Regulation on promotion of academic staff at the University of Iceland, no. 1300/2020

Authorised translation

Article 1.  Objective.

This Regulation applies to the promotion of academic staff at the University of Iceland, see Chapter III of the Regulation for the University of Iceland no. 569/2009. The objective of the promotion system is to encourage productivity and professional accomplishment among academic staff at the University of Iceland. A promotion review is based on a comprehensive evaluation of performance and accomplishment in research, teaching, administration and service to the University of Iceland and society. The review shall be conducted in light of the fact that the University of Iceland is at once an international research university and a national university which sets high standards for professional performance.

This Regulation stipulates the requirements for an application for promotion to be processed, as well as the minimum requirements for academic promotion. Faculties may, with the approval of the school, set further requirements beyond those outlined in this Regulation which must then be considered when evaluating applications for promotion. Schools may also determine that such requirements will apply for all faculties at that school. The school must submit school and faculty rules to the University Council for ratification.

Article 2.  Promotion of academic staff.

The rector of the University of Iceland shall confer promotions in accordance with this Regulation. A lecturer, senior lecturer, research specialist or research scholar may request a promotion. The rector may, without advertising the position, promote a lecturer to the position of senior lecturer, a senior lecturer to professor, a research specialist to research scholar or a research scholar to research scientist, subject to a qualifications assessment from a school evaluation committee and a statement from the University of Iceland Promotion and Tenure Committee, in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation.

Article 3.  Expedited promotion.

The rector is authorised to confer promotion immediately following recruitment if a staff member meets the requirements outlined in Articles 7 and 8 of this Regulation, as long as a statement from an evaluation committee confirms this and the Promotion Committee has recommended it, in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation and specific rules of procedure ratified by the University Council.

Promotion may only be expedited to a professional title that the staff member has already held or the next higher title, subject to the requirements for minimum length of service in each position in accordance with Article 7 of this Regulation. Expedited promotion shall otherwise be processed in accordance with the relevant rules of procedure.

Article 4.  Application deadline and applications.

Applications for promotion should be submitted to the office of the University of Iceland's Division of Science and Innovation by 1 November each year. Applications for expedited promotion should be submitted immediately following recruitment (see Article 3). A promotion in accordance with this Regulation shall take effect at the start of the next academic year, i.e. 1 July, except expedited promotion which shall take effect as soon as the new recruit starts work.

An application for promotion cannot be processed unless it includes a statement from a human resources manager confirming that the staff member fulfils minimum requirements regarding years of service and number of points earned in the annual performance review in accordance with the Evaluation System for Public Higher Education Institutions, see Table 1 in Article 7. Requests for the above information must be submitted to the human resources manager at the applicant's school before 1 October each year.

If a school dean wishes to encourage a staff member to apply for promotion, the dean may ask the school human resources manager to supply information confirming whether or not the staff member meets the requirements set out in Article 7 of this Regulation. Once it has been confirmed that the requirements have been met, the staff member shall decide whether to apply for promotion.

Applications for promotion should be submitted online. The application must identify four people who have agreed to provide a statement on the applicant's work. These people must be recognised specialists in the applicant's field and at least two of them must work outside the University of Iceland. The application shall be in Icelandic or English, as appropriate.

If the applicant has been granted tenure in the last 12 months, reference may be made to that application. The applicant is responsible for updating the application as appropriate.

Article 5.  School evaluation committee.

In each school there is a four-person evaluation committee, nominated by the University Council and appointed by the rector for a three-year term. Two committee members, a man and a woman, must be academic staff members at the school and one of them shall chair the committee. The third committee member must work outside the University of Iceland or be an emeritus at the University.

The fourth committee member is appointed by the rector in each case. This member shall be nominated by the relevant faculty or institute and shall generally be the faculty or department head, the chair of the board or the academic director at the research institute or University of Iceland research centre. Two alternates shall be appointed for each regular member, using the same process as for regular members.

Regular members of the evaluation committee must be full professors.

The provisions of Section II of the Administrative Procedure Act no. 37/1993 shall apply concerning the eligibility of committee members.

The role of a school evaluation committee is as follows:

1. To evaluate the applicant's overall performance and productivity at the University of Iceland in accordance with Article 8 of this Regulation, as well as additional requirements in specific school or faculty rules, where applicable.
2. To provide the University of Iceland Promotion and Tenure Committee with a reasoned verdict recommending for or against promotion.

A school evaluation committee seeks statements from at least two specialists in the applicant's subject, at least one of whom works outside the University of Iceland. The statements shall be included with the documentation sent to the Promotion and Tenure Committee. The evaluation committee is authorised to seek statements outside the group of external specialists named by the applicant in the application, see Article 4 of this Regulation. A school evaluation committee is authorised to request information from University administration concerning evaluation of the applicant's previous work.

An evaluation committee shall meet at least once to discuss each case.

The school evaluation committee shall begin its verdict with an explanation of the criteria and data on which it has based its assessment of the applicant. The verdict must specify what data the committee collected on the applicant. The evaluation committee shall issue a reasoned verdict on whether the applicant is qualified for the position for which they are applying, based on the considerations in this Regulation, as well as school and faculty rules where applicable.

The verdict of the evaluation committee, or the majority of its members, must conclusively state whether or not the applicant meets requirements. If the opinion of evaluation committee is not unanimous, each member of the committee must take a position. A minority may explain the reasons for its position in a separate reasoned verdict. In the case of a tie vote in the committee, the chair shall cast the deciding vote. If the opinion of the evaluation committee is unanimous, it shall submit a single verdict. Once the school evaluation committee has made its decision, it shall grant the applicant 14 days to submit a counterargument if promotion was not recommended. The evaluation committee shall take a position on the counterargument and determine whether it provides grounds to alter the verdict.

If the evaluation committee recommends promotion, it shall send all documents relating to the case to the University's Promotion and Tenure Committee no later than four months after the application deadline, by 1 March. If the evaluation committee does not recommend promotion, the case shall be submitted to the rector for final processing.

Article 6.  University of Iceland Promotion and Tenure Committee

The rector appoints the Promotion and Tenure Committee at the University of Iceland. The committee shall have six members. To ensure that gender representation on the committee is as equal as possible, and not lower than 40% in accordance with the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men no. 10/2008, each school shall nominate two members, a man and a woman, and the rector shall select one of these two nominees. The rector shall also appoint a chair without a nomination. Alternates shall be nominated using the same process and at the same time. The committee is appointed for a three-year term. The provisions of Section II of the Administrative Procedure Act no. 37/1993 shall apply concerning the eligibility of committee members.

Only full professors may be appointed to the University of Iceland's Promotion and Tenure Committee. Furthermore, those appointed to the committee should have extensive experience of research, teaching and academic administrative and service work.

The University of Iceland's Promotion and Tenure Committee evaluates applications for promotion on the basis of the documents supplied and the provisions of Articles 7 and 8 of this Regulation, as well as specific school and faculty rules where applicable. The committee, on the basis of this evaluation, shall submit a proposal to the rector recommending for or against promotion. In the case of a tie vote in the committee, the chair shall cast the deciding vote. If the committee recommends against promotion, this position must be supported by a reasoned argument and the applicant must be granted 14 days to submit a counterargument. If a counterargument is submitted, the committee must consider it and take a position.
The verdict of the University of Iceland Promotion and Tenure Committee must be submitted to the rector no later than 1 June.

Article 7.  Requirements for processing an application.

An application for promotion to the position of senior lecturer or research scholar will only be processed by the school evaluation committee if the human resources manager at that school has confirmed that the applicant:

1. Has been a lecturer (if applying for promotion to senior lecturer) or a research specialist (if applying for promotion to research scholar) at the University of Iceland or held an equivalent position for at least three years in total when the promotion is conferred. These three years may have been served outside the faculty at which the staff member is applying for promotion.
2. Has, in accordance with formal performance reviews, earned the minimum required points in the Evaluation System for Public Higher Education Institutions, see Tables 1 and 2.

An application for promotion to the position of professor or research scientist will only be processed by the school evaluation committee if the human resources manager at that school has confirmed that the applicant:

1. Has been a senior lecturer (if applying for promotion to professor) or a research scholar (if applying for promotion to research scientist) at the University of Iceland or held an equivalent position for at least three years in total when the promotion is conferred. These three years may have been served outside the faculty at which the staff member is applying for promotion.
2. Has, in accordance with formal performance reviews, earned the minimum required points in the Evaluation System for Public Higher Education Institutions, see Tables 1 and 2.

Article 8.  Promotion review.

An application for promotion is reviewed by the school evaluation committee and the University of Iceland's Promotion and Tenure Committee on the basis of this Regulation, as well as specific school and faculty rules where applicable. A comprehensive review will take place, determining whether the applicant's knowledge, experience and contributions meet international standards in the field for the sought position. The review looks at scholarly contributions and other accomplishments over the course of the applicant's career.

Supporting documents should include a teaching portfolio, CV and bibliography, four to eight selected scholarly works by the applicant and details of the applicant's contribution in the case of jointly authored works. It is acceptable to submit fewer works in the case of extensive research projects. The scholarly works must reflect the applicant's career.

The application must also include an account of the applicant's research, teaching, administration and service work, as well as their future plans in these areas. The evaluation committee will consider the following points as applicable. The applicant is not required to tick off all the points on the list. They are not listed in order of priority and are intended for reference only, to make it easier for evaluation committees to review performance in a range of area and help applicants to describe their work. Consideration must also be given to specific school and faculty rules where applicable.

1. Research.

The evaluation committee assesses the applicant's competence to handle the research component of the sought position. The committee looks at the applicant's research career, alongside selected scholarly works and the applicant's contribution in the case of jointly authored works.

Senior lecturer/Research scholar.

An review of an application for promotion to senior lecturer or research scholar will consider the following, as applicable:

1. Productivity, independence, initiative and impact in research.
2. Number of research points and scope of research projects.
3. Quality of publication outlet.
4. The applicant's record in acquiring grants from competitive funds at the University of Iceland or elsewhere.
5. To what extent the applicant has demonstrated leadership in collaborative projects.
6. Experience, productivity and contributions to international and domestic research collaboration.

Professor/Research scientist.

The research standards required for promotion to professor or research scientist are more demanding than for promotion to senior lecturer or research scholar. A review of an application for promotion to professor or research scientist will consider the following, as applicable:

1. Productivity, independence, initiative and impact in research.
2. Number of research points and scope of research projects.
3. Publication outlets that set rigorous academic standards.
4. The applicant's contribution, in the case of jointly authored works.
5. Role in acquiring funding for scientific research in Iceland and internationally.
6. To what extent the applicant has demonstrated leadership in collaborative projects.
7. Experience, productivity and contributions in international and domestic research collaboration.

2. Teaching.

The evaluation committee assesses the applicant's competence to handle the teaching component of the sought position.

Senior lecturer/Research scholar.

A review of an application for promotion to senior lecturer or research scholar (to the extent that the position involves teaching duties) will consider the following, as applicable:

1. Scope of teaching.
2. Assessment of the quality of teaching, e.g. with reference to teaching evaluation surveys.
3. Integration of teaching and research.
4. Participation in pedagogical development projects.
5. Recognition for pedagogical development, e.g. grants from funds intended for this purpose.
6. Thesis supervision.

Professor/Research scientist.

A review of an application for promotion to professor or research scientist (to the extent that the position involves teaching duties) will consider whether the applicant has progressed since being promoted to senior lecturer / research scholar. Consideration will be given to the following points as applicable:

1. Scope of teaching.
2. Assessment of the quality of teaching, e.g. with reference to teaching evaluation surveys.
3. Integration of teaching and research.
4. Diversity of teaching methods.
5. Participation in pedagogical development projects.
6. Recognition for pedagogical development, e.g. grants from funds intended for this purpose.
7. Thesis supervision for research-based graduate students.

3. Administration.

The evaluation committee assesses the applicant's competence to handle the administration component of the sought position. Committee membership, work on task forces and other administrative responsibilities strengthen the application.

Senior lecturer/Research scholar.

Experience of academic administration in line with the duties of a lecturer / academic research specialist is required for promotion to senior lecturer or research scholar. Consideration will be given to the following points as applicable:

1. Membership of committees, task forces or other administrative work for the faculty or department.
2. Membership of committees, task forces or other administrative work for the school.
3. Other administrative work.

Professor/Research scientist.

Experience of academic administration in line with the duties of a senior lecturer / research scholar is required for promotion to professor or research scientist. Consideration will be given to the following points as applicable:

1. Membership of committees, task forces or other administrative work for the faculty or department.
2. Membership of committees, task forces or other administrative work for the school.
3. Membership of committees, task forces or other administrative work for the rector or the University Council.
4. Membership of domestic committees outside the University of Iceland based on the applicant's specialist knowledge.
5. Membership of international committees based on the applicant's specialist knowledge.
6. To what extent the applicant has taken on leadership roles in administration.

4. Service – links with society and industry.

The review will consider the applicant's competence to provide services to society and industry based on their specialist knowledge.  Consideration will be given to how these services relate to University of Iceland policy on active engagement and outreach. Committee membership, work on task forces and other administrative responsibilities strengthen the application.

Senior lecturer/Research scholar.

An review of an application for promotion to senior lecturer or research scholar will consider the following, as applicable:

1. Addresses at non-academic symposiums, seminars or meetings, in Iceland or abroad.
2. Other methods of sharing specialist knowledge in non-academic settings, for the benefit of Icelandic and international society.
3. Reports written for a non-academic audience.
4. Organisation of academic conferences.
5. Membership of editorial boards for non-academic books and journals on the basis of the applicant's specialist knowledge.
6. Non-academic educational materials and translations based on the applicant's specialist knowledge.

Professor/Research scientist.

A review of an application for promotion to professor or research scientist will consider the following, as applicable:

1. Reports written for a non-academic audience.
2. Addresses at non-academic symposiums, seminars or meetings, in Iceland or abroad.
3. Other methods of sharing specialist knowledge in non-academic settings, for the benefit of Icelandic and international society.
4. Organisation of international academic conferences.
5. Official evaluation work.
6. Exploitation of research.
7. Membership of editorial boards for non-academic books and journals on the basis of the applicant's specialist knowledge.
8. Non-academic educational materials and translations based on the applicant's specialist knowledge.
9. Founding of start-up companies.

Article 9.  Legal basis and entry into force.

This Regulation is established in accordance with the authority of paragraph 3, Article 17 of the Act on Public Higher Education Institutions no. 85/2008.

The Regulation enters into force 1 February 2021, except the provisions on the minimum length of service in a position, which enter into force 1 January 2022. The Regulation on the promotion and permanent appointment of academic staff at the University of Iceland no. 263/2010 is repealed 1 February 2021.

The Regulation shall be reviewed three years after entering into force.

 

_{University of Iceland, 7 December 2020.}