Annual pay review process for professors and senior staff

The Remuneration Committee and the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee normally meet once a year to consider pay arrangements for the above staff groups including the Academic Executive Team. Staff automatically receive any annual national pay award. The Committees functions are to decide whether any pay increases should be made in excess of that award, whilst ensuring:

that College salaries relate to pay in comparable Higher Education Institutions
that consistency of approach is achieved across the College in considering pay arrangements for individual staff
that any increases are affordable in the light of the financial position of the College.

In advance of the annual review process, the Remuneration Committee and the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee will each meet to consider the parameters for the pay review, bearing in mind that merit awards are not a contractual benefit and it is therefore within the discretion of either Committee to cancel the annual review process, or vary the procedure (for example, by setting a limit on the total cost of awards to be made), should the circumstances of the College dictate such a move. Such circumstances may include financial constraints. The cost of reviews conducted in any given year will be a charge against the budget.

Please note that questions regarding the process and procedures of these Committees should be emailed to Abbey Wells.

TYPE OF PAY AWARD

RECOGNITION (BONUS) PAYMENT

Single 'one-off' lump sum payments may be appropriate for staff who have successfully carried out a particular piece of work/project/duty which could not, by its nature, be reasonably expected to be sustained.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE PROFESSORIAL AND SENIOR STAFF SALARIES COMMITTEE

The Committee’s membership is:

the Vice-Chancellor (who will be the Chair of the Committee)
the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (who will act as the Chair of the Committee in the absence of the Vice-Chancellor)
the Pro Vice-Chancellors - Education and Research
the College Secretary
Director of Human Resources (Secretary to the Committee)
an independent person with expertise in senior staff remuneration, unless one or more of the members has such expertise.

A single sex committee is not permitted. The Committee will determine its own timetable for meetings but will usually meet on an annual basis.

The quorum necessary for transactions of business shall be four including either the Vice-Chancellor or Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

The PA to the Director of Human Resources will act as Minute Secretary to the Committee.

PROFESSORIAL STAFF

POSITIVE REVIEW

Staff will be notified by Human Resources of the procedure to follow in order to make an application, including relevant deadlines, and will be asked to indicate their intention to apply. The Vice-Chancellor will then conduct a positive review with senior colleagues, including the Executive Deans. The outcome of this review will be that any staff who are deemed suitable to apply, and who have not indicated their intention to do so, will be encouraged to apply.

CRITERIA

The College expects all of its Professors to have a 'national/international standing in the relevant subject or profession as established by outstanding contributions to its advancement through publications, creative work or other appropriate forms of scholarship or performance, and through teaching and administration' [as defined by University of London Council Ordinances for the conferment of title of professor]. Applicants will be expected to have successfully performed the duties outlined in the generic professorial job descriptions plus the associated assessment criteria for promotion outlined in Appendix 1 (of this procedure) for the Research and Teaching career pathway and Appendix 2 for the Teaching and Education career pathway. Meeting these expectations will not of itself justify an award.

APPLICATIONS

Staff need to follow the procedure, carefully adhering to its guidelines. A failure to follow them may result in an unsuccessful application. Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Applications must be submitted using the relevant form, which is available on the related link on this web page.

All sections must be completed, and all information must be contained within the form; attachments will not be accepted. Applications must be completed in a minimum 11pt font and must not exceed two sides of A4 (prior to submission to the Executive Dean). If this limit is exceeded, only the first two pages will be considered. Applications may not be modified after the submission deadline.

Applicants must provide evidence of significant achievement over the past year, in relation to the key criteria focussing particularly on exceptional performance in terms of leadership, co-ordination and delivery of the College's COVID-19 response. This should include reference to Academic Review discussions where appropriate.

The application proforma requires confirmation that they have fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (or other recognised academic teaching qualification).

EXECUTIVE DEAN STATEMENTS

Applicants must forward their applications to their Executive Dean by the stated deadline. Executive Deans will complete the relevant section of the application form, stating whether the application is supported or not and the rationale for that assessment. In the case of staff on fractional contracts, the assessment should consider the fact that these staff may not have had the same opportunity to contribute in all areas as full-time staff.

EXECUTIVE DEAN SUMMARY

The Executive Dean will provide a table for the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee showing applicants within their school and scores awarded for each of the four areas of Education and Student Experience, Research or Scholarship, Leadership and Management, and Engagement.

The following range of scores will be applied, following the scoring system used in the academic promotion (conferment of title) procedure:

Exceptional performance
Excellent performance
Very good performance
Good performance
Adequate performance
Failed to meet required standard
Not applicable.

The Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee will meet to consider all applications. The following information will be available to the committee:

All applications
The two generic professorial job descriptions (one for Research and Teaching and one for Teaching and Education)
A summary from each Executive Dean

The Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee will review all the documentation and make recommendations to the Remuneration Committee. These recommendations will be in respect of the relative merits of each application and the monetary level of awards. It is the remit of the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee to decide whether to approve an award and, if so, the type and amount. The Remuneration Committee will have final oversight of the decisions made.

process for newly promoted professors to apply for a consolidated pay increase

As part of the Annual Pay Review process for Professorial staff, all newly promoted professors, whose salary at the point of promotion was at the 'initial pay level' (see Conferment of Title procedure for specific details), will be invited to apply for a 1% consolidated increase to their salary in the first and second years following their promotion. The maximum percentage increase is 1% per year. For example, if an applicant is unsuccessful in the first year following promotion, and then successfully applies in the second year, the maximum award will be 1%.

Successful awards will be subject to a process of review to ensure that objectives have been met, and the applicant is continuing in their developmental trajectory, as evidenced by their promotion.

This procedure is independent of the Annual Pay Review Process for Professors and Senior Staff, to which newly promoted professors may alternatively wish to submit an application. Potential applicants will need to decide on the route that is appropriate to their individual circumstances as only one application can be made in each review period.

application process

Following their promotion or any successful application under this scheme, applicants will be required to outline their work and achievements linked to the four work area headings and against any agreed direction as established within the annual Academic Review process.

Applications should be approximately 500 words in each of the four work area headings and no more than 2000 words in total length.

Once completed by the applicant, the form is to be sent to their Assistant Dean for Subject Unit (HoD) by the deadline as advised in the communication from Human Resources.

Assistant Deans will review applications and add their comments in respect of the information provided and the trajectory of the development of the applicant, with reference as appropriate to any direction agreed through the Academic Review process. The Assistant Dean should ensure the completed application is emailed to the Executive Dean by the stated deadline.

Following receipt of all nominations, and prior to a sub-panel of the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee, Executive Deans should:

a. Discuss all applications with the Assistant Dean

b. Determine whether or not they endorse the application

c. Conduct a positive review of eligible staff to ensure equality of opportunity.

d. Email the application to Eleanor Schreiber and copied to the relevant Assistant Dean.

A sub-panel of the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee will then meet to review all applications.

Applicants, their Assistants Deans and Executive Deans will be notified of the outcome by a letter from Human Resources. Any agreed pay award will be effective from 1 October following the panel’s decision.

SENIOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES STAFF

POSITIVE REVIEW

Staff will be notified by Human Resources of the procedure to follow in order to apply to the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee, including relevant deadlines, and will be asked to indicate their intention to apply. Applications should come through the College Secretary and applicants can discuss their application with the College Secretary before applying. The Vice-Chancellor or the College Secretary can also identify individuals who should be encouraged to apply during the positive review process.

CRITERIA

Staff should demonstrate a high level of achievement through the following criteria in the context of personal objectives:

Significant contribution to achievement of the College’s strategic objectives focussing particularly on exceptional performance in terms of leadership, co-ordination and delivery of the College's COVID-19 response.
Outstanding innovation in the job leading to improvement in school and/or professional service department processes, resulting in a more effective service to staff and/or students.
Quality and achievements in respect of leadership of the function.
Exceeding strategic objectives relating to the function.

APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted using the relevant form, which is available on the related link on this web page.

All sections must be completed and all information must be contained within the form, except for the job description, which must be attached. No other attachments will be accepted. Applications must be completed in a minimum 11pt font and must not exceed two sides of A4, (prior to submission to the College Secretary or Executive Dean in the case of grade 10 staff in schools or Pro Vice-Chancellor Education for grade 10 staff in their area). If this limit is exceeded, only the first two pages will be considered. Applications may not be modified after the submission deadline.

Applicants must provide evidence of significant achievement over the past year in relation to the key criteria.

COLLEGE SECRETARY/EXECUTIVE DEAN/PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR EDUCATION STATEMENTS

Applicants must forward their applications as appropriate to the College Secretary or Executive Dean or Pro Vice-Chancellor Education by the stated deadline. The College Secretary or Executive Dean or Pro Vice-Chancellor Education will complete the relevant section of the application form, stating whether the application is supported or not and the rationale for that assessment. In the case of staff on fractional contracts, the assessment should consider the fact that these staff may not have had the same opportunity to contribute in all areas as full-time staff. The Executive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor Education will forward the relevant applications, job descriptions and associated statements direct to the PA to the Director of Human Resources.

COLLEGE SECRETARY SUMMARY

The College Secretary will provide a table for the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee showing applicants within professional services and scores awarded.

The following range of scores will be applied, in line with the scoring system used in the academic promotion (conferment of title) procedure:

Exceptional performance
Excellent performance
Very good performance
Good performance
Adequate performance
Failed to meet required standard
Not applicable

The Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee will meet to consider all applications. The following information will be available to the committee:

All applications (including applications submitted by the Executive Deans and/or Pro Vice-Chancellor Education)
The relevant job descriptions.
A summary from the College Secretary.

The Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee will review all the documentation and make recommendations to the Remuneration Committee. These recommendations will be in respect of the relative merits of each application and the monetary level of awards. All recommendations will be considered but it is the remit of the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee to decide whether to approve an award and, if so, the type and amount. The Remuneration Committee will have final oversight of the decisions made.

The Chair of the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee writes to each applicant, advising them of the outcome of their application. If an application is unsuccessful, the Chair’s letter will invite the applicant to meet the Chair of the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee’s nominee to obtain feedback.

APPEALS

Appeals against the Committee’s decisions will only be considered where it is argued that there has been a fault in procedure. If a member of staff wishes to appeal against the decision of the Professorial and Senior Staff Salaries Committee, he or she must send a letter to the Director of Human Resources not more than 15 working days from the date of the outcome letter, stating the grounds for the appeal.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

Those making assessments throughout this procedure must ensure that they are objective and do not discriminate on any basis (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation).

Human Resources will monitor applications and outcomes to ensure consistency, equity and fairness, and a report will be made to the Remuneration Committee each year.

DOCUMENTS AND FORMS

The documents and forms associated with the annual pay review process are only available to current Birkbeck staff members.