Procedure for the Transfer of Part-Time Hourly Paid Lecturers to Fractional Academic

PROCEDURE FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT OF HOURLY PAID ACADEMICS TO FRACTIONAL ACADEMIC POSTS

1. Introduction

This procedure sets out the steps to follow for considering the appropriateness of appointing hourly paid academics to fractional academic posts. It is not envisaged that this procedure will be widely used; the majority of hourly paid academics work only a small number of hours at the University, either plugging short term gaps or offering expertise on a specific module. They often have relevant work commitments outside the University that not only ensure their skills and expertise remain current and add value to the programmes on which they teach, but also mean that they would not wish to be considered for appointment to a fractional post. Additionally, a Head of School may not consider it to be operationally viable to consider an appointment to a fractional post.

1. Benefits of considering an appointment from an hourly paid to a fractional post

(a)Benefits to the School:

- improved teamwork

- improved quality standards across the school

- staff can become more involved in the school’s wider activities

- safeguarding the provision of teaching in a subject area.

(b) Benefits to the member of staff:

- greater security of employment

- regular salary payments with no requirement to complete claim forms

- improved conditions of service

- improved career prospects

1. Procedure to consider an appointment of an hourly paid member of staff to a fractional post

(a)The Head of School (or nominee) will consult with appropriate senior colleagues in considering on an annual basis those staff in their School who have been employed as hourly paid academics for the last three years at the University and who teach at least 8 hours per week over the two semesters. The Personnel Division will provide a print out each May of hourly paid staff who will have at least three years service at the beginning of the academic year.

(b)For those hourly paid academics who have the service requirements, the Head of School will determine whether operationally there is a need to create a fractional appointment taking into account the following:

(i)The impact on the School’s financial position; hourly paid staff are normally just paid for their teaching input (and associated preparation) whereas the allocation of research time and administrative tasks and the space and resourcing implications will increase costs. In addition many hourly paid academics don’t join the USS but may do so on being appointed to a fractional post, thereby increasing on costs.

(ii)The longer-term viability of the courses on which the lecturer has an input, the student numbers on these courses and the staff/student ratio for their area of work compared with how other areas of teaching across the school/faculty are resourced.

(iii)Besides the teaching requirements, could additional responsibilities be allocated to the fractional appointment e.g. administrative/course management responsibilities, course development work; exploring new markets

(iv)Does the creation of a fractional appointment fit in with the school/faculty business plans/strategic objectives.

(c)If the Head of School considers the creation of a fractional appointment is viable, he/she should consider the merits of appointing an hourly paid academic using the following checklist to determine the appropriateness of facilitating such an appointment.

Checklist

This checklist is neither exclusive nor exhaustive.

(i)Does the hourly paid academic wish to be considered for a fractional appointment?

(ii)Does the hourly paid academic make a regular contribution to the school’s mainstream courses?

(iii)Are the courses on which the hourly paid academic teaches likely to feature in the School’s longer-term plans?

(iv)Has there been positive feedback from students about the hourly paid academic’s teaching?

(v)Has the hourly paid academic contributed to the school’s administration tasks over the last few years?

(vi)Does the hourly paid academic have research potential?

(vii)Does the hourly paid academic have course management potential?

(viii)Does the hourly paid academic have experience in enterprise activities and/or the ability to set up new courses/explore new markets?

(ix)Does the hourly paid academic get involved with the school’s external activities or have any involvement with external bodies?

(x)How important is it to the school that the hourly paid academic retains his/her vocational currency by working elsewhere? (it would be difficult for the University to stipulate that a fractional lecturer should also work elsewhere)

No hourly paid academic should be appointed to a fractional post based solely on their teaching ability and the school’s teaching requirements. A decision to consider a fractional appointment should be based on a combination of some of the above e.g. a fractional appointment may be created on the basis of teaching and primary research or on the basis of teaching and a combination of research and enterprise activities/course management responsibilities.

Concerns about the viability of creating a fractional appointment on the ability of an individual to fulfil all the duties of such a post should be fully explored prior to the decision being made to create such a post.

(d)If the Head of School feels there is a case for making a fractional appointment available to current hourly paid academics, he/she should discuss with their link Personnel Manager, draw up a Job Description and Person Specification and follow the University’s agreed procedure/approval process for creating new posts. The creation of a fractional post would require the support of the Dean of Faculty and confirmation from the Faculty Accountant that funding is sufficient.

(e)Once the fractional appointment has been approved, the post should be advertised internally only , ring-fenced to hourly-paid staff who meet the eligibility criteria.

(f)Where one or more applications are received from hourly-paid staff eligible to apply an Interview Panel will then be set up in accordance with the procedures for academic posts as detailed in the Code of Practice for the Recruitment of Staff.

1. General

(a)The procedure would not normally be used for fractional appointments of less than 0.4 fte

(b)Whilst there may be agreement to create a fractional appointment and initially restrict advertising internally, there is no guarantee that the hourly paid academic will be appointed to the fractional appointment. The decision of the Academic Appointments Panel in terms of whether or not to appoint is final.

(c)The above procedure does not prevent a Head of School creating a fractional appointment (for which hourly paid academics regardless of their length of service or their number of hours teaching may apply outside the scope of this transfer procedure) and advertising it externally as well as internally.

(d)Staff who are appointed to fractional posts would normally be subject to the full probationary period applicable for new academic appointments, because of the need to assess their contribution across the full range of academic duties.

(e)The procedure is only applicable in respect of staff who teach a minimum of 8 hours in one school and is not applicable for hourly paid academics working 8 hours or more across more than one school.

(f)It would be the norm that newly created fractional appointments are graded initially on grade 7.

(g)It should normally be the case that fractional appointments made in accordance with this procedure will be permanent. Whilst the practice in the past has been to appoint staff to fractional appointments on a fixed term basis, this should only be the case in future for project related appointments (see guidance notes on the operation of fixed-term contracts).

(h)The University will monitor the operation of this procedure on an annual basis in consultation with SAUT.

PN updated May 2008

Procedure for the Consideration of Appointment Hourly Paid Academics to Fractional Academic Posts

PT.FRACT.PROC.