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Teaching

Note: In order to achieve a score of 2 for an area, applicants must meet the criteria in bold for the grade to which they wish to be promoted.

• Subject Delivery and Teaching Activity

  Candidates will be recognised as high quality teachers and national subject experts in their area. They will be able to demonstrate evidence of mature successful teaching innovation, and will have disseminated best-practice beyond the bounds of the university.

  This may be evidenced by such things as:

  • A track record of positive peer evaluations.
  • Disseminated effective practice (Both nationally and through faculty or university-level initiatives).
  • Innovative development and sustained leadership within the school/faculty and the university more widely in the use of teaching, learning and assessment methods e.g. the creative utilisation of electronic resources and active learning pedagogy.
  • A reflective narrative as to how the candidate has engaged with and acted upon student and peer feedback, with good evidence of enhancement to academic practice.
  • Other evidence of effectiveness and/or innovation as the applicant feels might be appropriate to their case for promotion.
• Contribution to Viability and Growth of Provision

  Candidates will have a sustained track record of leading initiatives that support the viability and growth of provision e.g. non-regulated teaching income, grants or other income generating activity (short courses, summer schools etc.).

  This may be evidenced by some of the following:

  • Leadership in the development of and the successful marketing of curricula or methods of teaching designed to attract new student groups - for example international students, part-time students, post-graduate students or apprenticeships.  An established reputation with external agencies/clients and a portfolio of activities that leads to financial, reputational or other significant benefits to the university.
  • Grants awarded in support of pedagogic research.
• Mentoring and Supervision

  Candidates should have a sustained track record of mentoring staff and supervising staff and/or students.

  This may be evidenced by:

  • A leading contribution to teaching development through programmes or activities that benefit others e.g. contribution to teaching events or to internal/external publications about teaching.
  • A track record of mentoring and/or providing leadership to junior academic and/or support staff.
  • Leading involvement in the broader arena of the faculty and/or the university, including where appropriate, a significant period in a role providing pastoral care and guidance to students or colleagues.
• Esteem

  Candidates should undertake activities that contribute to the national and international teaching reputation of the university.

  This may be evidenced by at least five of the following:

  • Candidates will hold, as a minimum, Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
  • External Examining.
  • External experience of the evaluation of learning, teaching and assessment e.g. QAA reviewer and/or sustained involvement in external examining.
  • Recognition through the University’s Distinguished Teaching Fellowship scheme (or predecessor scheme) and/or a university nomination to the National Teaching Fellowship scheme.
  • Other national individual or team awards for teaching excellence.
  • Editorial roles including membership of editorial boards or conference organising committees in the field of higher education or subject specific pedagogy.
  • Recognition through the Students’ Union Learning and Teaching Awards.
  • Active role within a professional body or academic society.
  • SEDA Fellowship and/or ALT certified membership.
  • Invited keynote presentations at other institutions or at conferences.
• Scholarship

  Candidates should have a track record of scholarly activity that articulates their individual teaching practice with a wider national and international Scholarship of Teaching and Learning community at a level commensurate with the role.

  This may be evidenced by some of the following:

  • A significant record of high quality pedagogic related publications. Through their publications in the area of pedagogy in peer-reviewed academic journals, refereed conference proceedings and/or books and particularly in the case of the creative and performing arts, other public output that demonstrates quality and impact.
  • Adoption and evaluation of published effective teaching practices.
  • Authorship (individually or with others) of a well-received book. Evidence of esteem will include reviews and/or usage figures.
  • Recognition as a national and/or international authority in their area of teaching excellence and/or their subject/discipline.
• Leadership

  Candidates should demonstrate leadership in their subject area as commensurate with the role.

  This may be evidenced by:

  • Leadership in course management and curriculum design and pedagogy.
  • Leadership in learning and teaching activities (including those relating to quality assurance and enhancement and those related to placement activity) at faculty and university level, student retention and progression, assessment and feedback, student and graduate employability.
  • Leadership of marketing and course promotion activities.
  • Leadership of course development in partner institutions.
  • Some evidence of supporting the work of the subsidiary committees of the Senate.

Research and Impact

Note: In order to achieve a score of 2 for an area, applicants must meet the criteria in bold for the grade to which they wish to be promoted.

• Outputs

  Candidates will have a sustained record of high quality research publications, appropriate for their subject area. Through their publications in international peer-reviewed academic journals, refereed conference proceedings and/or books, and particularly in the case of the creative and performing arts, exhibitions and other research output that demonstrates quality and impact, candidates will have established themselves as recognised international authorities in their area of research.

  Commensurate with the nature of the Unit of Assessment (UoA)/subject discipline, this may be evidenced by such things as:

  • At least 4 outputs attributed to you in the most recent 6 year period that are regarded as internationally excellent with at least 2 of these outputs regarded as world leading.
  • An appropriate volume of total outputs.
  • A track record of outputs with international co-authors.
• Income Generation

  Candidates will have a sustained track record of securing external funding as a principal investigator or key contributor for research/research studentships.

  This may be evidenced by most of the following:

  • Sustained research income over several years in excess of the Benchmark Group Median for the discipline.
  • A track record of grants awarded from prestigious sources, for example, Research Council, Charities, Government and Industry.
  • Leadership in the development of research funding with national/international partners.
  • Leadership of successful collaboration with national and/or international centres of excellence in research.
  • Multi-disciplinary and/or multi agency research activity.
• Mentoring and Research Supervision

  Candidates should have a significant record of research student supervision to completion and/or staff supervision.

  This may be evidenced by some of the following:

  • A record of successful supervision of PGR students, including as main supervisor of the supervisory team.
  • A track record of leading and supervisory teams mentoring less experienced supervisors and ECRs who have not yet supervised to completion.
  • International co-supervision of PhD researchers.
  • Act as internal examiner and chair of PhD viva panels.
  • Supervision of postdoctoral researchers.
  • A track record of mentoring and/or providing leadership to academic staff and/or support staff.
• Esteem

  Candidates should contribute significantly to the national and international research reputation of the university.

  This may be evidenced by some of the following:

  • Recognition through the University's Distinguished Research Fellowship scheme.
  • Other national and/or international individual or team awards, or other distinctions, for research excellence.
  • Editorial roles including membership of editorial boards of international journals or conferences.
  • External Appointments demonstrating recognition and esteem relevant to the discipline.
  • Regular presence and keynote presentations at international conferences in chosen discipline, visiting scholarships, international academic research visits.
  • Membership of national or international committees associated with research.
  • Commissions from recognised funders; exhibitions, installations or performances in high profile venues; performances by renowned artists; broadcasts on national and/or international media.
• Impact

  Candidates should have undertaken research that has demonstrated sustained impact or pathways to impact in areas such as policy, culture, healthcare, quality of life, society, economy, academy or discipline.

  This may be evidenced by some of the following:

  • A sustained track record of contributions to outreach activities, where appropriate to the subject area.
  • Leadership of technology commercialisation and knowledge exchange projects/activity. - consultancy income, KTP projects, invention disclosures, patents, licensing activity.
  • Adoption of discoveries and policy-to-practice by external entities.
  • Contribution to a Research Impact Case Study.
  • Leadership in the development of research collaboration with industry or commerce.
  • Directorship/stake holding in commercial ventures.
• Leadership

  Candidates should demonstrate significant leadership in their subject and research area.

  This may be evidenced by some of the following:

  • Membership of university committees and/or working groups in the area of research and development.
  • Improved research performance of academic and research staff due to formal mentoring.
  • Leadership in research informed/research led/research driven teaching.
  • Leadership of a research project and associated activities.
  • Leadership of a research team.
  • Leadership of research activity at faculty and university level.

Civic and Institutional

Note: the criteria on Civic Contribution (within the assessment area on Civic and Institutional Contribution) should not be confused with the section on Research Impact (within the assessment area on Academic Excellence in Research and Impact). These are two distinct assessment areas.

The section within Civic and Institutional Contribution focuses on the applicant’s contribution to the full spectrum of intellectual, economic, social and cultural life of Northern Ireland and the alignment of this civic engagement to institutional contribution.

The section on impact within the assessment area on Academic Excellence in Research and Impact, focuses on the translation of research into value for the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment and/or quality of life, beyond academia.

Note: In order to achieve a score of 2 for an area, applicants must meet the criteria in bold for the grade to which they wish to be promoted.

• Civic Contribution

  Candidates should contribute to very high quality civic and institutional activities at a national level. They will be able to demonstrate evidence of established successful civic engagement that demonstrates quality and impact and will complement the University's reputation as a leading civic university.

  This may be evidenced by:

  • Leadership of university/campus. Outreach.
  • Leadership in the promotion of Ulster as an international university.
  • Leadership in widening access activities at school and faculty.
  • Leadership of school/faculty civic events with measurable and meaningful impact.
  • Effective use of teaching, learning and assessment methods which incorporate civic engagement activity e.g. programmes, short-courses and modules incorporating charitable components or community-based problem-solving and demonstrating wider economic and societal impacts as appropriate.
  • Elected member of relevant discipline or industry associations.
  • Leading the organisation of seminars, conferences and activities for the profession.
  • Leadership in civic engagement through teaching/research. Impact engagement with user communities.
• Institutional Contribution

  Candidates should contribute significantly to national and/or international activities supporting the institutional imperatives as captured within the University's five and fifty strategy and operationalised in the core business at the level of school/department.

  This may be evidenced by some of the examples below:

  • Leadership/chairing of school/faculty/university committees and/or initiatives with demonstrable outcomes/benefits.
  • Contribution to school/faculty wide activities that deliver the faculty plans.
  • Course Directorship.
  • Subject Partnership.
  • Income generation through consultancy and knowledge exchange in line with subject norms.
  • Lead new programme development (unit co-coordinator).
  • Leading activities that raise the external profile of the university (events, conferences, media etc.).
  • Contributions to open day, conversion events and school visits.
  • School/faculty wide roles including such things as:
    • Head of School.
    • Marketing.
    • Placement co-ordination.
    • Summer School.
    • Non-MASN co- ordination.
    • Global Champion.
    • Athena Swan Champion.
    • PSRB Champion.
    • Postgraduate Tutors.
    • Research team lead.
    • HLA Co-ordinator.
    • Leading significant income generation initiatives.
    • Generating meaningful partnerships.
    • Contribution of the Doctoral College’s Researcher Development Programme.
• Professional Contribution

  Candidates should demonstrate leadership positively within the collegial environment.

  This may be evidenced by:

  • Demonstrable leadership of team building activities and/or promoting school/faculty wide improvements for staff well-being.
  • Leadership of improvements in student experience (recruitment, mentoring, support networks, etc.) and employment programs.
  • Leadership in university outreach activities.
  • Leadership in mentoring peer academics.
  • External board membership aligned with subject.
  • Professional collaborations and innovations that support UG/PG partnership development.