Guidelines for appointment, transition and promotion to teaching and research positions at the University of Agder

1. General provisions

1.1 Scope

The guidelines apply to appointment, transition and promotion to teaching and research positions. The guidelines operate at a general level and are formulated within the framework of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and associated regulations and the Norwegian Civil Service Act, etc.

1.2 Permanent and temporary employment

The main rule in the state is permanent employment. Appointment to a temporary position requires a legal basis

Temporary appointments can be, inter alia:

• when the work is temporary in nature, cf. § 9 (1) (a) of the Norwegian Civil Service Act. This legal basis may be used
  • when the nature of the work clearly differs from ordinary work tasks, or where there is a significant difference in workload for a time-limited period. Examples include externally funded projects or internal initiatives1
• when the employee is deputizing for someone else, cf. § 9 (1) (b) of the Norwegian Civil Service Act
• when unforeseen needs arise for up to six months, cf. § 9 (1) (e) of the Norwegian Civil Service Act
• when appointing individuals in additional positions on a fixed term contract, cf. § 7-7 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges
• when no applicants meet the qualification requirements for appointment for the announced teaching and research position, and it is absolutely necessary to make an appointment due to the teaching situation, temporary appointment in a lower position may be offered for up to one year, cf. § 7-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges

1.3 Requirement for public announcement

As a general rule, vacant teaching and research positions must be publicly announced2 and published on UiA's website. In addition, positions must be advertised internationally.

UiA has established templates for announcements specifying standard formulations to be included.

For further information, please refer to the description of the recruitment process for teaching and research positions at UiA.

1.4 Exemptions from the requirement for public announcement

1.4.1 General

A public announcements may be waived:

• in the case of appointments for up to six months, cf. § 7 of the Norwegian Civil Service Act and § 7-2 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges; ”In special circumstances, the appointing authority may waive the requirement for an expert assessment for teaching and research positions that are not associate professorships or professorships”.
• for externally funded positions, when special circumstances justify appointment without open competition. Special circumstances could be:
  • when funding is contingent on a specific individual carrying out the project
  • when, in very special cases, there is a demonstrable need to engage a particular individual, and it is highly unlikely that others with equal or stronger qualifications in the field would apply if the position were announced
  • when a rapid start-up isrequired and ordinary appointment procedures cannot be implemented
• through direct appointment, when special reasons justify this, cf. § 7-8 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. A notice pursuant to § 7-8: this does not apply if more than one member of the Board objects to this. UiA has separate guidelines govering appointments of individuals to teaching and research positions without prior announcement at UiA
• Public announcement should only be waived if it can be substantiated that there is no one with the same or stronger skills who may be relevant for the position at the time of the announcement.
• Before an appointment at UiA, where a public announcement has been waived, the work tasks, competence requirements and areas of responsibility must be defined on the basis of the unit's research and teaching needs.

1.4.2 Special provisions for appointments on additional fixed-term contracts

An additional position at UiA allows individuals with the required expertise to combine a primary appointment at another institution with an additional appointment at UiA.

Appointment without a public announcement may be made on the basis of a substantiated academic justification and an explanation of unmet teaching and research needs, and must remain within the framework outlined in UiA`s guidelines for appointments without announcement.

1.5 Impartiality in the appointment process

The provisions on impartiality in the Public Administration Act § 6 apply to all stages of the appointment process.

It should be clarified that no one in the appointment process has a close connection to any of the applicants or would have a particular advantage or disadvantage in assessing any of them, cf. the Public Administration Act § 6. However, any knowledge of an applicant does not entail disqualification. When appointing expert committees, attention must be paid to supervisor relationships, close academic collaboration and co-authorship. The extent and recency of such collaboration are relevant factors in the impartiality assessment. Committee members of the committee shall provide information on such matters.

Appointees are responsible for reporting any special circumstances that may reasonably question the committes impartiality. Such assessments will always be discretionary. If impartiality has been discussed, the committee should briefly explain the topic of discussion and the conclusion of the assessment. In case of doubt or disqualification, contact the faculty.

UiA has its own guidelines on impartiality for expert committees (in Norwegian)

1.6 Transperency and access to information

Applicants are considered parties to the case and have the right of access pursuant to Chapter 5 of the Public Administration Act Regulations.

Public access is regulated by the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova). UiA practices extended disclosure (meroffentlighet) for access requests concerning the following documents:

• Public list of applicants
  Applicants who have not been granted an exemption from the public list will be notified before the list is released.

The recommending authority’s proposal to the appointing authority is exempt from public access under § 25 of the Freedom of Information Act. Nevertheless, exemptions from disclosure do not prevent UiA from practicing extended access following further consideration. Assessments of personal suitability for the position may, however, remain confidential.

2. Announcements

2.1 Announcement procedure

2.1.1. General

Teaching and research positions shall be announced with stated qualification requirements unless otherwise stipulated in laws, regulations or collective agreements, cf. the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges § 7-2.

The announcement must specify the academic field/discipline and area of responsibility, work duties, qualification requirements, and other factors that will be emphasized in the appointment.

A vacancy provides an opportunity to proactive human resource planning and for strengthening competence within the institution. This allows for for internal mobility, career development, and promoting diversity. It is crucial that this process begin with a job analysis; c.f. the description of the recruitment process for teaching and research positions at UiA.

2.1.2. Equality, diversity and inclusion

UiA seeks a broad and diverse pool of applicants for all positions, and the announcement texts must be drafted in a way that supports this goal.

Each announcement shall include a diversity statement in line with UiA's action plan for equality, diversity and inclusion. The diversity statement is provided as standard text in UiA's templates for job announcements.

Qualification requirements must not be formulated in a manner that excludes specific groups from applying.

UiA's adaptation agreement to the General Agreement for State Employees § 31 of states that (gender) equality and diversity shall characterize the organization's structure, leadership, strategy and culture. UiA's action plan for equality, inclusion and diversity shall contribute to ensuring that the university achieves and maintains gender balance over time at leadership level, and within the various academic fields and position categories. Objectives and measures are described in the action plan adopted by the UiA Board.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, immigrant background, or extended periods of absence from work and education (gaps in their CV), at least one candidate from each category must be invited for interview, cf. the Regulations to § 4-4b of the Norwegian Civil Service Act. Applicants with disabilities or extended absences from work and education may be appointed if they are approximately as well qualified as the best qualified candicate.

2.2 Announcement text

Job announcements must be based on a completed job analysis and UiA's templates, and shall include information about:

1. the academic field of the position and associated duties
2. required and desired qualifications, including requirements for educational competence and language requirements.
3. the unit at UiA to which the position is affiliated
4. geographical place of work
5. salary
6. that applicants who, upon appointment, are unable to document educational competence must acquire such competence within two years of employment
7. that applicants who, upon appointment, are unable to document Norwegian language skills at level B2 must acquire such proficiency within three years of employment
8. the use of interviews and trial lectures
9. that candidates of any underrepresented gender are encouraged to apply
10. UiA's diversity statement, cf. Section 2.1.2
11. rules, guidelines for the appointing process and contact information
12. documentation required in the application

For further details, reference is also made to the description of the recruitment process for teaching and research positions at UiA.

2.3 Application deadline

The standard application deadline is normally three weeks. The deadline is set by the faculty.

As a general rule, applicants are not allowed to supplement their applications after the deadline has passed. Exemptions may be made in special cases, but only at the initiative of, for example, the appointing unit or expert committee.

3. Qualification requirements for appointment, transition and promotion 

The qualification requirements for teaching and research positions are set out in the Regulations relating to the Act on Universities and University Colleges and UiA`s internal guidelines.

The same qualification requirements apply to appointment, transition and promotion. Upon appointment, any additional desired qualification and requirements for personal qualities shall be specified in the announcement text.

Employees may apply for promotion from entry-level positions via intermediate ranks to top-level positions within either the professor's ladder or the docent's ladder (see Chapter 8). UiA also allows employees to apply for transition between these two career ladders.

3.1 University and university college teacher

To meet the qualification requirements for university and university college teachers (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-2), the minimum requirements are:

1. lower degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence, cf. § 3-8 in the Regulations
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2, and
4. relevant professional or teaching experience

UiA's requirements for educational competence are described in Section 3.8.

3.2 University and university college lecturer

To meet the qualification requirements for a university and university college lecturer (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-3), the minimum requirements are:

1. a higher degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence, cf. § 3-8 in the Regulations
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2, and
4. relevant professional or teaching experience

UiA's requirements for educational competence are described in Section 3.8.

3.3 Senior lecturer

To meet the qualification requirements for an associate professor (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-4), the minimum requirements are:

1. a higher degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence, cf. § 3-8 in the Regulations
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
4. relevant professional or teaching experience, and
5. contribution to high-level professional development work, in accordance with international and/or national standards within the discipline or professional field.

UiA's requirements for educational competence are described in Section 3.8.

UiA applies the Frascati Manual's definition of scientific and experimental development work in understanding professional development work, i.e. "Systematic work that applies knowledge from research and practical experience and produces additional knowledge aimed at producing new products and processes or improving existing products and processes".

The professional development work may relate to the field of education, the relevant profession/professional field, or the interface between these.

3.4 Docent

To meet the qualification requirements for docent (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-5), the minimum requirements are:

1. a higher degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence, cf. § 3-8 in the Regulations
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
4. extensive relevant professional or teaching experience, and
5. significant contributions to professional development work at the highest level, in accordance with international or national standards in the discipline/professional field.

UiA's requirements for educational competence are described in Section 3.8.

Additional requirements for docent:

• quality development in one's own teaching and supervision over time
• broad experience with teaching and supervision at different levels
• extensive experience in educational leadership and participation in professional communities in higher education

UiA's additional requirements for all top-level academic positions:

• competence in “knowledge in use” (e.g. innovation, dissemination and interaction with society) and/or
• qualifications in academic leadership and management.

UiA applies the Frascati Manual's definition of scientific and experimental development work in understanding academic or professional development work, i.e. "Systematic work that applies knowledge from research and practical experience and produces additional knowledge aimed at producing new products and processes or improving existing products and processes".

The professional development work may relate to the field of education, the relevant profession/professional field, or the interface between these.

3.5 Associate Professor

To meet the qualification requirements for an associate professor (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-6), the minimum requirements are:

1.  a doctoral degree in a relevant subject area, or competence at an equivalent level documented either by scientific or artistic work of the same scope and quality
2. educational competence, cf. § 3-8 in the Regulations, and
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2.

UiA's requirements for educational competence are described in Section 3.8.

3.6 Professor

In order to meet the qualification requirements for a professor (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-7), a minimum of the following is required:

1. a doctoral degree in a relevant field/subject area, or equivalent competence demonstrated through scientific work or artistic work of the same scope and quality
2. educational competence, cf. § 3-8 in the Regulations, and
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2 and
4. significant contributions to research/artistic development work at the highest level, in accordance with international or national standards in the discipline/academic field.

UiA's requirements for educational competence are described in Section 3.8.

Additional Requirements for Professor:

• quality development in one's own teaching and supervision over time
• broad experience with supervision, preferably at master's/PhD level
• lead, initiate and/or participate in the development of educational quality in academic communities

UiA's additional requirements for all senior academic positions:

• competence in “knowledge in use” (e.g. innovation, dissemination and interaction with society) and/or
• qualifications in academic leadership and management

3.7 Competence profile at UiA

The competence profile at UiA operates with the following five areas:

1A. Academic qualifications – for professor/associate professor
a. Scientific/artistic works
b. Professional processes
c. Professional leadership

1B. Academic qualifications – for docent/senior lecturer
a. Academic and artistic development work
b. Professional processes
c. Professional leadership
d. Research

2. Proffesional educational qualifications
a. Pedagogical education and development work
b. Teaching and supervision experience
c. Educational Leadership

3. Knowledge in use
a. Dissemination
b. Innovation
c. Interaction with society

4. Qualifications in academic leadership and management
a. Leadership
b. Task
c. Administrasjon

5. Personal qualifications
a. Relevant personal qualities for the announced position
b. Other properties specified in the job announcement text

The assessment of scientific/artistic qualifications and professional development work shall be based on the quality and originality of the work. Appropriate use of quantitative (bibliometric) indicators may be considered as a supplementary factor in the evaluation.

UiA’s competence assessment matrix may be used as a tool in this work. The matrix provides examples of results/competence, documentation and reflection for all areas in the competence profile. The matrix contains many bullet points to illustrate possible elements that may be included, not because each individual point is to be covered. The bulleted lists are not a set of requirements nor are they exhaustive.

Results/competencies, documentation and reflection should show what one has done and achieved in the various areas, as well as quality, development and breadth of activities and results. Other relevant expertise, such as specialist expertise, will be taken into account where the text of the call provides a basis for this.

In appointment cases, the expert committee conducts an assessment of the full range of qualifications, all of which are explicitly evaluated. The experts conduct a complete assessment of the scientific/artistic qualifications and professional development work in Sections 1A or 1B, and an initial assessment of the qualification requirements in Sections 2-4. The qualifications in Sections 2-4 may be subject to supplementary assessment and elaboration through trial lectures, interviews and reference interviews. Personal suitability is assessed by the recommending authority later in the process.

In promotion and transition cases, the expert committee conducts a complete assessment of the areas of competence in Sections 1-4. Personal qualifications are not considered in connection with promotion.

3.8 Requirements relating to educational competence

Section (§) 3-8 of the Regulations relating to the Act on Universities and University Colleges requires universities and university colleges to establish more detailed requirements for educational competence. These requirements must be adapted to each position category. For the positions of Senior Lecturer, Docent, Associate Professor, and Professor, the minimum requirements shall include formal training, continuous quality enhancement in one’s own teaching, supervision, and significant contributions to the development of educational quality.

Educational competence refers to pedagogical or didactic competence aimed at promoting learning, including knowledge and skills in the development and implementation of teaching and supervision at the university and college level.

At UiA, the requirements for educational competence must be met at the time of appointment, transfer, or promotion to teaching and research positions, and must be documented in the application.

3.8.1 Exemptions from the requirement for educational competence

Pursuant to § 3-9 of the Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, exemptions may be granted from the requirement for educational competence at the time of appointment if the institution ensures that the competence is achieved within two years from the date of appointment. This exemption does not apply to promotion based on qualifications or to transition. Employees under the provision on additional appointments pursuant to § 7-7 of the Universities and University Colleges Act may be exempted from the requirement for educational qualifications.

3.8.2 Additional requirements for professors

The following additional requirements apply to appointment, promotion and transition to the position of professor:

• quality development in one's own teaching and supervision over time
• broad experience with supervision, preferably at master's/PhD level
• lead, initiate and/or participate in the development of educational quality in academic communities

3.8.3 Additional requirements for docent

The following additional requirements apply to appointment, promotion and transition to the position of docent:

• quality development in one's own teaching and supervision over time
• broad experience with teaching and supervision at different levels
• extensive experience in educational leadership and participation in professional communities in higher education

UiA has established its own criteria for employees' educational competence in connection with appointment, transition and promotion in teaching and research positions, and how this competence must be documented.

3.8.4 Documentation requirements

The requirements for educational competence are documented in a pedagogical portfolio (maximum 20 pages). The documentation section provides an overview of the applicant's teaching and supervision experience. The reflection section present the applicant's reflections on student learning, professional development as a teacher, an exploratory approach to teaching, and collegial values and practice.

The expert committee assesses educational competence in connection with appointment, transition and promotion.

The appointing authority may grant exceptions from the requirement for educational competence at the time of appointment, provided that the competence can be achieved within two years from the date of appointment (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-9).

3.9 Requirements relating to Norwegian language competence

There are general requirements for Norwegian competence at B2 level for all employees in the teaching and research positions. Proficiency in Swedish or Danish is considered equivalent to Norwegian (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-9). The qualification requirements for Norwegian language skills must be met in order to:

be eligible to apply for transition or promotion. Language competence may be documented through a diploma from upper secondary school/higher education in a Scandinavian language or by passing a recognized language test (e.g. Norwegian test for immigrants)

In special cases, an exemption from the language requirement may be granted for employees in additional positions (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-9). Such exceptions depend on the employee's work tasks.

Pursuant to § 3-8 of Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, an exemption from the Norwegian language requirement may be granted at the time of appointment if the employer ensures that the employee can achieve the required competence within three years of the date of appointment. If the employee has not achieved the competence within deadline, the individual does not meet the competence required for the position. The employer shall consider further measures.

3.10 Weighting of qualifications

Appointment is based on a comprehensive assessment of all the qualification requirements for the position, including personal qualifications.

Unless otherwise stated in the announcement text, scientific/artistic qualifications are weighted more heavily than other qualifications for professor/associate professor positions, while contributions to professional development work are emphasized for docent/senior lecturer positions.

Educational qualifications will be given priority over qualifications in the areas of knowledge in use and academic leadership and management unless otherwise stated in the announcement text.

A final assessment must be made of the overall qualifications.

Personal qualifications must be emphasized in the overall assessment, based on documented information obtained in the recruitment process and assessed against the requirements for personal qualities stated in the announcement.

Particular emphasis is placed on qualifications that are closely related to the subject area and responsibilities of the position.

After an overall assessment, personal qualifications may be of decisive importance in appointment cases, provided that this is supported by a factual justification related to the specified personal qualities in the announcement.

4. Screening committee

4.1 Use of screening committee

The person responsible for the recommendation process may choose to establish a screening committee that conducts a preliminary screening of candidates prior to the expert committee’s work.

The screening committee should at a minimum consist of the person responsible for the recommendation process or a representative of this person, as well as an internal academic representative.

The screening committee shall exclude candidates who clearly do not meet the qualification requirements for the position. In cases with a large number of qualified applicants, the committee may also group the candidates based on qualifications and recommend which applicants should proceed in the process. A brief written justification must be provided for why less suitable applicants do not proceed. This justification shall be forwarded to the expert committee when it is assigned the assessment task.

If the screening committee is uncertain about an applicant, the applicant must be included among those assessed by the expert committee. The experts may choose to include more candidates than those initially proposed by the screening committee.

In its work, the screening committee shall be mindful of UiA’s objective of improving gender balance and increasing diversity in academic positions.

All applicants, including those who do not proceed, are considered parties to the case and are entitled to clear and timely information at the earliest possible stage in the process.

5. Expert committee

5.1 Expert committee

The committee must base its assessment on the submitted material. The committee shall assess the applicants' qualifications in accordance with UiA's competence profile and the requirements set out in the announcement text. The experts shall provide a reasoned indicative assessment and ranking of the applicants who are considered qualified.

In connection with appointment, the experts make an assessment of the entire breadth of qualifications and these are explicitly assessed. The experts carry out a complete assessment of the scientific/artistic/development qualifications, cf. Section 3.1 (1), and an initial assessment of the qualification requirements in Section 3.1 (2-4). The qualifications in subsections 2-4 may be subject to supplementary assessment and elaboration through trial lectures, interviews and reference interviews. Personal suitability is assessed by the recommending authority later in the process.

The committee's assessment is part of the overall assessment basis on which the recommending authority bases its recommendation to the appointing authority.

5.2 Appointment of experts

The Faculty appoints the experts on the basis of a proposal from the relevant department/academic environment.

UiA has its own guidelines for expert committees (in Norwegian) in connection with appointment, transition and promotion to teaching and research positions.

When the experts have been appointed and have accepted the assignment, all applicants must be informed of who has been appointed.

5.3 Organisation of the work

The Faculty appoints a chair of the committee upon appointment. The chair administers the committee's work and is responsible for ensuring that the work gets started and is delivered on time. The experts' assessment shall normally be available within two months of employment.

If necessary, the Faculty may also appoint an internal coordinator who is not part of the committee, but who can contribute to the coordination of the committee's work and to ensure good progress in the work on the assessment.

The experts organize their own work and provide a joint assessment. In the event of dissent, the minority must formulate its point of view.

5.4 Comments from applicants

A copy of the entire assessment from the experts is sent to all applicants. At this stage of the process, applicants have the opportunity to submit written comments to the assessment.

Applicants have the opportunity to submit written objections to the case processing and comments on the assessment within a set deadline of at least two weeks. Comments must always be sent to the expert committee, which must provide an additional opinion on the basis of the comments. Any comments and the committee's supplementary statement will follow the case on to the appointing authority.

The opportunity to submit comments does not provide an extended right of appeal. The purpose of the scheme is to give applicants the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings. An applicant is not entitled to have his or her comments presented to the experts.

Reference is also made to the description of the recruitment process for teaching and research positions at UiA.

6. Recommendation authority

The authority to make recommendations for appointment to teaching and research positions is vested in the dean.

6.1 Setting

The recommending authority will make an overall assessment of the applicants based on the requirements in the announcement text and make an overall ranking of the best qualified applicants. The ranking here is based on the entire assessment basis and may therefore be different from the ranking from the expert committee. The recommendation will be the starting point for the appointing authority’s consideration of the case.

Reference is also made to the description of the recruitment process for teaching and research positions at UiA.

6.2 Working method

The recommending authority shall identify the applicant who, on the basis of an overall assessment, is best qualified for the position, and submit a proposal for a decision to the appointing authority.

The recommending authority is responsible for ensuring that interviews, trial lectures and any other forms of assessment are carried out. As a general rule, at least three applicants must be recommended in order of priority.

The assessment basis consists of

• Assessment from the expert committee
• Assessment of trial lecture
• Interview
• Reference collection
• Other forms of assessment

If the recommending authority finds that the assessment by the expert committee does not provide a sufficient basis for assessing the applicants' qualifications, the case may be sent back to the experts for further information.

The case can be sent back to the experts when essential information is missing or if there are procedural errors that may have an impact on the appointment decision.

6.3 Recommendation

The recommendation from the recommending authority shall be substantiated on the basis of an overall assessment of the competence profile, cf. Section 3.1, and the criteria stated in the announcement.

The recommending authority shall ensure that the case has been processed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

6.4 Assessment of personal qualities

The applicants who are the highest ranked by the expert committee, and proceed to the trial lecture, must also be invited to an interview and assessed with regard to personal suitability. The purpose is to obtain supplementary information about the applicant's qualifications. After an overall assessment, personal qualifications may be of decisive importance in the appointment case, based on a factual justification related to the personal qualities specified in the announcement. The individual applicant's personal qualities must therefore be assessed and discussed.

Personal qualities must be assessed, and this must be done at least through interviews and reference collection. Completion of a trial lecture can also provide supplementary basis for assessing personal qualities.

6.5 Interview

Interviewing is a key tool for assessing an applicant's personal suitability. The interview can also be used for further clarification of the applicant's educational competence and further research plans, as well as clarification of mutual expectations for the position.

The employer is responsible for clarifying to the applicants any special conditions and other conditions associated with the position.

Reference is also made to the description of the recruitment process for teaching and research positions at UiA.

6.6 Trial lecture

The purpose of the trial lecture is to assess the ability to disseminate, engage and activate research-based knowledge adapted to the relevant target group, as well as to assess whether the candidate applies educational competence and didactic principles in his/her teaching.

Trial lectures can also contribute to the assessment of personal suitability, for example by observing the interaction between the applicant and students, or to assessing the applicant's digital competence through the use of various digital learning methods and learning technologies.

6.7 References

Reference collection is used to confirm/deny the information that has been provided about previous employment relationships and the impressions that have been formed of the applicant.

Normally, it will be appropriate to contact previous and current employers. All reference collection must be done in agreement with the candidate.

The interviews and the collection of references are important for the selection work and must be prepared thoroughly. You should go through the job analysis and requirement specification, and the notes from the summary of the interview. It should also be noted if there is anything that needs to be investigated further.

UiA's digital solution for obtaining written references via SurveyXact is recommended to be used. This solution will also make a good contribution to reducing the time spent in the process.

Reference is also made to the description of the recruitment process for teaching and research positions at UiA.

6.8 Ranking

Normally, at least three applicants shall be recommended in the order in which they should be considered, provided that there are so many qualified applicants for the position. A written statement must be given on the recommended applicants' qualifications and suitability for the position on the basis of:

• the announcement text for applicants
• the experts' assessment
• assessment of trial lecture
• other forms of assessment
• minutes from interviews and references obtained

The recommending authority must therefore weigh the various qualifications against each other in the final ranking. Even if the same general rule on the weighting of qualifications is applied, cf. Section 3.4, an overall assessment may result in the recommending authority arriving at a different ranking than the expert committee. A reason must be given for the order in which the recommended applicants are listed.

7. Appointment

7.1 Appointment

The appointment is made on the basis of a recommendation. The appointing authority ultimately decides which of the recommended candidates is best qualified and should be offered the position. The appointing authority is responsible for ensuring that the case processing has been conducted properly and in line with applicable regulations, that gender equality considerations have been safeguarded and that the principle of qualifications has been followed.

If the appointing authority finds that the expert committee’s opinion does not provide a sufficient basis for an appointment decision, the authority may decide to establish a new expert committee and carry out a new expert assessment.

Applicants shall be informed of the appointment of the new expert committee.

7.2 Appointing authority

Appointments to teaching and research positions are delegated by the Board to UiA' s Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions, cf. § 7-2 in the Universities and University Colleges Act.

8. Promotion and transition

Eligibility requirements for promotion and transition to teaching and research positions cf. Chapter 3.

There is no institutional application deadline. Applications are processed on an ongoing basis according to the date of submission.

8.1 Right to apply for promotion

Promotion means that the institution gives an employee the right to use a title that belongs to another job category, provided that the employee meets the qualification requirements for the relevant job category. Promotion does not entitle the holder to changed work tasks (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges § 3-13, paragraph 2).

Employees in teaching and research positions can apply for promotion:

• From university/university college teacher to university/university college lecturer
• From university/university college lecturer to senior lecturer
• From university/university college lecturer to associate professor
• From senior lecturer to dosent
• From associate professor to professor

An application for promotion can only be submitted at your own faculty and within the subject area where the applicant is employed (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges § 3-13, 4th paragraph and Norwegian Civil Service Handbook (“Statens personalhåndbok”) Chapters 5.7.2 and 5.7.3). It should be taken

consideration for the development of the subject area of the position from the original job description and up to the time of application.

Applicants who have not been assessed for teaching and research positions at UiA during the last two years, may demand to have their competence assessed by a expert committee. If a position has been announced at UiA during the last two years, who are in a higher job category than the applicant is employed in and who are within the same subject area, the applicant may not request a competence assessment until two years after the application deadline of the announcement. The same applies if the applicant has submitted and subsequently withdrawn the application (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-13, 6th paragraph).

For applicants who meet the criteria for promotion from university lecturer to assistant professor on the basis of a master's degree, UiA can award promotion administratively without assessment of experts (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges § 3-11). The same applies to applicants who meet the the criteria for promotion from assistant professor to associate professor on the basis of achieved doctoral degree and educational competence. It is the dean who assesses, and possibly approves, the educational competence.

The employee must have at least one year remaining of the appointed period in order to apply promotion to teaching and research positions. The institution is obliged to carry out the competency assessment if the application is submitted at least one year before the appointment period expires. The institution is not obliged to complete the assessment if:

The applicant resigns from the position earlier than one year after the application for promotion was submitted (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges § 3-13, 7th paragraph).

The right to apply for promotion does not apply to employees in additional fixed-term positions (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges 3-13, 8th paragraph).

UiA does not recognize competence assessments from other institutions as a basis for awarding promotion, cf. § 3-14, last paragraph, in the Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges.

8.2 Assessment and decision-making process in connection with promotion

The composition and proceedings of the expert committee are set out in Chapter 5.

The expert committee will assess the applicant's competence, based on UiA's qualification and documentation requirements The assessment must state the basis for the conclusion and the subject area in which subject area the applicant is declared competent, and whether the assessment is unanimous or divided (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges § 3-14).

UiA's Appointments Committee decides whether to award promotion. It is a prerequisite that the assessment is unanimous.

8.3 Right to apply for transition

Employees can apply for a transition between job categories at the same level (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-15).

In the event of a transition, the same requirements for competence and competence assessment apply as in case of promotion.

UiA's guidelines on the right to apply for promotion, and on assessment and decision-making process related to promotion, also apply to applications for transition between job categories.

9. Appeal and reversal

9.1 Appeals and reversals of decisions

Decisions on appointments cannot be appealed under the Public Administration Act and are exempt from the rules on justification and reversal pursuant to the same Act, cf. § 3, second paragraph, in the Public Administration Act.

A decision in an employment case may nevertheless be reversed if the conditions pursuant to § 35 of the Public Administration Act are met and the appointing authority has decided that the said section applies. Reversal may take place, for example, if the individual in question has not been informed of the decision or if the decision suffers from such errors that it must be considered invalid.

Reversal before the applicant has been notified may be appropriate, for example: in cases where crucial new information emerges shortly after the decision has been made. For example, a decision may be invalid if such procedural errors have been committed that give reason to believe the decision would have been different if the errors had not occurred.