This information should be read in conjunction with
- the policy Duty Statements and Selection Criteria
- Guidelines for Academic Selection Criteria.
General considerations
- What are selection criteria?
- Position classification standards
- Essential and desirable criteria
- Weighting
What are selection criteria?
Selection criteria detail the
- knowledge
- skills
- experience, and
- education or training
required to successfully undertake the duties of each level of academic position: associate lecturer, lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, and professor.
The selection criteria are used to assess each applicant for a position and are the tool by which selection panels shortlist applicants for interview and determine the most appointable candidate.
Selection criteria for all academic positions must be:
- Measurable
- Specific
- Written in simple English
- Written in non-discriminatory language
- Without organisation specific jargon
- Directly relevant to the inherent requirements of the position.
Position classification standards
Selection criteria for academic positions must be consistent with the Position Classification Standard for the appropriate academic level of appointment.
The Position Classification Standards are outlined in the QUT Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Academic Staff).
The Position Classification Standards are generic statements used to describe the broad categories of responsibilities attached to academic positions at different levels.
The Position Classification Standards provide the basis to differentiate between the various levels of appointment and define the broad relationships between classifications
The Standards have three parts:
- general standard,
- specific duties and
- skill base.
The specific duties section may assist in developing selection criteria for a position.
Selection panels may tailor these descriptors to make them more relevant to the position and the organisational area.
Essential and desirable criteria
Selection criteria can be defined as essential or desirable.
Essential criteria are those that the candidate must have or be capable of acquiring in order to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Desirable are those that would be an advantage to the candidate and the organisational area but are not critical in performing the duties of the position.
For all supervisory positions demonstrated knowledge of equal opportunity and workplace health and safety principles should be included as essential criteria.
Desirable criteria are useful in assisting the selection panel distinguish between candidates who have equal claims when assessed against all the essential selection criteria.
It is not necessary to provide desirable criteria where the essential criteria are seen as sufficient in defining the requirements of the position.
Weighting
The selection panel may weight the criteria to reflect the relative importance of each criterion to the role and to the direction of the discipline.
If the selection panel decide to weight the criteria the weightings must be published so that candidates are aware of the weightings.
Selection criteria for academic positions
Each level of academic appointment has requirements in relation to qualifications and the three generic selection criteria.
These generic selection criteria being:
- teaching and learning
- research and scholarship, and
- academic and professional leadership
These are outlined in the policy Duty Statements and Selection Criteria.
Selection panels may expand upon or add to these criteria to make them more relevant to the requirements of the position and to the needs of the organisational area and discipline.
It should be noted however, that any tailoring of the criteria must be consistent with the Position Classification Standards for the level of appointment.
Examples of how the qualifications requirements and the generic criteria may be tailored are outlined below.
- Qualifications and experience
- Academic and professional leadership
- Teaching and learning
- Research
- Other skills and attributes
These examples do not relate to any one level of academic appointment but range across all levels of appointment.
Qualifications and experience
Qualifications
Whilst the qualifications statements for each level of academic appointment are specific in seeking four years tertiary study, masters, or doctoral qualifications, the selection panel should determine whether study in a particular field is essential and specify this in the qualifications statement.
Examples are:
- Completion of four years tertiary study in the fine arts discipline….
- Completion of four years study in the discipline of pharmacology, toxicology or other related field…
- Completion of a doctoral or masters degree in a cognate discipline
- Completion of doctoral qualification in project management or closely related discipline
Further Requirements
Many positions have further requirements related to the qualifications and professional accreditation or standing required of the position, namely, eligibility for membership or membership of particular regulatory bodies, professional associations and so on.
Specific examples are:
- Eligible for teacher registration with the Queensland Board of Teacher Registration
- Eligible for membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- Qualifications as a Certified Practicing Accountant
- Eligibility for registration as a nurse in Queensland.
Where these requirements are essential to the candidate’s ability to undertake the duties of the position and contribute to the direction of the discipline and organisational area, they must be included in the essential selection criteria for the position.
Areas of Experience
In addition, if there are specific areas of experience that the candidate must have in order to meet the defined needs of the organisational area these must also be included in the selection criteria.
This experience must be defined as essential to the requirements of the position, or desirable if it would be advantageous. Examples are:
- Recent professional practice in commercial law and/or taxation law
- Recent professional acting experience
- Evidence of experience in primary classroom teaching
- Recent industrial experience in project or construction management
- Demonstrated experience in developing teaching materials for computer based education or other forms of flexible delivery
- Demonstrated experience in on-line teaching methods
- Experience in the assimilation of Indigenous perspectives into tertiary curricula
Academic and professional leadership
Requirements under this criterion may include:
- Evidence of participation in course development
- A strong track record of program management including coordinating staff responsibilities, prioritising resources, and coordinating academic processes
- Evidence of an ability to maintain strong professional links at a national and international level
- Demonstrated ability to provide academic leadership in curriculum design and management
- Evidence of leading cross-disciplinary teams
- Evidence of contributions and leadership in activities in continuing education, including professional development courses
- Evidence of involvement and/or leadership in the wider community including contributions to the promotion of education.
- Evidence of staff leadership
- Evidence of contributions to policy and/or planning
- Evidence of service on committees, working parties, boards etc.
Teaching and learning
One of the most common additions to this criterion is where the position is required to supervise student activity in forums other than the classroom and other standard teaching space.
Examples are:
- Ability to assist with the supervision of field trips
- Experience in the supervision of students in laboratory environments
- Demonstrated experience in supervising postgraduate students
- Demonstrated experience in the integration of multimedia in the delivery of teaching
- Previous teaching experience in a tertiary or similar environment
- Evidence of contributions to innovation in teaching
There may also be specific subjects or units that the appointee will be responsible for and these can be included in this criterion, for example:
- Evidence of demonstrated ability to undertake teaching in undergraduate business law units.
If there is a regular requirement for the position to teach large units, the selection panel may also seek evidence of the candidate’s ability, for example:
- Demonstrated experience in the delivery of lectures and tutorials to large audiences of 250 plus students.
Research
Where the organisational area is seeking to develop research in particular areas/fields, this criterion should specify the evidence sought by the selection panel.
Examples are:
- Evidence of ability to pursue research and/or scholarly activity in one of the following areas…
- Evidence of the ability to interact with industry in the performance of collaborative research and/or consultancy.
- Evidence of publications, exhibitions, or performances in the areas of …
- Research experience or significant creative experience in one or more of the areas of animation, computer graphics, virtual reality, multimedia design.
Other skills and attributes
In addition to the qualification requirements and the three generic selection criteria there will be other skills and attributes essential to satisfactory performance in a position.
These other attributes are often just as necessary to effective performance in an academic role as the requirements in relation to the other selection criteria.
Organisational areas should carefully consider the types of skills and attributes necessary or desirable to the position and discipline and should be explicit in describing these within the selection criteria.
Examples are:
- Demonstrated effective team skills for collaborative work settings
- Excellent oral communication skills to ensure the provision of an appropriate teaching and learning environment for students
- Interpersonal skills that demonstrate the ability to develop networks and partnerships across disciplines
- Demonstrated ability to work independently
- Demonstrated capacity to liaise with senior members of private and public sector organizations
- Effective negotiation skills
- A commitment to social justice and equity
Further guidance in writing academic selection criteria is available from the Senior Human Resources Advisor for your area.