Academic Career and Reward Framework | HR Support

Aims

This workstream aims to propose a reward and recognition framework which is clearly aligned to career pathways.

The proposals aim to deliver:

Rewards that provide clear promotion steps and recognition of teaching alongside research;
Clarity on pay benchmarks and pay mechanisms; and
Improved satisfaction with pay and benefits

Deliverables

Work carried out under the Reward and Recognition stream falls into a number of stages:

Benchmarking and considering differences in total reward;
Mapping pay structures to proposed career pathways;
Developing and aligning a reward and recognition framework aligned to proposed career pathways; and
Modelling and costing proposed pay structures and wider reward framework

Progress

Date	Update

December 2024	On 4 December, the ACRF Steering Group approved the consultation and implementation timeline for the framework. The Conference of Colleges is setting up a working group to examine the college-related implications of the framework.
November to December 2024	An overview of the ACRF was presented to Divisional representatives or Divisional Boards for feedback (presentation to MSD will take place on 14 January 2025). These consultations were followed by deep dive sessions for divisional representatives from November to mid-December, focusing on the development of promotion criteria relating to Research, Education, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in HE, and Citizenship.
29 October 2024	The ACRF Steering Group considered the first draft of the Oxford Academic Careers Framework, which incorporated feedback from the summer deep dives held with the Group, and from consultations with select Heads of Department. It also reviewed an initial mapping of the current staff population to the framework, and policy implications. Approval to seek wider feedback was given.
April to May 2024	Steering Group received a report on the relevant insight on academic reward and recognition from staff focus groups run under the University's Pay & Conditions review
March 2024	Findings and recommendations from the Pay & Conditions review discussed by Council members on 4 March ACRF Steering Group updated on key findings from the Pay & Conditions review in relation to academic pay benchmarking and reward, at its meeting on 18 March
December 2023 to February 2024	Findings and recommendations of the Pay & Conditions review reported on schedule to the Vice-Chancellor before Christmas and to University Council on 5 February 2024
November 2023	Academic pay benchmarking completed as part of the Pay & Conditions review, to inform recommendations on the University’s total reward offer for academic staff (including all teaching and research staff)
July to October 2023	Terms of reference for pay benchmarking agreed by the Steering Group Benchmarking work carried out over the summer, with a view to outcomes being reported to both the Steering Group for this project and the Steering Committee for the Vice-Chancellor's Pay and Conditions review