POLICY NO: C-37 P2
Council Policy C-37 Honorary Awards and Honorary Academic Titles details the principles informing, and criteria applying to, the granting of honorary awards and honorary academic titles by the University of South Australia. This procedure details the nomination, conferral, review, renewal and rescission procedures applying to three of the academic titles referenced in that Policy:
These titles are all considered Adjunct appointments to the University. This procedure therefore includes additional information relevant to all such appointments (see Section F below).
The General Counsel and University Secretary, through relevant Unit Directors and Executive Deans will ensure organisation-wide adherence to this procedure.
All matters related to nomination, conferral, review, renewal and rescission of honorary titles must be managed, by all engaged in those processes, with due regard to the privacy of those affected.
1. Only the Vice Chancellor can nominate a recipient for the honorary academic title Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow. The appointment will follow the procedure detailed in paragraph 3 below.
2. Only an Executive Dean or a Research Institute Director can nominate a recipient for the designation Adjunct or Visiting. Any member of academic staff may suggest a recipient to the relevant Dean or Director. Nominations will follow the procedure detailed in paragraph 3 below.
3. Nominations will be lodged by the nominator (or their delegate) in APPIAN. All relevant fields must be completed. This includes specifications for the University’s standard Adjunct Relationship Agreement (see paragraph 21 below).
4. The General Counsel and University Secretary will be alerted when nominations are lodged for Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow appointments and for Adjunct and Visiting appointments at Associate Professor (level D) or above.
5. The conferral of Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow will be communicated by the General Counsel and University Secretary to the Directors, of People Talent and Culture (PTC), Student Academic Services (SAS), Information Strategy and Technology Services and Communications (ISTS) and Marketing (CMK) for action.
6. The University Secretary will alert members of the Honorary Awards and Honorary Titles Committee (HAHAT) when nominations are lodged in APPIAN for Adjunct and Visiting appointments at Associate Professor (level D) or above. For these appointments, members of HAHAT will indicate their support or otherwise in APPIAN.
7. When all members of HAHAT endorse a nominee, the nomination is referred to the Vice Chancellor for approval. If it is approved, relevant staff of PTC will be alerted by APPIAN, and will invite the nominee to accept the relevant title by signing the Adjunct Relationship Agreement approved by their nominator (see paragraphs 3 and 21).
8. Nominations for Adjunct and Visiting appointments at Lecturer (level C) or below will be considered approved when the relevant Executive Dean or Research Institute Director enters all required details into APPIAN. For these apointments the Manager PTC Business Partnerships will be alerted by APPIAN and will invite the nominee to accept the relevant title by signing the Adjunct Relationship Agreement approved by the Executive Dean or Research institute Director.
9. When a nominee accepts their appointment, PTC will notify the nominator and the Directors of SAS, ISTS, CMK.
10. The Directors of SAS, ISTS and CMK will take further action as appropriate to ensure University records are updated and appointments are publicised.
11. Every Adjunct appointment will be reviewed annually to confirm that the terms of Adjunct Relationship Agreements are being met, and that the level of support provided by the University is appropriate. Reviews will be conducted by the relevant Executive Dean, Research Institute Director or, in the case of Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellows, by the Chancellery.
12. APPIAN will alert relevant Executive Deans, Research Institute Directors and, in the case of Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellows, the Chancellery, at least three months before appointments expire. This will enable a final year review to be conducted well in advance of an appointee’s end date.
13. If the final year review concludes that the contributions made by an appointee are likely to continue beyond the normal appointment term of three years, and that there is therefore a case for reappointment, the relevant Executive Dean, Research Institute Director or, in the case of Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellows, the Vice Chancellor (or their delegates) will indicate in APPIAN that the appointment should be extended.
14. PTC will be alerted by APPIAN, and will invite the nominee to accept an extension to their appointment title by signing a new Adjunct Relationship Agreement.
15. When a nominee accepts an extension, PTC will notify the nominator and the Directors of SAS, ISTS and CMK.
16. The Directors of SAS, ISTS, CMK and CCS will take further action as appropriate to ensure University records are updated and appointments are publicised.
17. If, in exceptional circumstances, an annual review, or other process establish that an Adjunct has not met (or is unlikely to meet) the requirements of their Adjunct Relationship Agreement, the relevant Executive Dean, Research Institute Director or, in the case of Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow, the Vice Chancellor, may rescind the appointment by advising the appointee in writing.
18. The rescission will be reported to PTC, who will notify others as appropriate.
19. Categories of adjunct: Recipients of either (a) the title Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow or (b) the designations Adjunct and Visiting are considered adjunct appointments to the University. They are not members of University staff, but they make regular and significant contributions to teaching, research or scholarship at the University. They may be:
20. The University’s expectations of adjuncts: Adjuncts are expected to contribute to the activities of the University in areas that include:
21. Adjunct Relationship Agreement: Before appointment, all adjuncts must sign an Adjunct Relationship Agreement. The agreement will be prepared by PTC based on information provided in the nomination (see paragraphs 1 and 2 above), and will specify:
22. Period of appointment for adjuncts: Terms will not exceed three years. Renewal, if granted, will be according to the procedures detailed in Section D.
23. Support provided by the University to adjuncts: This will be determined prior to appointment and detailed in the relevant Adjunct Relationship Agreement. Support may include, as appropriate:
24. Costs associated with adjunct appointments: All direct and indirect costs associated with adjunct appointments are the responsibility of the academic unit or research institute to which the appointments are attached. These costs must be met from within the unit’s existing budget, space and other allocations.
25. The Chancellery is responsible for all costs associated with Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellows. The Vice Chancellor may negotiate the sharing of these costs with the relevant academic unit or research institute where appropriate.
26. Liability, insurance and related matters associated with adjunct appointments: The University faces a risk of attracting vicarious liability from statements, actions or advice issued by an adjunct appointee who might reasonably be perceived by the public to be acting as an agent of the University. To mitigate this risk, the University has Professional Indemnity and Directors and Officers Liability insurance covering the work of adjuncts.
26. 1 Professional Indemnity insurance provides cover for breaches of professional duty and/or the execution of professional responsibility in business conducted on behalf of the University.
26.2 Directors and Officers Liability insurance provides cover for losses arising from claims made for the commission of wrongful acts. (The definition of Directors and Officers includes voluntary workers, which in turn includes adjunct staff.)
27. Adjuncts are not employees of the University and are not covered by the University’s WorkCover arrangements for personal accidents when working at the University. However, the University’s Personal Accident insurance covers adjuncts while engaged in activities on behalf of the University, or when travelling directly to or from those activities. Note that this is a capital benefit only policy covering disablement benefit and loss of income. It does not cover medical expenses.
28. Adjuncts frequently will have access to University facilities and services that are subject to the provisions of specific legislation, agreements or licences, including the Telecommunications Act, AARNET/AVCC agreements and multiple software licensing arrangements. Breaches of these provisions can have significant penalties. For this reason, it is essential that relevant administrative units are informed of the start and end dates of adjunct appointments.
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