1. Background and purpose

1.1 The University of Western Australia seeks to achieve its mission through:

'Recruitment, development and retention of the highest quality staff'.

1.2 To meet this objective successfully requires that the University's compensation system and career structure appropriately rewards those staff supporting the University's values. UWA wishes to reward those academic staff whose contribution may lie primarily in research or in teaching and learning.

1.3 To make the existing career structure more flexible, and to create more options for recognising and rewarding its academic contributors, the University has introduced a category of academic staff entitled the Professorial Fellow. The Professorial Fellow position is adjacent to the existing teaching and research career structure, and the research career structure. Professorial Fellows may be designated either Professorial Fellow (Research) or Professorial Fellow (Teaching and Learning). Industrially, Professorial Fellows are a local designation, Level D, with over award payments.

1.4 This measure will improve the University's capacity to:

• attract and retain high quality staff at the most senior level; and
• provide flexibility and diversity for high quality academic staff.

1.5 The role of a Professorial Fellow will be individually negotiated with the relevant Head of School, and may incorporate a wide range of duties currently within the brief of Associate Professors and Professors.

1.6 While Professorial Fellows will be able to use the appellation 'Professor', they will not have access to any other rights that pertain to the position. Currently this is membership of the Academic Board.

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2. Role of a Professorial Fellow (Research)

Professorial Fellows (Research) are expected to play a leadership role in research including postgraduate supervision, within the University. An academic seeking promotion to Professorial Fellow (Research) will be expected to have demonstrated exceptionally distinguished scholarly achievements and will normally be recognised as an eminent international authority in his/her discipline. The applicant will normally hold the rank of Associate Professor (Level D) within the University or, alternatively, the rank of Principal Research Fellow. The applicant will be required to have made an exceptional contribution to scholarship by research. In addition, the applicant must provide evidence of satisfactory teaching and service to the University, the profession and the community

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3. Professorial Fellow (Teaching and Learning)

Professorial Fellows (Teaching and Learning) are expected to play a leadership role in teaching and learning including postgraduate supervision within the University. An academic seeking promotion to Professorial Fellow (Teaching and Learning) will be expected to have demonstrated exceptionally distinguished scholarly achievements and will normally be recognised as an eminent international authority in his/her discipline. The applicant will normally hold the rank of Associate Professor (Level D) within the University, and will be required to have made an exceptional contribution to scholarship by teaching. In addition the applicant must provide evidence of satisfactory research and service to the University, the profession and the community.

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4. The selection process

4.1 Professorial Fellows will be appointed as a consequence of one of four different actions:

4.1.1 Promotion of an Existing Member of Staff: Current members of teaching and research or academic research staff may seek promotion to Professorial Fellow in accordance with existing guidelines on promotion and against the selection criteria. Applications will be considered by the Academic Promotions Committee on the recommendation of the Head of School and Dean, and their recommendations confirmed by Senate through the Vice-Chancellor.

• Where applicants seeking promotion have fractional appointments, the University expects the same level and quality of achievements and international recognition as full time academic staff. In terms of the quantity of output, such as teaching load, research publications and service, the expectation is of at least pro-rata output consistent with the level of achievement required for promotion.

4.1.2 Creation and Advertising of a New Position: Upon receipt of a research grant, a specific position as Professorial Fellow (Research) may be created and advertised according to existing processes. The Dean will constitute a selection committee and a recommendation will be sent to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor for approval.

4.1.3 Nominated Academic Rank for Directors of Centres: Applicants for positions as Directors of Centres may be appointed as Professorial Fellow (Research) as a further option to the current practice of appointing them as Associate Professors and Professors.

4.1.4 Conversion of Status: Senior Principal Research Fellows are already the equivalent of Professors in the research career grade and have previously met the research selection criteria. Senior Principal Research Fellows will be entitled to seek a conversion of their status to Professorial Fellow (Research) assuming they meet the required selection criteria.

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5. Employment status

Professorial Fellows may be tenured, tenurable or on a fixed term contract.

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6. Salary

6.1 Professorial Fellows will normally be appointed to the top of the Level D salary scale and given access to a three point incremental allowance resulting in a four point salary range ending below the Level E salary point. The specific salary will be negotiated at the time of appointment. The allowance will be superannuable according to the superannuation applicable to their appointment.

6.2 Principal Research Fellows seeking a conversion to Professorial Fellow status and who currently receive professorial level salaries will be offered salary maintenance at that point, including any negotiated increases.

6.3 Professorial Fellows will be eligible for discretionary payments where the relevant criteria are met.

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7. Advertising of Professorial Fellow positions

7.1 As required by the current Academic Salary Agreement, an advertisement will include the following information:

• the title of the position; i.e. Professorial Fellow (Level D);
• current salary range, i.e. top of Level D plus three levels of allowance to create a four point range

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