Teaching and Learning Club (TLC) - Forum on "The Teaching Track at NUS"

Date: 06 Mar 2013 (Wednesday)
Time: 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm
Venue: Central Library Theatrette 1

Introduction
The meeting started with a brief introduction by the TLC Coordinator, Prof Farooq Shamsuzzaman and Dr Adrian Michael Lee, Chair of the Teaching Track (TT) subcommittee of the NUS Teaching Academy. He then introduced his subcommittee members and gave a short presentation on the objectives of the subcommittee and their future plans.

Key Objectives

• Defining the role and future of Teaching Track
• Refining and clarifying criteria for contract renewal and promotion
• Recommending mechanism to support teaching scholarship, including pedagogical research

Future Plans

• Collate feedback from this forum
• Survey relevant groups (faculty members, teaching management and other institutions both local and international)
• Analyse teaching data – gather information from student feedback report to assess the teaching performance of TT staff.
• Make recommendations to PVO

Following the presentation, participants raised the following issues and concerns:

1. Fairness and consistency
   Participants felt that there should be fairness and consistency in the following areas:
   • Granting of sabbatical leave
   • Provision of funding / start-up grants for research work
   • Remuneration package
   • Workload requirements and expectations
     
     
2. Job title change
   There was a suggestion to change the title of Lecturer/Senior Lecturer to Assistant Professor (Teaching). It was opined that changing the designation will motivate the staff and change the perception of others about TT.
   
   
3. Promotional prospect/career progressions
   Define what TT is and implement standardized or uniform guidelines across the university such as:
   • Having a fixed term appointment for TT staff  – similar to primary, secondary and tertiary school appointments
   • Defining the criteria for the change from Assoc Professor (Teaching) to Assoc Professor (Tenure).
     
     
4. Recognition
   
   • There is a need to reflect the importance of practice in certain disciplines – staff under the Practice Track (e.g. Theatre Studies, Nursing, etc) should be given due recognition for their contribution to the practice component. Their roles/ participation in other areas and involvement in the industry should also be recognised.
   • TT staff should also be considered for tenured position based on excellence in teaching and contributions related to teaching.
   • Taking scholarship into consideration for TT staff to move from Senior Lecturer to Assoc Professor.
   • Research undertaken by Teaching Track staff should be measured and rewarded accordingly. The research should also not have to be pedagogical research, but include research within disciplinary domain.
     
     
5. Mentorship
   TT staff who have made progression from lecturer to senior lecturer could perhaps act as a mentor to the junior TT staff.
   
   

A/Prof Chng Huang Hoon, (Assoc Provost, Undergraduate Education) concluded the session by informing participants that the Office of Provost will look into the issues raised at this forum and propose some recommendations for the University.
A/Prof Chng traced how the Teaching Track subcommittee was formed following discussions in CDTL - Luncheon meeting with faculty members from teaching track, tenure track and some members of the PVO. It was felt that the time was appropriate to take a close look at the Teaching Track, its current position and how it should evolve in the future.