Developing a new Academic Career & Reward Framework

In this blog, Professor Anne Trefethen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, People and Digital, gives an update on the Academic Career & Reward Framework project, including focus groups and engagement with staff across the collegiate University.

Key developments:

• New FAQs published, clarifying the project’s scope and how it relates to other work underway 
• Cross-divisional discussions and staff focus groups held last term 
• Next steps and when to expect the new framework to take effect

Back in December, I wrote a blog outlining the rationale for a new Academic Career and Reward Framework (ACRF) that is currently being developed to improve career progression, workload management and reward and recognition for academic staff. In that blog I set out the aims of the new framework and shared the link to a sign-up form to volunteer to get involved in focus groups. Thank you to everyone who took up that invitation. 

Things have moved along since then, thanks to the work of colleagues on both the ACRF project team and the Pay & Conditions review team. The four main workstreams of the ACRF project are all well underway, with leads from HR, Research Services and the Academic Administration Division. Together, they are looking at: 

• Academic Pathways Framework 
• Academic Workload
• Academic Reward and Recognition
• Academic Contracts and Policy

You can find out more about each workstream on the ACRF webpages, which have recently been updated with progress made and Frequently Asked Questions. 

Scope of the project 

This project is rooted in initial work to address specific issues in relation to the Associate Professor role. As it has progressed the scope has expanded to consider the full range of roles with teaching and/or research responsibilities across the University, bringing in other staff groups such as those on RSIV contracts (often referred to as Research Professors). This broader category of staff includes colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles and all contract types (regardless of funding source). For example, it covers postdoctoral Research Assistants and Research Associates, Clinical Researchers, Associate Professors with or without professorial title and with or without Tutorial Fellowships with the colleges, Departmental Lecturers, Clinical Professors, Statutory Professors, and more roles besides.  

This allows us to look at how different role types intersect. By considering them all in the round, we can take a phased approach and be more confident that making changes in one area will not create challenges elsewhere.  

The emerging framework is being developed in consultation with college representatives, to ensure that it is compatible with joint appointments with the colleges as well. We hope this will enable a more cohesive, collegiate University approach to academic careers and reward. 

Insight from colleagues 

As a project team, we have been sharing our progress at divisional boards and committees, with the Conference of Colleges and the trade unions. That’s led to some fruitful discussions and useful feedback that we’re feeding into the emerging framework. 

We also held six very constructive focus groups at the end of last term, involving colleagues from a broad range of roles across the collegiate University: three looked at workload specifically, and three at academic career pathways. They gave us rich insight about how people are feeling, and there are some great ideas emerging. We appreciated the time people took to be part of this important process. 

On academic pathways, focus group participants looked at the current Oxford career pathway for academic staff and commented on what they felt the University should keep or change, and potential impacts on different staff groups. 

On workload, participants shared their views on the current picture, workload fluctuations and the key challenges they face in their roles. Colleagues were also invited to share ideas for addressing workload challenges specifically and to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of processes, models or systems used to manage workload, within the University or elsewhere.  

This insight will feed into ongoing work to understand the range of workload models currently used in different parts of the University. It will help to inform discussions with the colleges about reciprocal expectations and the best ways of managing workload for roles that are joint appointments between the University and colleges. 

The ACRF Steering Group have also been looking closely at feedback from the Staff Survey in recent years, and at relevant insights from the Pay & Conditions review. We will, of course, be making sure the proposed new framework aligns with outcomes from Pay & Conditions.  

What’s next? 

Our aim is to have a proposed framework ready for formal consultation through all relevant University governance structures in Hilary term 2025, with a view to implementation beginning before next summer.  

There is still more to do, but thanks to so many colleagues engaging with the project we now have a clear vision of what we need to deliver, how we can take on board the variety of needs from different parts of the institution, and what we should prioritise in the delivery plan.   

Although the framework will need to allow for flexibility across the divisions, it will also provide us with a consistent approach to academic roles and career progression, which has been benchmarked against the wider sector. It will enable better planning to help us relieve workload pressures and greater clarity on criteria for promotion and progression. And this will all help to ensure an appropriate shift in parity of esteem for teaching, research and academic leadership responsibilities, all of which are integral to the successful delivery of our shared academic mission.   

Thank you again to all who have provided input to this project so far. If you have any specific questions or comments, you can get in touch with the ACRF project team directly at: academic.framework@admin.ox.ac.uk.