The Working Group will include representatives of all relevant categories of staff from across the School (including from our School Staff Council), as well as Professor Elborn and Professor Aaron Maule (Faculty Dean of Research).

We are fully cognisant of the results of the recent Staff Survey and will be providing a range of opportunities for consultation with all staff.   It is anticipated that the Working Group will undertake this review during the period January to March 2020 and will then provide a short summary report of potential options (which will include the option of the School structure for delivering our research strategy remaining as it currently is). 

This work will also feed into the overall School Strategy which is now in the early stages of development and on which all staff will be consulted.

Further information will be provided at the next meeting of School Board which, as previously advised, will take place on Thursday 9 January 2020 at 2.30 pm, Basement Seminar Room, WWIEM.  The School Board meeting will continue to be streamed live and the video will be available post-meeting in line with commitment in the School Staff Action Plan to ensure access for colleagues who cannot attend.

• on probation*
• considering applying for promotion to Senior Lecturer, Reader or Professor
• a Professor who wishes to apply for salary advancement within the Professorial Salary Grade
• a PDR reviewer for any of the above

*The Head of School along with senior colleagues held a briefing to update academic staff on probation on 21 November 2019 with regard to the specific School transition arrangements for annual review and confirmation in post in 2020. 

MHLS Academic Progression Clinics, as advertised in December’s Team Brief previously circulated, are taking place with the remaining clinics being held as follows:

Academic Progression Clinics for Probationers only

Academic Progression Clinics for other staff wishing to progress (which includes the processes previously known as Academic Promotions and Professorial Salary Review).

Applications for academic progression should be submitted via QOL by 4.00pm on Friday 31 January 2020.   

Further details and support is available on the People and Culture website.

Note: As part of the University’s commitment to supporting equality and diversity in REF, the University has put in place safe and supportive structures to recognise the effect that equality-related circumstances may have on an individual's ability to research productively during the REF assessment period (1 January 2014 – 31 July 2020), and particularly their ability to produce research outputs at the same rate as staff not affected by circumstances.  Staff with eligible circumstances are encouraged to complete the voluntary disclosure form as appropriate and submit to ref@qub.ac.uk by January 2020.  The REF team have put together a summary 'FACT SHEET' on the Disclosure Process and this and other relevant details can be accessed on the University’s REF 2021 website. 

Recruitment

• To ensure greater awareness and visibility of jobs, the option ranked first was to have a dedicated view for staff on the Career Opportunities at Queen’s webpages.
• In terms of advertising permanent posts internally, the majority of staff agreed with the proposal to facilitate the internal advertisement of permanent posts with specific skills requirements.
• With regard to creating opportunities for sideways movements, the majority of staff preferred the option to advertise all permanent clerical posts (grades 2-6) internally across the University and only if no one is deemed appointable to move to advertise externally.
• In terms of clerical boarding, the top, equal scoring responses were (a) removing clerical boarding entirely, and (b) retaining clerical boarding for general clerical/secretarial roles with more specialist roles (HR, Finance, Marketing) being advertised on a post by post basis.
• The majority of staff disagreed that candidates applying for internal posts should be required to remain in that post for 12-18 months if successful.
• Most agreed with the proposal to review the current assessment and selection process for clerical recruitment, eg review requirement for on-line tests, and that more clarity should be provided on what will be assessed at each stage.
• The majority agreed that all 3-12 month clerical temporary roles should be advertised internally-only, across the University.

Secondment Policy

In terms of a secondment policy (normally covering acting up, honorarium, move sideways or to higher grade) most staff did not consider additional opportunities should be included in the policy but the majority would welcome the opportunity to access secondment opportunities for up to two years in another public sector organisation;

 Career Pathways

• The majority of staff felt it would be useful to have access to Queen’s career pathways.

 Colleagues were also given the opportunity to provide free text comments, particularly with regard to issues relating to their staff category not otherwise covered in the questions set by the Group and these have also been fed back to the PSCPWG.  The survey results and comments (redacted as appropriate) will be shared with the School Staff Council.