UCL Professorial Pay Review
Briefing for members
UCL University College Union
February 2008
Pay Banding
1 Pay Banding - 2008
– Criteria based on Professorial Promotion criteria, but extended
upwards (still being tweaked):
• Bands 2, 3: hit X out of Y qualitative criteria (concentration on
research)
• We proposed to do a dry run with first 10% of submissions to see
whether criteria are realistic and discipline neutral.
– Process of collecting CVs and evaluation by Deans
• Questions of monitoring consistency of decisions.
– Matching to bands
• Promotion: Pay will go up to bottom of next band.
• Demotion: 2 year pay protection, then frozen.
• May appeal.
– Going forward: can apply for promotion between bands annually
• Cost: UCL spending 2x 2007 budget for promotions
Biennial review
2 Biennial review - starts 2009
– Process to follow on from biennial appraisal
• Possible concern about linkage
– Professors will be required to complete an annual report of their
achievements and progress against their objectives
– Web-based pro-forma
– Based on ‘judgment of contribution’ (relative to these objectives):
• ‘below par’: freeze in salary - support should be offered
• ‘above par’: real terms salary rise
– Appeal process:
• HoD makes initial recommendation, appeal will be outside dept
• Possible concerns about consistency of objectives and their viability
Banding Criteria
• 3 bands:
– Band 1 = Professorial appointment criteria
– Band 2 = Band 1 + 4 out of 6 additional criteria
– Band 3 = Band 2 + 6 out of 10 additional criteria
• Consultation over content of criteria
– Individual and collective consultation
– Will be subject to monitoring and review
• General points
– Inclusive principle: worded in a deliberately general way (but must
be measurable)
– Are criteria possible to fulfil in all disciplines?
• UCL says they may not be
• Formalising criteria does not necessarily imply equality across
disciplines
• Current professorial salaries are skewed
– Without data we don’t really know - hence a 5 year review
Band 1 (UCL’s promotion criteria)
Research & Knowledge Transfer:
Research
• An outstanding international research profile with substantial seminal contributions to
knowledge or other outcomes appropriate to the discipline
• As appropriate to the discipline, evidence of successful collaborations with other
research teams/Institutions and significant and sustained success in obtaining
research grants
• An appropriate number of research students successfully supervised and, as
appropriate to the discipline, proven and sustained success in research leadership
and/or management of a research team
Knowledge transfer
• Involvement (as appropriate to the discipline) in knowledge transfer/exchange which
impacts on practice or on quality of life through ongoing engagement with
communities.
Band 1 (UCL’s promotion criteria)
Teaching & Enabling
Teaching
• Evidence of developing and delivering challenging and innovative learning
activities/teaching materials and of evaluating their impact on student learning
• Experience of introducing innovative changes to the curriculum and of a significant
contribution to the skills/knowledge base in relation to teaching and learning within an
Institution and/or discipline.
Enabling
• Evidence of academic leadership and a proven ability to lead, develop and motivate
colleagues, working as part of a team to achieve Departmental, Faculty or UCL goals
• Evidence of contributions to peer review bodies/committees, professional
organisations, learned societies, government committees or Research Councils etc
• Well-developed enabling skills and evidence of a significant contribution to the
management/administration of a Department/Faculty at UCL.
Band 2 Research & Knowledge Transfer
In addition to the Band 2 criteria they meet 4 of the 6 following criteria:
Research (in addition to the Band 1 research criteria )
•
Evidence of active involvement in the development and achievement of the research
strategy within the Faculty
•
Acknowledgement of the importance of one's work through the award of Fellowships
of learned societies, highly prestigious prizes and other such honours as appropriate
to the discipline.
Knowledge transfer
•
Substantial engagement with national or international partners in the public
dissemination of information to the benefit of the community, or the population at large
or to the commercial sector.
–
Some examples of partners in the area of knowledge transfer are NGOs, Museums,
Government Departments & Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Charities, International
Foundations, Arts and Science Festivals, Schools, Beacon Projects for public engagement,
the Media etc.
Band 2 Teaching & Enabling
In addition to the Band 2 criteria they meet 4 of the 6 following criteria (continued):
Teaching
•
Active, ongoing leadership of review (or development of) the curriculum or
teaching/assessment methodologies or the management of teaching within UCL
Enabling
•
Active contribution to the achievement of UCL's strategic goals beyond the area of
research and teaching (for example widening participation, International Strategy,
equality and diversity, UCL's Capital campaign etc.)
•
Evidence of acting as a successful ambassador for UCL on a matter(s) of strategic
importance
Band 3 Research & Knowledge Transfer
In addition to the Band 2 criteria they meet 6 of the 10 following criteria:
Research
• World leading research in own discipline (funded continuously from external sources
where appropriate to the discipline) and international collaborations at world leading
institutions
• World class reputation such that his/her research group (if s/he has one) are recruited
from around the world and s/he is sought after to present prestigious named lectures.
• A continuous stream of doctoral and post doctoral students with an outstanding record
of progression in their chosen field on completion. A record of consistently developing
other researchers either within his/her group and/or through collaboration or sharing of
expertise outside own Faculty and UCL
Knowledge transfer
• Lead advisor to national governmental or related agencies or international bodies such
as the EU, the UN, UNESCO etc. on global issues
• Advisory or consultancy work that has, and continues to significantly broaden the
understanding of the discipline
• Evidence of successfully developing own work for the commercial market through
patents and licenses, spin out companies etc. and of sharing expertise in this regard
Band 3 Teaching & Enabling
In addition to the Band 2 criteria they meet 6 of the 10 following criteria (continued):
Teaching
• Maintains active leadership of
 review/development of the curriculum or
 teaching/assessment methodologies or
 the management of teaching within UCL
• Makes a seminal contribution to the development and delivery of teaching in own
subject area or an educational contribution on a regular basis to national or
international audiences.
Enabling
• Evidence of an active role in the strategic development and management of the
Faculty
• Evidence of significant and influential involvement in UCL wide activity furthering
UCL's strategic aims
Further Consultation
•
Consultation
– Improvement of the criteria?
– Ensuring proper process, fairness, consistency?
– Review after five years
•
Questions
– What about profs who undertake UCL-wide roles that HoDs cannot
reasonably evaluate? (the process needs to deal with this)
– Will the band parameters increase with pay awards? (yes)
– How regularly can one apply to change bands? (annually)
– How often can one receive a salary increase in band? (biennially)
– Can one receive a salary increase within band if one has unsuccessfully
applied to change band? (yes - different criteria for success)
– How good is the data on corporate databases? (offer to help test the
interactive form gratefully accepted)
•
Write to Sarah Brant (Director of HR): s.brant@ucl.ac.uk
•
Write to UCU: r.m.jones@ucl.ac.uk