Academic Staff Charter and Career Pathways by Buckinghamshire New University

Being an Academic at BNU

Academic Staff Charter and Career Pathways

Being an Academic at BNUAcademic Staff Charter

Introduction

At BNU our mission is to transform lives through inspiring, profession-focused education and research, and enabling people to positively impact society and their future. We want to be highly connected, permeable, student and customer focused, dynamic, impactful and strategically aligned.

The education we provide will be flexible, inclusive, enquiry based, employer-informed, and designed around the needs of all of our students. We will develop our position as an innovative, teaching orientated University, delivering sector-leading and life-changing education and employment outcomes, and deliver research and innovation that impacts and enhances lives and society and underpins our educational offer.

To achieve this we will enable our staff to flourish, build their expertise and professional practice, and continuously excel and improve BNU’s organisational effectiveness.

Our Being an Academic at BNU Staff Charter outlines the principles and expectations of all academic colleagues. It aims to guide and encourage excellence in teaching, research, and customer service. All academic staff members are expected to uphold these expectations. It also sets out what you can expect from BNU. This Charter should be upheld in line with the BNU Academic Career Pathways (BACP) which sets out more detailed requirements under the three different pathways.

Professor Damien Page Deputy Vice Chancellor

Rachael Cornwall Director of HR

Our commitment to you We will:

• Strive to create a supportive environment and a balanced workload and timetable that allows you to balance your professional commitments with personal and family responsibilities.

• Support and provide opportunities for your ongoing development and growth, enabling you to follow your chosen academic career path from the BACP, including fee waivers for formal qualifications, a variety of online and in person short courses, and opportunities for mentoring.

• Provide safe spaces for you to make your voice heard and ensure that you are comfortable being yourself at BNU, in line with the objectives set in our Equality Strategy 2028.

• Pay you fairly and equitably and provide an excellent range of benefits.

• Aim to increase job satisfaction by allowing more focus on activities that impact the student experience, research outcomes and professional development and minimising frustration caused by inefficient systems and processes.

• Provide regular, constructive feedback on your performance and development, allowing you to identify areas for personal and professional growth.

• Look after your health and wellbeing, through supportive line management, peer support and free access to confidential helplines, 24/7.

Our expectations of you

We expect all members of our academic community to:

• Uphold our DRIVE values (Dynamic, Responsible, Inclusive, Visionary and Empowering) and adhere to all BNU policies and procedures, including our Employee Code of Conduct and our Respect, Fairness and Inclusion Policy .

• Be a role model for inclusivity, building an inclusive University community where people can be themselves; act as an Ambassador for BNU.

• Deliver and commit to excellent customer service to students, colleagues and any other stakeholders.

• Have or be working towards a doctorate or equivalent.

• Keep up to date with digital technology and ensure you are familiar with the relevant tools in our BNU Digital Bundle

• Maintain your academic profile on the Pure Portal, our research information system and central platform for BNUs research and academic activities. The Pure profile will enable you to showcase the breadth of your research, innovation, and teaching achievements for academic progression, find like-minded people and will be used as the central datapoint for academic and research activity reporting.

• Be an expert in your field, adopting a continuous professional development approach to enhance teaching skills, research capability and knowledge of emerging trends, aligned to the relevant PSRB as appropriate.

• Exercise academic freedom, which includes the right to freely pursue your research interests, engage in open scholarly discourse, and express your opinions within the bounds of professional ethics.

• Maintain the utmost integrity and ethical conduct in all professional activities. This includes rigorous adherence to academic honesty, research integrity, and respect.

• Reflect critically on your performance in research, funding applications, external income generation and/or contribution to your profession; continually improve the volume and quality of original and impactful contributions and outputs.

• Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to providing high-quality teaching and mentoring to students; strive to create intellectually stimulating learning environments that promote critical thinking and foster students’ personal and academic growth.

• Take on a reasonable share of academic management and leadership, attending departmental meetings, training and Open Days and acting as personal tutor, module and course leader as required within your School; be familiar with data for your School (NSS, employment outcomes, attainment gaps) and be able to make a positive difference to the School Access & Participation Plan; TEF; REF; Race Equality Charter etc.

• Seek opportunities for scholarly collaboration, disseminate your findings in reputable publications, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in your discipline/field.

• Actively participate in academic citizenship, contributing to excellent governance, and offering your expertise and knowledge to inform committees, academic programs, and other initiatives that enable the achievement of Thrive28.

BNU Academic Career Pathways

Our BNU Academic Career Pathways sets out the work activities, experience and requirements to progress from Lecturer to Professor (C).

You can follow one of the following pathways:

• Research and Knowledge Exchange.

• Learning Teaching and Scholarship.

• Leadership and Academic Citizenship.

Our BACP clearly articulates what is expected in each academic job role and how the requirements change as you move through the pathway.

It will be used for recruitment, continued professional development, personal development reviews (PDR) and for promotion. It should be considered alongside our Academic Staff Charter.

Lecturer

Doctoral level qualification (or working towards) or relevant professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above (or working towards)

Engagement in postgraduate supervision

Clear plan for generating external income

Developing contribution to knowledge through refereed conference outputs

Developing contribution to knowledge through peerreviewed (non-conference) outputs

Emerging contribution to research impact

Track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Emerging contribution to the leadership of an inclusive and interdisciplinary research culture

Emerging track record of collaborative research with external partners, communities, professional bodies and/or employers

Developing record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in research and KE

Research and Knowledge Exchange

Senior Lecturer

Doctoral level qualification or relevant professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above (or working towards)

An emerging track record of effective doctoral supervision and developing early career research

Developing record of generating external income

Significant contribution to knowledge through refereed conference outputs

Significant contribution to knowledge through peerreviewed (non-conference) outputs

Significant contribution to research impact

Significant track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Significant contribution to the leadership of an inclusive and interdisciplinary research culture

Track record of collaborative research with external partners, communities, professional bodies and/or employers

Significant track record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in research and KE

Doctoral level qualification, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above

A track record of effective doctoral supervision and developing early career research

Track record of generating external income, including as principal investigator

Significant and substantial contribution to knowledge through refereed conference outputs

Significant and substantial contribution to knowledge through peer-reviewed (nonconference) outputs

Significant and substantial contribution to research impact

Significant and sustained track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Significant and substantial contribution to the leadership of an inclusive and interdisciplinary research culture

Significant and substantial track record of collaborative research with external partners, communities, professional bodies and/or employers

Significant and substantial track record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in research and KE

A sustained track record of effective doctoral supervision and developing early career research

Significant track record of generating external income, including as principal investigator

Significant, substantial and sustained contribution to knowledge through refereed conference outputs

Significant, substantial and sustained contribution to knowledge through peerreviewed (non-conference) outputs

Significant, substantial and sustained contribution to research impact

Significant, substantial and sustained track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Significant, substantial and sustained contribution to the leadership of an inclusive and interdisciplinary research culture

Significant, substantial and sustained track record of collaborative research with external partners, communities, professional bodies and/or employers

Significant, substantial and sustained track record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in research and KE

Lecturer

Doctoral level qualification (or working towards) or relevant professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above (or working towards)

Emerging contribution to educational knowledge and practice through generation of peer-reviewed pedagogical outputs

Emerging contribution to the development of an inclusive teaching and learning culture

Track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Plans for participation in funded projects for educational projects

Developing contribution to research informed curriculum and programme design and planning

Developing use of innovative pedagogy including digital technology to enhance learning

Emerging evidence of successful and impactful tutoring and pastoral support

Developing record of engagement with professional bodies, employers and other organisations to enhance professional practice and student outcomes

Developing record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in the domain of professional practice

Learning, Teaching and Scholarship

Senior Lecturer Associate Professor Professor C

Doctoral level qualification or relevant professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above (or working towards)

Contribution to educational knowledge and practice through generation of peerreviewed pedagogical outputs

Significant contribution to the development of an inclusive teaching and learning culture

Significant track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Emerging record of securing external funding for educational projects

Significant contribution to research informed curriculum and programme design and planning

Significant use of innovative pedagogy including digital technology to enhance learning

Significant evidence of successful and impactful tutoring and pastoral support

Significant record of engagement with professional bodies, employers and other organisations to enhance professional practice and student outcomes

Track record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in the domain of professional practice

Doctoral level qualification or substantial professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above

Significant contribution to educational knowledge and practice through generation of peer-reviewed pedagogical outputs

Significant and substantial contribution to the development of an inclusive teaching and learning culture

Significant and sustained track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Record of securing external funding for educational projects

Significant and substantial contribution to research informed curriculum and programme design and planning

Significant and substantial use of innovative pedagogy including digital technology to enhance learning

Significant and substantial evidence of successful and impactful tutoring and pastoral support

Significant and substantial record of engagement with professional bodies, employers and other organisations to enhance professional practice and student outcomes

Significant track record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in the domain of professional practice

Doctoral level qualification or substantial professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above

Significant and sustained contribution to educational knowledge and practice through generation of peerreviewed pedagogical outputs

Significant, substantial and sustained contribution to the development of an inclusive teaching and learning culture

Significant, substantial and sustained track record of excellent student outcomes and embedding of research within teaching and curriculum

Significant record of securing external funding for educational projects

Significant, substantial and sustained contribution to research informed curriculum and programme design and planning

Significant, substantial and sustained use of innovative pedagogy including digital technology to enhance learning

Significant, substantial and sustained evidence of successful and impactful tutoring and pastoral support

Significant, substantial and sustained record of engagement with professional bodies, employers and other organisations to enhance professional practice and student outcomes

Significant and substantial track record of being valued as a commentator or contributor to media in the domain of professional practice

Leadership and Academic Citizenship

Lecturer

Doctoral level qualification (or working towards) or substantial professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above (or working towards)

Evidence of contribution to increasing student recruitment

Emerging impactful contribution to improving the student experience

Evidence of involvement in increasing research and commercial income

Emerging engagement in business planning, strategy setting and key decision making

Emerging track record of development of people through mentoring, training and supporting CPD

Emerging impact in developing a culture of inclusion and reducing awarding gaps

Emerging track record of impactful engagement with professional bodies, policymakers, employers and other relevant groups

Emerging evidence of civic engagement and contribution to our regional community

Emerging contribution to knowledge and practice through generation of peerreviewed outputs

Doctoral level qualification or substantial professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above (or working towards)

Evidence of increasing student recruitment

Impactful contribution to improving the student experience at course level

Leadership track record of involvement in increasing research and commercial income

Significant engagement in business planning, strategy setting and key decision making

Track record of significant development of people through mentoring, training and supporting CPD

Significant impact in developing a culture of inclusion and reducing awarding gaps

Track record of impactful engagement with professional bodies, policy-makers, employers and other relevant groups

Evidence of significant civic engagement and contribution to our regional community

Contribution to knowledge and practice through generation of peer-reviewed outputs

Doctoral level qualification or substantial professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above

Evidence of leadership in significantly increasing student recruitment

Significant and impactful leadership of improving the student experience at subject level

Significant leadership track record of substantially increasing research and commercial income

Significant and substantial engagement in business planning, strategy setting and key decision making

Track record of significant and substantial leadership in the development of people through mentoring, training and supporting CPD

Significant and substantial impact in developing a culture of inclusion and reducing awarding gaps

Track record of significant and substantial impactful engagement with professional bodies, policy-makers, employers and other relevant groups

Evidence of significant and substantial civic engagement and contribution to our regional community

Significant contribution to knowledge and practice through generation of peerreviewed outputs

Doctoral level qualification or substantial professional experience, recognised teaching qualification or Advance HE recognition at Fellow or above

Sustained evidence of leadership in significantly increasing student recruitment

Significant and sustained impactful contribution of improving the student experience at school level

Significant and sustained leadership track record of substantially increasing research and commercial income

Significant, substantial and sustained engagement in business planning, strategy setting and key decision making

Track record of significant, substantial and sustained leadership in the development of people through mentoring, training and supporting CPD

Significant, substantial and sustained impact in developing a culture of inclusion and reducing awarding gaps

Track record of significant, substantial and sustained impactful engagement with professional bodies, policymakers, employers and other relevant groups

Evidence of significant, substantial and sustained civic engagement and contribution to our regional community

Significant and sustained contribution to knowledge and practice through generation of peer-reviewed outputs

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