Recognition and appreciation for academic staff: time for concrete steps
A uniform and transparent career policy for our academic staff. A working group led by Marcellus Ubbink may provide advice to the faculty board on this matter. ‘We have been discussing recognition and appreciation for a while, and now it's time to turn words into action.’
Ubbink immediately said ‘yes’ when asked by the dean to lead this working group. ‘I think it’s important that we do this and I hope that everyone will join the discussion during the drop-in session on 26 March. I have now been scientific director for 2.5 years and I see how important promotions are for colleagues. Complaints about the lack of transparency have been around for quite some time. It's time to tackle this now. The same goes for recognition and appreciation. This concept has been lingering for a while, and it's about time that it becomes concrete.’
Uniform framework
Ubbink: ‘From the conversations we’ve had with the staff and the management boards of our eight institutes, clear principles have emerged. In the new career policy, we will adopt a uniform framework within which the promotion policy in our faculty is as consistent as possible. Furthermore, we want more transparency regarding the promotion policy. And within the concept of recognition and appreciation, we must not only focus on research. It should also include areas such as teaching, management, impact, and leadership.’
This is how the working group is approaching it
The working group, consisting of Dennis Claessen, Elice Schöne, Francesca Arici, José Kiss, Laura Heitman, Serena Viti, and chair Marcellus Ubbink (scientific director of the LIC), has received and processed a lot of input from colleagues. The faculty board has expressed a positive view on the first draft of the advice, and now the working group will discuss it with the academic staff and the institute boards. After the feedback session on 26 March, a final piece of advice will be submitted to the faculty board by the end of April or the beginning of May.
Career policy in job advertisements and during interviews
During the discussions, Ubbink and the rest of the working group noticed that, particularly for younger colleagues, it was unclear how the promotion and advancement system worked and what was expected of them. ‘We want to be much more transparent about this. When we post a job vacancy and start recruiting staff, it should immediately state: this is our career policy. We will also mention this during the interviews. This ensures clarity and transparency.’
Another notable observation was the difference between the institutes, for example, in terms of teaching load. In one programme, lecturers teach much more than in another. ‘We also saw a difference in how people are recruited. You are hired because you fit well within the team and are a valuable addition, while in another institute, you're hired because you can do something that no one else can. That’s the culture of the institute, and we want to take that into account in the policy.’
Uniformity in career paths
As a result, general criteria have now been established for the different ranks, and three career paths have been defined. ‘One U-line focused on research, one U-line focused on teaching, and the third path is that of lecturer: solely focused on teaching. These are general guidelines, and when it gets specific, the institute must determine what the standard is. This ensures uniformity.’
At the same time, Ubbink recognises that there must always be room for tailored approaches. ‘Every CV is different. It’s not about ticking off lists for a promotion, but we do need to ensure greater transparency in this process.’
In addition to the fact that it is important work, Ubbink also enjoys it. ‘The conversations with colleagues are very interesting. And the collaboration between the various working groups and the project team is very positive.’
Also read the other stories in this series on Leadership, Recognition, and Appreciation.