Scheme B is for Senior Teaching Associates and Teaching Associates on Grades 6, 7 and 8. Academic teaching & scholarship staff on Grades 9 and above are catered for by Scheme A.
Scheme B provides for two different components for recognising sustained excellence and contribution:
A Contribution Reward Scheme which can result in awarding one or more contribution points within the staff member’s existing grade (including use of the discretionary points at the top):
- Recognising sustained excellence in Teaching & Scholarship, within the dimensions of the current role and grade
A mechanism for promotion to the next grade:
- Recognising a contribution which goes above and beyond the breadth and depth of the underlying role, in respect of excellence in Teaching & Scholarship and, where relevant, Service
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 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. 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. [Note that this is not a compulsory requirement for promotion from Grade 6 to Grade 7 unless the alternative weighting outlined below is being used.] 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.
Criteria for Award of Contribution Increments
Applications from Senior Teaching Associates and Teaching Associates on Grades 6 to 8 for Contribution Reward points would be expected to demonstrate sustained excellence in relation to one or more of the following criteria, within the expectations of their role, interpreted within their departmental/disciplinary context.
- Criterion 1: Consistently delivers excellent teaching that benefits from and engages with Cambridge’s research-rich environment and is intellectually challenging
- Criterion 2: Has made an effective contribution to curriculum development and enhancement
- Criterion 3: Effective engagement with the development of good practice in teaching and learning
- Criterion 4: Effective participation in strategic or developmental initiatives at disciplinary, Faculty or University levels
The table below contains both the Teaching & Scholarship and Service criteria, specifying how many need to be evidenced, and outlining the weightings which are explained further 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.
- Applicants for promotion will evidence how their contribution under these criteria goes above and beyond the expectations of their role.
- Applicants who have already been successfully promoted and are now seeking promotion to the next grade will need to evidence the contribution made since their previous promotion and which builds on previous contribution.
| Grade 6 to Grade 7 | Grade 7 to Grade 8 | Grade 8 to Grade 9 | ||
| Core weighting requirements: | T&S: Service: |
All (100%) No (0%) |
At least three (90%) Yes (10%) |
At least three (80%) Yes (20%) |
| Alternative weighting requirements: | T&S: Service: |
3 out of 4 (90%) Yes (10%) |
At least three (80%) Yes (20%) |
N/A |
| Teaching and Scholarship | 1 | Consistently delivers excellent teaching that benefits from and engages with Cambridge’s research-rich environment and is intellectually challenging | ||
| 2 | An effective contribution to curriculum development and enhancement | An effective contribution to curriculum development and enhancement, where appropriate informed by scholarship | ||
| 3 | Scholarly engagement with the development of good practice in teaching and learning | Evidence of scholarship in the discipline and/or related to the development of good practice in teaching and learning | A track record of effective scholarship in the discipline and/or related to the development and dissemination of good practice in teaching and learning | |
| 4 | Effective participation in strategic or developmental initiatives at disciplinary, Faculty or University levels | |||
| Service to the Academic University | A contribution of service to the University. Promotes collegiality and engenders a culture of mutual respect. | An effective contribution of service to the University. Promotes collegiality and engenders a culture of mutual respect. | ||
Examples are provided below of the kinds of indicators of excellence which candidates 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 the stage of promotion being sought, and to 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 candidate’s role profile or to generic Academic Teaching & Scholarship role profiles for the relevant grade. Evidence of an increasing level of responsibility will be expected, the higher the level of promotion being sought.
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 under generic criterion headings. Reference will need to be made to the criterion descriptor for the appropriate level specified in Section 4.
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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| CRITERION 2: Contribution to curriculum development and enhancement | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| CRITERION 3: Scholarship in the discipline and/or related to the development of good practice in teaching and learning | |
| Generic indicators of excellence and/or impact | |
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| CRITERION 4: Participation in strategic or developmental initiatives | |
| 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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