/11	Senior Lecturer	Senior Lecturer	Senior Lecturer or Senior Research Fellow
Promotion via an application to the Senior Academic Promotions Committee
12	Associate Professor	Associate Professor	Associate Professor
Promotion via an application to the Senior Academic Promotions Committee
Prof SS1-4	Professor SS1-4	Professor SS1-4	Professor SS1-4

Overview of Core and Optional Criteria

Applicants for promotion, whichever level are applying for and in every pathway, are asked to provide evidence against four criteria, one core and three optional.

All applicants must provide evidence against the core criterion of Education, Academic Citizenship and Leadership.

The three pathways each contain three criteria. Each applicant selects and presents evidence against two criteria from their chosen pathway and one other criterion, which can be the third criterion from their pathway or one of the criteria from the other two pathways.

Those who are applying on the Education and Research pathway are required to present evidence against both the High Quality Research Outputs and the Sustainable Research Funding criteria.

Those who are applying on the Education, Knowledge Exchange and Professional Practice pathway must present evidence against the High Quality Outputs from KE, Innovation, Enterprise or Professional Practice criterion.

The criteria are:

Core: Education, Academic Citizenship and Leadership.

Education and HE Practice pathway

Curriculum Enhancement
Innovation in Teaching in support of Student Experience and/or Outcomes.
Leadership in Educational Practice and/or Portfolio Development.

Education and research

High Quality Research Outputs.
Sustainable Research Funding.
External Engagement and Leadership of Others in the Field of Research.

Education, knowledge exchange and professional practice

High Quality Outputs from KE, Innovation, Enterprise or Professional Practice.
Sustainable Income from KE, Innovation, Enterprise or Professional Practice.
External Engagement and Leadership of Others, including Economic or Societal Impact from Knowledge Exchange activities and/or Professional Practice.