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Appointments Procedure - Academic Institutional Leadership Positions

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This procedure supports the Appointments Policy by setting out the appointment criteria, process and remuneration for Associate Deans, Sub Deans, Associate Heads of School, Course Directors, Heads of Discipline and Research Centre Directors.

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Section 2 - Glossary

(2) Terms used are defined in the Appointments Policy and, for the purpose of this procedure, the following are also defined:

  1. Academic institutional leadership position – means leadership positions within faculties and divisions that are normally held concurrently with a substantive academic appointment.
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Section 3 - Policy

(3) This procedure supports the Appointments Policy.

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Section 4 - Procedures

Term of appointment and eligibility

(4) Subject to the terms of appointment, an academic institutional leadership appointment is normally held concurrently with an academic position.

(5) The term of appointment and eligibility for appointment is set out in the following table:

Position Term of appointment Eligibility
Associate Deans, Sub Deans,  Associate Heads of School, Course Directors, Head of Discipline Up to three years, or as recommended by the Executive Dean
Normally made from academic staff of the faculty who hold an appointment at Level C or above, or may be advertised externally.
Executive Director, Research Institutes Up to three years as recommended by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). The position may be full time or fractional.
External appointment: appointment may be in conjunction with a fixed-term or continuing substantive appointment as an Associate Professor or Professor.
Internal appointment: normally made from academic staff who hold an appointment at Level C or above. Where the appointee does not hold the title of Associate Professor or Professor in their substantive appointment, they will hold the title of Associate Professor for the period of their appointment. This title is relinquished upon the conclusion of the appointment as Executive Director, Research Institute.

(6) Appointments that are held concurrently with a substantive academic appointment may be renewed for a further period by mutual agreement. There is no limit on the number of terms a person may be appointed to an academic institutional leadership position.

(7) Unless otherwise determined by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) or Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), a person who is absent for three months or more is normally required to relinquish the academic institutional leadership position.

Appointment process

(8) The appointment of academic institutional leadership positions would normally be through an internal expression of interest process from within the relevant faculty.

(9) The delegated officer may, as circumstances require, appoint a person to act in an academic institutional leadership position.

(10) Nothing in this procedure precludes the University from filling an academic institutional leadership position by invitation.

(11) Applications for the positions are considered as set out in the following table:

Position Committee
Associate Deans, Sub Deans, Associate Heads of School, Course Directors, Head of Discipline
By a committee comprising the relevant Executive Dean of faculty as the presiding officer and:
  1. one or more Heads of School and a senior academic from within faculty or from other faculty (for Associate Head of School or Associate Dean), or
  2. members of the faculty leadership team (for Sub Dean, Course Director or Head of Discipline).
Executive Director, Research Institute
By a committee comprising of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) as the presiding officer, the Executive Dean of the relevant faculty, and up to two other persons nominated by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).
Note: For externally advertised appointments this may include one person external to the University of executive rank (or equivalent) who is a specialist in the professional area to which the appointment is to be made.

(12) The holding of interviews is at the discretion of the relevant committee and in making their nomination of committee members, the delegated officer will seek gender representation and diversity of membership which has sufficient expertise in the discipline area.

Accountabilities and criteria for appointment

(13) The accountability statements and criteria for appointment of academic institutional leadership positions are linked under the Guidelines section of this procedure.

(14) These accountabilities operate in conjunction with:

  1. the University's Delegations and Authorisations Policy, and
  2. the University’s policy and procedures relating to the academic and related work of the University.

(15) Continuation of an appointment in an academic institutional leadership position is subject to a satisfactory annual performance review through the University's Employee Development and Review Scheme. An appointment may be terminated by the delegated officer with four weeks’ notice.

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(16) Position descriptions are stated in the following attachments:

  1. Accountability Statement and Criteria for Appointment - Research Centre Director
  2. Position description - Associate Dean (Academic)
  3. Position description - Associate Dean (Research)
  4. Position description - Associate Head of School
  5. Position description - Course Director
  6. Accountability Statement and Criteria for Appointment - Sub-Dean