Human Resources
THE UNIVERSITY OF READING
PROBATIONARY
LECTURERS - REVIEW
OF APPOINTMENTS
The Head of School is asked to supply a signed report on the Probationary lecturer named below.
All the questions or points raised in each section below should be answered fully in the order
given, with the replies to each numbered correspondingly. Further information that the Head
considers relevant may also be supplied. A signed personal statement from the Probationary
Lecturer should be attached, in the form of a brief statement about his or her research activity,
with any other points he or she may wish to make to support the confirmation of his or her
appointment.
Name:
School/Department:
Date of commencement of
probationary appointment:
Length of probationary period:
Expiry date of probationary period:
OR, if a fixed term Lecturer to be considered under
the 5-year “rule”, the starting date and expiry date of
the fixed term, i.e. from:
to:
1. TEACHING
a) How much teaching has been allocated to the Probationary Lecturer (e.g. number of
hours, seminars, tutorials); and is this teaching load comparable with that of others in
the Department?
b) Has the Probationary Lecturer experience of a full range of teaching methods (e.g.
lecturing, seminar work, tutorials)?
c) What course(s) does the Probationary Lecturer teach?
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d) Which, if any, are new courses involving significantly extra time for preparation?
e) To what extent have you, or a member of your Department delegated by you, attended
any lectures, seminars or other classes conducted by the Probationary Lecturer?
f) In the light of your own knowledge, and also of evidence if available from other
members of your Department, what is your opinion of the Probationary Lecturer’s
teaching?
2. RESEARCH
a) Please list all publications by the Probationary Lecturer in each of the following
categories:
i.
ii.
iii.
Published work
Completed work accepted for publication
Completed work not yet submitted for publication.
The relevant date should be given for each item, and a clear indication of the category
to which it refers. In particular, work begun and/or completed before the Probationary
Lecturer’s current appointment should be identified if possible.
b) Has there been anything to prevent or delay publication (e.g. lack of specialist
journals, undue delay between acceptance and publication)?
c) If the Probationary Lecturer has not a higher degree, is he or she registered for a PhD?
If so, please state
i.
ii.
iii.
For how long he or she has been registered
The period if any he or she was engaged on the PhD research full-time (i.e.
as a full-time student)
The stage the thesis has reached (e.g. the likely date of submission).
d) What is the nature and topic of the Probationary Lecturer’s research? Please give
evidence (other than publications) of work in progress.
e) Has the Probationary Lecturer been engaged in any Departmental activity (other than
teaching) that would reduce the amount of effort he or she could normally be expected
to devote to research?
f) What is your opinion of the originality and quality of the research work in which the
Probationary Lecturer is engaged? Comments from senior members of your
Department may be attached if desired.
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3. OTHER ACTIVITIES
Please state any duties undertaken by the Probationary Lecturer
i.
ii.
within the University, other than teaching and research (e.g. examining;
administrative duties; membership of Faculty or University committees; acting
as Tutor (please state current number of tutorial students))
outside the University (e.g. examining; lecturing; professional involvement).
4. GENERAL COMMENTS
a) Are there any special circumstances attached to the Probationary Lecturer’s
appointment which are relevant to the review (e.g. introduction or development of new
courses; unexpectedly heavy teaching commitment)? If so, please specify.
b) Have you ever had occasion to warn the Probationary Lecturer about his or her
performance? If so, please give full information, including your assessment of the
improvement (if any) in his performance since the warning.
c) Do you consider that the Probationary Lecturer shows promise by his or her work and
enterprise of continuing to develop as a University teacher and scholar?
d) Do you recommend that the Probationary Lecturer’s appointment
i.
ii.
iii.
be made permanent (with immediate effect), or
be extended for a further probationary period of one year and be reviewed
again in one year’s time; or
be terminated?
Please give a full account of the reasons for your recommendation.
If a person is being considered after 5 year’ service as a fixed term Lecturer, for
satisfactory completion of that “equivalent to probationary period”, it does not mean
that, if the review is successful, the person would be appointed to a “permanent”
Lectureship. What it would mean is that if the person is at some future date appointed
to what is intended to be a “permanent” Lectureship at this, or any other UK
University, it would not then be necessary for him or her to serve a formal
“probationary” period.
March 1999
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