University Academic Staffing Committee Policy and Procedures

All academic staff members of the University.

To provide the structure and procedures for the University Academic Staffing Committee (UASC).

1. The Vice-Chancellor is to convene a University Academic Staffing Committee to:

• maintain and enhance academic standards of academic staff at the University
• consider and recommend on promotion to professor and associate professor
• receive reports from and assist in the activities of faculty staffing committees (FSC)
• provide experienced staff members to be co-opted as external representatives for FSCs and for search and interview panels for the appointment of chairs, deans and other senior academic positions

Committee structure

1. The Vice-Chancellor is to constitute a UASC with the following membership:

• Vice-Chancellor or nominee, to chair the committee
• 4 members to be appointed by the Vice-Chancellor (such members will not comprise deans of faculties) together with at least two alternates
• 4 members to be elected:
  • 2 to be elected by and from the membership of Senate
  • 2 to be elected by and from sub-professorial academic staff
  • with each group having two alternate members identified as being the third and fourth highest polled staff members

2. The members are to be selected on the following principles:

• multi faculty representation (though not necessarily every faculty)
• expertise is required of each member of the committee
• gender diversity, and, where practicable, ethnic or other diversity
• regular and planned turnover in its membership
• a normal maximum of three two-year terms
• vertical integration with FSCs by providing experienced staff as external representatives for FSCs when promotions and continuations are being considered

3. Each dean may be asked to attend the UASC to answer questions while candidates from his/her faculty are being discussed.

4. The dean must retire from the meeting prior to the UASC deciding on its recommendations.

5. In the event that a dean is a member of the UASC, the dean must retire from the meeting while the UASC considers candidates from their own faculty.

6. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equity) may attend the UASC and its subcommittees for monitoring and advisory purposes.

7. The UASC may delegate its responsibilities to subcommittee(s).

8. Where a subcommittee considers evidence for a recommendation or decision, then that subcommittee must make the final recommendation or decision.

9. The UASC may co-opt members to assist it in its deliberations.

Note: Members of the UASC must be fully conversant with the Impartial Decision Making Policy, to ensure consistency in the application of HR policies.

Final decision

10. The Vice-Chancellor as the employer is to decide appointments to professor, and promotions to associate professor and professor, after considering the advice and recommendations of the UASC.

Committee processes

11. The committee is to operate with regard to the following principles:

• strict confidentiality
• openness in debate
• impartiality in decision making
• there will be a quorum of four members
• committee members with any conflict of interest must declare it to the committee
• the chair may require the individual to absent themselves during discussions and/or not to participate in related decisions
• the chair may raise potential conflicts of interest with UASC members.
• conflicts of interest will be managed according to the University's Conflict of Interest Policy
• brief reasons for recommendations are to be recorded in a standard format during the meeting of the UASC

Accountability of UASC

12. The UASC is to be accountable to the Vice-Chancellor for its operation.

13. The Vice-Chancellor is to report on associate professor and professor appointment and promotion decisions to the staff and to the University Council.

Consistency of decision making

14. Members of the UASC may be co-opted on to FSCs for the purpose of considering continuation applications and associate professor promotion applications.

15. They must attend FSC meetings held for these purposes but may attend other meetings at the request of the dean.

16. The UASC member of an FSC will normally attend the search and interview panels for chair appointments in that faculty. However, in the case of an allocated UASC member being unavailable for a particular chair search, the Vice-Chancellor may designate an alternative member of UASC or may determine that the Vice-Chancellor’s nominee on the interview panel will also serve on the search panel and will provide adequate external representation.

Note - This is to ensure consistency of application of chair appointment policies across the University.

17. Members of the UASC serving on FSCs are to be encouraged to raise any matters regarding the deliberations of FSCs first with the FSC, then with the UASC.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part time basis.

University means the University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Include the following:

• Academic Staff Collective Agreement
• Academic promotions policies
• Academic standards
• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Impartial Decision Making Policy
• Equity Policy and Procedures
• Merit Relative to Opportunity Policy and Procedures
• Faculty Staffing Committee Policy and Procedures

Owner: Director, Human Resources
Content manager: Associate Director, HR Advisory
Approved by: Vice-Chancellor
Date approved: 16 February 2024
Review date: 16 February 2029