Parent Policy
Preamble
Academic promotion candidates not recommended for promotion by the Dean/Pro Vice-Chancellor and President, the faculty/campus promotion committees or the University Professorial Committee may lodge an application for rehearing.
The sole ground for lodging an application for a rehearing is that there has been a procedural irregularity substantive enough to result in a material disadvantage to the candidate with regards to the committee's decision. A request for a rehearing which questions the decision not to promote based on the merit of the application does not constitute a procedural irregularity.
This procedure applies to candidates not recommended for promotion to:
- lecturer or research fellow (level B);
- senior lecturer or senior research fellow (level C);
- associate professor or associate professor (research) (level D); and
- professor or professor (research) (level E).
Definitions
HR Business Partner: is a key member of the Monash HR Business Partnering Community and provides strategic advice, guidance and solutions that underpin key client goals, HR strategy and organisational vision to a particular client group.
Procedural irregularity: refers to where the University has not followed a process that is articulated in the Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion for Candidates Level B, Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion Committees Levels C-E; or Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion for Candidates Levels C-E.
Promotion committee: means the relevant committee constituted in accordance with the Staff Development Procedure – Academic Promotion Committees Levels C –E that is responsible for assessing and determining the promotion application.
Promotion coordinator: is a designated staff member within Monash HR who is responsible for the administration and coordination of the promotion process. The relevant promotion coordinators are:
- for applications to professor (Level E), the Senior Adviser, Policy and Academic Promotion in Monash HR;
- for Australian-based applications to senior lecturer or senior research fellow (level C) and associate professor (level D), a dedicated staff member within HR Operations, Monash HR; and
- for Malaysian-based applications to senior lecturer or senior research fellow (level C) and associate professor (level D), a member of the HR Team at the Universirt's Sunway campus.
1.0 Initiating the rehearing process
Candidates must seek the advice of the chair of the relevant promotion committee, the dean/Pro Vice-Chancellor and President (Malaysia), or both, before lodging an application for a rehearing.
Candidates who choose to lodge an application for a rehearing must submit a written application to the Provost and Senior Vice-President, within seven days of being notified of the promotion decision. Candidates must demonstrate that there has been a procedural irregularity substantive enough to result in material disadvantage to them with regards to the committee's decision.
The candidate must ensure that the written application includes:
- a statement of the alleged substantive procedural irregularity with an explanation of how the candidate has been materially disadvantaged;
- sufficient evidence to enable the review panel to decide whether a prima facie case exists that the alleged procedural irregularity occurred; and
- a copy of the outcome letter from the relevant chair.
2.0 The rehearing process for promotion to level B (including non-faculty based applications)
The Provost and Senior Vice-President will consider an application for rehearing for promotion to level B within fourteen days of receipt.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome by the Provost and Senior Vice-President within 14 days of her or his decision.
If the Provost and Senior Vice-President is satisfied that a prima facie case exists, the application will then be referred to a sub-committee of the relevant faculty/Malaysia senior lecturer promotion committee for consideration. The sub-committee of the relevant faculty/Malaysia senior lecturer promotion committee will consist of the following individuals:
- the chair of the faculty/Malaysia senior lecturer promotion committee (usually the dean/Pro Vice-Chancellor and president); and
- three members from the faculty/Malaysia senior lecturer promotion committee.
Where the application is referred to the senior lecturer promotion sub-committee, the committee will meet within twenty-one days of receiving notification from the Provost and Senior Vice-President.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of the meeting by the chair of the sub-committee within seven days of the review panel making its decision.
3.0 The rehearing process for promotion to Level C - E (including non-faculty based applications)
Applications for a rehearing are subjected to a two-stage process with an initial assessment undertaken by a review panel. If the review panel is satisfied that a prima facie case exists, the application will then be referred to the relevant promotion rehearing committee.
3.1 The review panel
The review panel will meet to consider an application within fourteen days of receipt and will comprise:
- the Provost and Senior Vice-President, or nominee (chair);
- a representative from the University professorial promotion committee, nominated by the Provost and Senior Vice-President; and
- a representative at the level of professor nominated by the President, Academic Board.
The majority of the review panel will not have been members of the committee that dealt with the original application.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of the meeting by the chair of the review panel within seven days of the review panel making its decision.
Should the review panel decide that the grounds for a rehearing have been established, the decision will be referred to the promotion rehearing committee with a written report including the:
- original application;
- application for a rehearing, with its supporting evidence; and
- review panel’s findings.
There will be no appeal beyond the decision regarding the outcome from the review panel.
3.2 The promotion rehearing committee Level C - D (including non-faculty based applications)
A faculty or Malaysia promotion rehearing committee will meet within twenty-one days of receiving notification from the chair of the review panel.
In the case of non-faculty Australian based applications, the application will be considered by the faculty promotion rehearing committee of the faculty that originally assessed the candidate’s application for promotion.
The membership of the faculty promotion rehearing committee will include:
- at least two-thirds of the members of the relevant faculty promotion committee, including the chair;
- a representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President; and
- a nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch.
A quorum for the faculty promotion rehearing committee is six members, comprising the chair, external member, at least one of the elected and one of the appointed members, the representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President and the nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch.
The membership of the campus promotion rehearing committee will include:
- at least two-thirds of the members of the relevant campus promotion committee, including the chair; and
- a representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President.
A quorum for the campus promotion rehearing committee is five members, comprising the chair, external member, at least two of the members, and the representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice-President.
The rehearing committee will consider the case, taking into account the facts of the procedural irregularity as found by the review panel and the extent of the material disadvantage to the candidate.
The chair will notify candidates in writing of the outcome within seven days of the committee making its decision.
There will be no appeal beyond the decision regarding the outcome from a faculty, or campus rehearing committee.
3.3 University professorial promotion rehearing committee
The membership of the University rehearing committee will be:
- at least two-thirds of the University Professorial Committee, including the chair;
- a representative appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice President; and
- a nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch (Australian-based campus applications only).
A quorum for the University promotion rehearing committee is six members, including at least the Provost and Senior Vice-President and Vice-Provost (Research) or Vice-Provost (Academic Performance) or the Vice-Provost (Learning & Teaching). In addition, for Australian-based campus applications the nominee of the President of the National Tertiary Education Union, Monash Branch is also required for the quorum.
The chair will notify candidates in writing of the outcome.
There will be no appeal beyond the decision regarding the outcome from a university promotion rehearing committee.
3.4 Voting
Each voting member may cast one ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote.
Abstentions are only allowable if a committee member has declared a conflict of interest. In this case, the chair will determine whether the conflict of interest can influence the outcome of the application and will request that the committee member abstains from the discussion of that applicant. If a committee member abstains from voting, this is to be noted by the promotion coordinator and any view will not be considered by the committee as a vote.
A candidate will be promoted if a majority of those present and voting cast a ‘yes’ vote.
Responsibility
Committee members are responsible for:
- carrying out a fair, confidential and objective assessment of applications for promotion and not act as advocates for candidates; and
- ensuring the voting process is duly followed.
The chair is responsible for:
- ensuring the committee has as close to equal gender representation as reasonably practicable, with a minimum of one-third representation of each; and
- ensuring the committee carries out a fair, confidential and objective assessment.
Workforce Policy and Performance in Monash HR is responsible for:
- providing a Workforce Policy and Performance representative to attend and provide procedural support for the review panel and rehearing committees;
- providing full secretarial support for the review panel;
- supporting the promotion coordinator to convene the faculty/Malaysia promotion rehearing committee;
- coordinating the University rehearing committee as the University promotion coordinator; and
- preparing letters following any promotion rehearing committee meetings.
The faculty/Malaysia promotion coordinator is responsible for:
- providing assistance to Workforce Policy and Performance in Monash HR, as required; and
- convening the faculty/Malaysia promotion rehearing committee and distributing the relevant documents to committee members.
Related Procedures
- Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion for Candidates Levels C-E
- Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion for Candidates Level B
- Staff Development Procedure - Academic Promotion Committees Levels C-E
Related Documents
| Version number: | 4.4 |
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| Effective date: | 20 March 2015 |
| Procedure author: | Director, Workplace Relations |
| Procedure owner: | Executive Director Monash HR |
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Contact: |
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