Ninth Level Ireland

“Most academics regularly submit papers and compete for grants and promotions. These endeavours are necessary for their success but often end in rejection. Responses to rejection in academia have typically been individually focused. Most discussions of the topic describe what academics themselves can do to cope with rejection …” (more)

[Kelly-Ann Allen and others, The Conversation, 3 February]

“The purpose of the 20 posts approved under the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative created by Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor was to improve the representation of women in senior positions in the Irish higher educational system …” (more)

[Pat O’Connor, Irish Times, 18 February]

“When it comes to staffing in Trinity, it sometimes feels like every stone you turn up reveals more issues affecting the people working in the College. This week – when The University Times reported on a climate of ‘stagnation’ among technical and support staff unable to obtain promotions or progressions – was no exception …” (more)

[University Times, 1 December]

“Members of Trinity’s technical and support staff have been denied the opportunity for promotions and progressions this year amid a restructuring of College’s career advancement structures, leaving many feeling ‘helpless’ and others with a feeling that they’ve been denied the progressions they were promised when they took their jobs …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee and Emer Moreau, University Times, 26 November]

“Women academics do not rise through the ranks as fast as men with the same credentials and personal circumstances, research indicates. The study, of 2,270 academics at 24 top UK universities, found the men reached more senior levels than the women, even after parenthood was accounted for …” (more)

[Hannah Richardson, BBC News, 17 October]

“The language of Open Access (OA) is littered with so many colours, metals, and precious stones, that you would be forgiven for losing track. The proliferation of these ‘flavours’ of OA has been a useful analytical tool for those that study scholarly communication, but it has also complicated the discussion about what academics can do to realise the ‘unprecedented public good’ of opening access to research that was at the heart of the Budapest Open Access Initiative …” (more)

[Juan Pablo Alperin, Esteban Morales and Erin McKiernan, LSE Impact Blog, 17 July]

“Sir, – It is true that the third-level sector has a gender problem at senior level. But it is also true that the sector has a wider promotions problem that affects both women and men. For historical reasons, but especially due to austerity, it is and has been much more difficult for an academic in an Irish university to be promoted than would be the case in a comparable institution in the rest of the English-speaking world …” (more)

[JM Mancini, Irish Times, 27 November]

“In the second and final part of a series considering the relative merits of pursuing internal or external promotions, Anne-Wil Harzing sets out why seeking advancement internally might be a more attractive option, again highlighting seven specific reasons. The series concludes with some more general tips for promotion applications, including how to harness your experience submitting to academic journals …” (more)

[LSE Impact Blog, 5 October]

“For the past quarter-century, I have reviewed cases for academic tenure and promotion in many disciplines in many countries. Usually what is required is an evaluation of the candidate’s research record. Teaching and, increasingly, public engagement are also mentioned as factors to weigh …” (more)

[Steve Fuller, University World News, 28 September]

“Climbing the academic career ladder can be a slow, frustrating, and opaque process. Some academics may be unsure whether to seek promotion within their own institutions or to look to another university for advancement opportunities. In the first of a two-part series, Anne-Wil Harzing sets out the relative merits of pursuing internal or external promotions. This first instalment outlines seven reasons why the external option might be preferable to many …” (more)

[LSE Impact Blog, 28 September]

“Four female lecturers who say they were discriminated against on gender grounds are set to be promoted as part of a settlement with NUI Galway (NUIG) which is understood to run to hundreds of thousands of euro. The lecturers, who initiated a High Court action against the university, had argued that they met the qualifications required for senior lectureship posts but were passed over in a promotion round in 2009 …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 25 July]

“UCD is to appeal a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruling that the university discriminated against a member of its academic staff on the ground of age. In a communication to staff, college president Andrew Deeks said UCD does not accept the finding and the university will be appealing the decision to the Labour Court …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 26 April]

“Universities in Ireland will now risk losing funding if they fail to promote a sufficient number of women into higher roles, Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor has announced …” (more)

[Ekatherina Gillen, University Observer, 22 November]

“Colleges are to be given deadlines to improve recruitment and promotion practices that do not support gender equality. The areas in need of improvement are to be identified in a review of policies and procedures to be undertaken by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 6 November]

“The metrics used to identify excellence, and on which current tenure and promotion decisions are based, have become a barrier to more exciting and innovative scholarship. Christopher P Long suggests an overhaul of tenure and promotion practices, advocating a holistic approach in which structured mentoring plays a key role and values-based metrics that will empower faculty to tell more textured stories about the impact of their work are developed …” (more)

[Impact of Social Sciences, 1 November]

“NUI Galway today published a progress report on its activities relating to equality and diversity/gender equality. The report includes data on its latest senior lecturer promotion scheme, through which 33 lecturers advanced …” (more)

[NUI Galway, 31 October]

“NUI Galway is above the national average when it comes to promoting women to senior posts, a new study reveals. In its progress report on Equality and Diversity published yesterday, the institution said 58% of the 33 academics promoted to senior lecturer grades are women (19), compared with 42% who are male (14) …” (more)

[Allison Bray, Independent, 31 October]

“Trinity will run a round of promotions for administrative and support staff in September as part of a concession to the College’s three trade unions. But while the College say this will be the final round, Trinity’s staff will hope otherwise …” (more)

[Dominic McGrath, University Times, 3 August]

“Sir, – I have followed with interest the recent coverage of the under-representation of women at senior level in Irish universities (‘Too few women at top levels in colleges, report shows’, Carl O’Brien, July 20th). Despite the initiatives taken to encourage greater recognition of women at senior level, it would be optimistic to think the current culture can be changed easily to allow a recalibration …” (more)

[Sarah Alyn Stacey, Irish Times, 28 July]

“The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has expressed concern over the long-term impact of an academic promotions system based on the College’s financial position. Last week, The University Times revealed that the promotion of academic staff in Trinity will in future be determined by what College can afford…” (more)

[Dominic McGrath, University Times, 9 April]