Smoothing the pathway to academic promotion

As an academic, you doubtless would like to keep climbing the career ladder.  For this, you will have to work hard.  But it also helps to be street smart because the process of ad hominem promotion can be tricky to navigate. 

To have the best chance of success when applying for promotion, here are seven points to consider. 

• Understand  how you will be evaluated. Be aware of the specific performance criteria that will be applied in your institution and faculty’s evaluation process. Canvas opinions. Speak to people who know the process and your profile, such as your head of department and dean , so that you fully understand the process.
• Get the timing right. Communicate with your head of department and dean for their opinion on the best time to apply.
• Be street smart . Carefully consider all the elements you are presenting to ensure that you can justify and explain perceived weaknesses while emphasising the strengths of your case.
• Realise that context is key. If you have big classes with many students, tutorials and plenty of marking time, be sure to make that clear. On the other hand, if you have smaller classes with more complex course material and responsibilities such as curriculum development, then be sure to state that in your portfolio. Use course evaluation and student feedback carefully and situate these in the context of the difficulty of the subject matter.
• Demonstrate the quality and impact of your research. Show the outcomes, significance and reach of your research in your discipline. 
• Show evidence of leadership and administration. The more senior the position, the more you will be required to demonstrate your impact on your faculty and institution.
• Include elements of social responsiveness. If possible, you should demonstrate how you share your expertise and knowledge for public benefit. 

The ad hominem process is robust and fair but does require thorough preparation. It is imperative to plan for promotion well in advance, preferably two to three years before you apply. All universities have their own procedures and processes for academic promotions, so speak to your colleagues and check with HR for more detailed information and guidelines. 

If you are a new appointee, well done and let it sink in, but don’t put off planning the rest of your career progression for long!

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