New UCL Academic Careers Framework now online

The UCL Academic Careers Framework is now available online.  

The Framework, which was developed through wide consultation, embodies a whole new approach to professional development and career

It supports a stated aim of our institutional strategy, UCL 2034, to recognise and encourage the diversity of modern academic careers and is designed to support every type of academic career path at UCL.

The key characteristics of this approach are:

• A single framework for academic promotions at all levels
• Criteria focused on personal impact across education, research, enterprise and external engagement, and institutional citizenship
• Enabling a mixed portfolio or specialism in education, research or enterprise.

The Academic Careers Framework also seeks to place education on an equal footing to research and has introduced the new role of Professorial Teaching Fellow at Grade 10. 

Professor Anthony Smith, Vice-Provost (Education and Student Affairs) said: ‘Whether you deliver research and education in equal measure, specialise in public engagement or enterprise or focus on teaching and institutional citizenship, the Framework makes sure that personal impact is measured consistently across UCL.’

A final formatted version of the Framework, together with user guides and case studies, will be available in advance of the 2017-18 Promotions Round. The application process is planned to run from 23 October to 4 December with results confirmed in the summer of 2018. Personal impact will be a key component of any new application for promotion and representative examples are outlined in the framework. However, it should be noted that these are examples only and they cannot be expected to totally encompass the wide variety of contributions that our academic staff make.

As well as supporting the process of building a case for promotion, the Framework should be used in all aspects of academic careers, including to:

• carry out appraisals
• identify development opportunities for yourself and your team
• design new roles and draw up job descriptions.