Scheme A is for those academic teaching & scholarship staff on Grades 9 and above. (Senior) Teaching Associates on Grades 6, 7 and 8 are catered for by Scheme B. Scheme A consists of a promotion scheme to progress from Grade 9 to Grades 10, 11 and 12 and a pay progression (contribution reward scheme) for University Associate Professors / Associate Teaching Professors at the top of Grade 10.
Criteria
Excellence is expected of all staff and the purpose of the progression and promotions system is to recognise outstanding contributions and celebrate teaching and scholarship achievements. Assessment is based on contributions in teaching and scholarship and service to the University and to the academic community.
All applicants for promotion must show service to the University and/or to the wider academic community and are expected to share and role model the University’s values in promoting collegiality and mutual respect.
For clinical academics, performance will also be assessed under the additional heading of clinical activity in their NHS Trust/body role.
Teaching & Scholarship Criteria
An applicant seeking promotion on the Teaching and Scholarship career path is required to show consistent and sustained excellence in providing high-quality education that benefits from and engages with Cambridge’s research-rich environment and engagement in scholarship of relevance to their discipline.
At this level a contribution to postgraduate as well as undergraduate education is desirable. It is recognised that effective contributions may differ between disciplines and that an applicant’s contribution is therefore to be assessed in the context of their Department/Faculty’s expectations, including the local workload model where applicable. Evidence from relevant College teaching could also be used to demonstrate the individual’s wider contribution to Teaching & Scholarship.
Service Criterion
An applicant seeking promotion on the Teaching & Scholarship career path is required to show an effective service contribution. University members are expected to demonstrate and promote collegiality by nurturing a culture of mutual respect. The University recognises that people may contribute in different ways at different times and that as individuals become more senior they may be asked to take on more commitments that are external to the University. Nevertheless the University normally expects applicants to demonstrate some degree of service contribution that is internal to the University. Evidence of contributions in College may also be recognised as contributing service to the wider University.
Progression to Grade 11 and Grade 12 involves a broadening of the contribution to education from excellence in teaching practice, to an increasingly significant contribution to the organisation and management of departmental education and student support activity, leadership in educational transformation (including curricula and assessment, pedagogy and innovative use of technology enhanced learning), research relevant to subject knowledge in the discipline and/or of relevance to education in the discipline; and strategic involvement in education matters at Faculty/Department and University wide level.
A national/international reputation would be expected for promotion to Grade 11 or Grade 12.
This scheme provides for contribution increments to be awarded for significant and sustained contributions to individuals at the top service point of Grade 10.
The assessment of contribution by a University Associate Professor and Associate Teaching Professor (Grade 10) should be clearly related to the institution’s strategic plans and should recognise the individual’s achievement in teaching and general service to the community which is likely to contribute to the future academic success of the University.
Contribution increments may be awarded to applicants who can demonstrate:
- Outstanding and sustained excellence in teaching and scholarship and
- Outstanding and sustained service and contributions to the University and the academic community beyond the University.
- For clinical academics, performance will also be assessed under the additional heading of clinical activity in their NHS Trust/body role.
Applicants are also expected to demonstrate the University’s values of collegiality and mutual respect, and role model these positive standards. Evidence should be provided, with reference to the Teaching & Scholarship and Service criteria for a Grade 10 outlined below.
If an applicant is successful, this level of contribution then becomes the normal expectation in the role. Therefore, the same evidence will not attract additional contribution rewards in future.
It would not normally be expected that an application for increments from the same Grade 10 applicant is made in two successive Contribution Reward Scheme exercises. However, if one increment has been awarded in a previous exercise, an application can be made for an additional increment in a subsequent CRS exercise.
The table below contains the Teaching & Scholarship and Service criteria for promotion to Grade 10, Grade 11 and Grade 12, specifying how many need to be evidenced, and weightings to be applied, as further explained in the section on performance descriptors and scoring below. Academic teaching & scholarship staff are expected to contribute significantly to excellence in teaching, learning and assessment and it is therefore expected that all will evidence fulfilment of T&S criteria 1 and 2 as well as 3 and/or 4, as well as the Service criterion.
| Grade 9 to Grade 10 | Grade 10 to Grade 11 | Grade 11 to Grade 12 | ||
| Core weighting requirements: | T&S: Service: |
At least 3 (80%) Yes (20%) |
At least 3 (70%) Yes (30%) |
At least 3 (70%) Yes (30%) |
| Alternative weighting requirements: | T&S: Service: |
At least 3 (70%) Yes (30%) |
At least 3 (60%) Yes (40%) |
At least 3 (60%) Yes (40%) |
| Teaching and Scholarship | 1 | Consistently delivers excellent teaching that benefits from and engages with Cambridge’s research-rich environment and is intellectually challenging | Consistently delivers and leads excellent teaching that benefits from and engages with Cambridge’s research-rich environment and is intellectually challenging | |
| 2 | A significant contribution to curriculum development and enhancement, informed by scholarship | Leadership, organisation and management of education provision with impact on curriculum development and enhancement, informed by scholarship | ||
| 3 | A strong track record of scholarship in the discipline and/or related to enhancement of teaching, learning and assessment | A sustained and strong track record of scholarship in the discipline and/or related to enhancement of teaching, learning and assessment | ||
| 4 | An effective contribution to strategic or developmental initiatives at University level and beyond | Significant contribution to strategic or developmental education initiatives at disciplinary, Faculty, University, sector and national/international levels | Effective leadership of strategic or developmental education initiatives at University, national or international levels | |
| Service to the Academic University | A consistent effective contribution of service to the University and to the academic community beyond the University. Promotes collegiality and engenders a culture of mutual respect. | A significant contribution of service to the University and to the academic community beyond the University. Promotes collegiality and engenders a culture of mutual respect. | A significant contribution of service and leadership to the University and to the academic community beyond the University. Promotes collegiality and engenders a culture of mutual respect. | |
Applicants for promotion will need to evidence sustained excellence in relation to these criteria. University Associate Professors and Associate Teaching Professors appointed at Grade 9 who have been confirmed in post following a successful probationary period will need to evidence the contribution made since the end of their probationary period when applying for promotion to Grade 10.
University Associate Professors and Associate Teaching Professors who have already been successfully promoted (e.g. from Grade 8 to Grade 9, in accordance with Scheme B) and are now seeking promotion to Grade 10, will need to evidence the contribution made since their previous promotion and which builds on previous contribution.
For clinical academics, performance will also be assessed under the additional heading of clinical activity in their NHS Trust/body role.
Examples are provided below of the kinds of indicators of excellence which applicants may wish to evidence in their application. It is important for all applicants to note that these examples are suggestive in nature and non-exhaustive; not all the indicators will be relevant to all applicants, contexts or disciplines.
The onus is on the applicant to evidence their contribution according to the criteria above, as relevant to their current role (e.g. for the Grade 10 CRS) or to the stage of promotion being sought. Applicants for promotion should demonstrate how this contribution goes above and beyond the expectations of their role at the current grade of employment. Reference can be made to the applicant’s role profile or to generic Academic Teaching & Scholarship role profiles for the relevant grade. Evidence of an increasing level of responsibility/leadership is expected to be evidenced, the higher the level of promotion being sought. A contribution at national/international level and a national/international reputation are expected for promotion to (Teaching) Professorships at Grades 11 and 12.
Beyond the applicant’s own teaching, reflection is also invited on the role they themselves have played in any developments, initiatives, projects, committees (etc.) and the impact of this contribution on students / the wider discipline / Department / Faculty and/or on the work of their colleagues.
The example indicators of excellence and impact below have been clustered around generic criterion headings. Reference will need to be made to the criterion descriptor for the appropriate level specified in the table at A1.5 above.
Example Indicators in relation to Teaching and Scholarship criteria
| CRITERION 1: Delivery of excellent research-informed and intellectually challenging teaching | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| In addition, for promotion to Grades 11 and 12 | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| CRITERION 2: Contribution to curriculum development and enhancement | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| In addition, for promotion to Grades 11 and 12 | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| CRITERION 3: Track record of scholarship in the discipline and/or related to enhancement of teaching, learning and assessment | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| In addition, for promotion to Grades 11 and 12 | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| CRITERION 4: Contribution to strategic or developmental initiatives | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| In addition, for promotion to Grades 11 and 12 | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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Example Indicators in relation to service contribution
| CRITERION: Service to the University and wider academic community | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| In addition, for promotion to Grades 11 and 12 | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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