Purpose
UCL has a structured probationary period for all new employees to welcome them to UCL and introduce them to the main duties and responsibilities of their post. It is a requirement of successful completion of probation for all new staff to complete UCL’s mandatory training programme.
In the case of staff undertaking teaching, the probation process supports a structured training programme for the role within the probationary period.
Objective Setting
It is the responsibility of the line manager to set achievable objectives for the probationary period (see Guidance for setting objectives)
Probation Period
The length of an employee’s probationary period is defined by their job role/grade as follows:
Job Role/Grade | Probationary Period (months) |
Professional Services Staff, Grades 1-6 | 6 |
Marie Curie Trainee | 6 |
Professional Services Staff, Grades 7-10 | 9 |
Research Staff (including Clinical) | 9 |
Academic (including Clinical) with substantial experience: | 12 |
Associate Lecturer (Teaching)/ Lecturer (Teaching) without substantial teaching experience | 24 |
Proleptic Fellows and Lecturers without substantial | 36 |
*A minimum of 3 years’ experience of teaching within Higher Education (full time equivalent).
**Proleptic Fellows are treated the same as academic staff for probation purposes, as they will become lecturers at the end of the Fellowship.
Teaching Qualifications (for inexperienced Lecturers and Proleptic Fellows)
Lecturers, Associate Lecturers (Teaching)/ Lecturers (Teaching), and Proleptic Fellows who have little or no experience of teaching in higher education prior to joining UCL, but who teach as part of their role, are expected to complete UCL Arena Two and achieve Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy within their probationary period. Further information is contained in Appendix C
Meetings
In addition to regular one-to-one meetings, 3 formal probationary meetings are to be held at the following intervals:
First meeting: At the end of the first month of employment.
Second meeting: At the mid-point of the probationary period (month 3/4/6/12/18). or, for Inexperienced Lecturers, during the 12th month of the probationary period.
Third Meeting (Inexperienced Lecturers only): End of second year
Final meeting: At least 4 weeks before the date on which the probationary period ends
The GEE Centre Assistant / Departmental EA will remind line managers when probationary meetings are due.
Successful Completion of Probation
Following successful completion of the probationary period an employee will be managed through one-to-one meetings, will be set new or continuing objectives, and be annually appraised.
New objectives should be set (and recorded) with reference to:
UCL Academic Career Framework (in the case of Research Staff) and
UCL’s Ways of Working (in the case of Research Technicians and Professional Services Staff)
Completed forms will be signed off by your Centre Director and logged on MyHR by your Centre Assistant.
Further information: