Practice of professional skills remains a troublesome category for members in many units, particularly the professional colleges. Similar problems are arising with the new Academic Programming appointments.
The intent behind these appointment categories was to relax research expectations as defined in Section 4 of the University Standards so as to allow certain kinds of colleagues to concentrate of professional skills or academic programming. Nonetheless, there was a wish that such colleagues do scholarly work as defined in Section 5.2 of the University Standards.
When one reads the specific requirements for each rank in these two sections, especially in the context of college and/or departmental standards, it becomes difficult in practice to distinguish the expectations of practitioners from researchers, with the practitioners having the added requirement of developing a significant professional practice.
The same kinds of problems are appearing in the new Academic Programming Appointment standards.
Check your letter of appointment to see which standards apply to you, and ensure that the work you are expected to perform lines up with your career plans.
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