Toolkit for Conferring Honorary Academic and Non-Academic Titles

Contents

1. Application Form
2. Title Holder Process
3. Professional Titleholders’ Appointment Committee
4. Relevant University of Adelaide Policies and Codes of Practice
5. List of Approved Organisations
6. Insurance Coverage

For more information, refer to the Policy and Guidelines.

Application Form

The application form (word) application form (pdf) must be completed for the nomination/application for new academic or non-academic titles.

Title Holder Process

1. Application form to be completed and signed by the applicant.
2. Application form to be given to the School/Branch.
3. New Starter Request created on Hit The Ground Running. The following must be attached:
1. Application form
2. CV
3. statement to outline the nature and extent of the applicant’s current involvement, if applicable, and proposed involvement in the academic work of the School/Branch.
4. New Starter Request approved by the School/Branch Authoriser, Head of School/Branch Manager and Executive Manager/Executive Dean. This will then automatically be submitted to Human Resources.
5. Actioned by Human Resources – letter sent to applicant and School contact.

Please note: Professorial Title Holders are required to be sent by HR to the Vice-Chancellor for final approval. Once approved, the applicant will receive two letters, one from the Vice-Chancellor and the other from Human Resources.

Professorial Titleholders’ Appointment Committee

The Professorial Titleholders’ Appointment Committee is convened by the Vice-Chancellor to assess and advise on applications and nominations for the conferral of professorial titles on a person whose contribution to its endeavours in teaching and research the University wishes to honour.

Members

The Committee has the following membership:

• Vice-Chancellor
• Executive Dean of the Faculty receiving the contribution
• Head of the School receiving the contribution
• other members as determined by the Vice-Chancellor.

Process

1. The Executive Dean, through the Faculty assessment process, obtains advice on the merit of the application in relation to the Faculty’s requirements for expertise in its academic work
2. Application received by Human Resources
3. Referee Reports sought
4. Professorial Titleholders’ Appointment Committee established
5. Documents Circulated
6. Professorial Titleholders’ Appointment Committee recommendation sought. Usually this will be through circulation of documents in the first instance.
7. Appointment approved/rejected by the Vice-Chancellor
8. Applicant advised.

Relevant Policies, Guidelines and Codes of Practice

• Commercial Development of the University’s Intellectual Property
• Code of Conduct
• Conduct at the University – Staff and Students’ Rights
• Guidelines and Rules for Responsible Practice in Research
• Research and Teaching Involving Animals
• Human Research Ethical Approval
• Gene Technology Compliance
• Research Ethics and Compliance Unit (RECU)
• Privacy Policy & Management Plan
• Conflicts of Interest Policy (Council & Standing Committees)
• Rules for Student Conduct
• Fair Treatment Policy and Guidelines
• Close Personal Relationships Policy
• Complaints by Staff Policy and Guidelines
• Student Complaints Policy
• Promotions Policy (Academic Staff & Titleholders)
• Occupational Health, Safety & Welfare Policy
• IT Acceptable Use Policy

List of Approved Organisations (May 2007)

The following organisations have been approved for the purposes of the conferment of clinical, affiliate or adjunct titles:

Insurance Coverage

Titleholders are provided with limited insurance protection under the University insurance program.

Professional Indemnity

This insurance provides for claims made against the University for breach of professional duty by reason of any negligent act, error or omission or unintended libel or slander by titleholders engaged in University sanctioned, teaching, research and associated consulting work.

Public Liability

This insurance provides for indemnity for legal liability arising out of third party Personal Injury, Property Damage, Advertising Injury or Products Liability caused by an occurrence happening in connection with the activities of the University.

There are exclusions to this cover for losses arising from:

• Automobile, aircraft, hovercraft or watercraft exceeding 8m in length other than rowing hulls.
• Obligations for which the University is liable under Workers Compensation legislation.
• Any liability directly or indirectly caused by or in consequence of war, invasion, and act of a foreign enemy, hostilities, civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection or military usurped power.
• Any liability arising directly or indirectly caused by or contributed to or by ionising radiation or contamination by radioactivity.
• Liability for any breach of duty owed in a professional capacity but this exception shall not apply to the rendering of or failure to render professional medical advice by a Medical Person employed by The University to provide first aid or other medical services for staff and students.
• Liability for Personal Injury arising out or caused by specific treatment prescribed or administered by a Medical Person whether in respect of teaching or research or otherwise which should be more appropriately insured under a separate medical malpractice insurance policy.
• Liability for personal injury or property damage arising from the discharge/escape of pollutants including cleanup unless the discharge is caused by sudden identifiable unintended and unexpected event.
• Claims made for personal injury with respect to libel, slander, defamation, humiliation, invasion of rights of privacy, racial, religious, sex or age discrimination or harassment, made prior to the inception of the policy.
• Any indemnity in respect of:
  • fines or penalties imposed by law; or
  • exemplary or punitive damages.
• Property damage caused by or arising from work associated with construction, demolition exceeding 10m in height, erection, repair, service or treatment of buildings where the value of works exceeds $2,000,000
• Liability associated with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) a GMO product, or a product part with a GMO component.
• Liability arising from total or partial destruction, erasure, corruption, alteration, misuse, misinterpretation, misappropriation or other use of computer equipment or failure to receive send or use computer equipment.

There is no personal indemnification of the titleholder under this policy.

Incident Reporting

A titleholder is not to provide information, be interviewed or make any statement to any person who is not acting on behalf of the University. A titleholder should advise the Head of School of any accident or incident likely to result in injury or loss (ie: to a student or any other person) arising from activities of the titleholder. Such accidents or incidents should be reported through the Head of School to the Occupational Health and Safety Unit, using the Accident/Incident Report & Investigation form (the “Yellow Card”).

Duty of Disclosure

There is a duty of disclosure under the Insurance Contracts Act 1984, for disclosure of every matter that is known or could reasonably know and is relevant to the insurers decision for acceptance of the University as a risk. Titleholders must advise the Head of School of any incident with which they become aware of that may have potential to be a breach of professional duty or result in a third party action against the University.