Higher Education Department introduce new procedure for promotion of college faculty members

GUWAHATI: The Higher Education Department has introduced a new procedure for promotion of the faculty members of colleges in the state. The prevailing process for promoting assistant professors to associate professors has been cancelled.

An office memorandum (OM) issued by the Director of Higher Education (DHE) on November 19 said the new procedure will come into effect from November 8 onwards.

The Assam government’s Higher Education Department issued a set of guidelines to be followed in the matter of Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotion of faculty members from assistant professor to associate professor, with a view to enhancing the quality of education across higher educational institutions of the state as per the NEP-2020 mandate and to maintain the quality of teaching and research to develop a positive education ecosystem in the state.

The promotion criteria under the CAS lay down these guidelines, which shall be effective from the date of notification of the same:

The overall selection procedure will incorporate a transparent, objective, and credible methodology of analysis of the merits and credentials of the applicants based on the weightage given to the candidate’s performance in different relevant parameters.

The candidate will have to offer himself or herself for assessment for promotion if he or she fulfills the minimum grading specified in the relevant assessment criteria and methodology.

The candidate will be able to submit his or her application three months before the due date of the CAS promotion.

The CAS promotion from a lower stage to a higher stage of Assistant Professor will be conducted through a “Screening-cum-Evaluation Committee”, by following the criteria laid down.

The promotion under the CAS being a personal promotion to a faculty holding a substantive sanctioned post, the said post will revert to its original cadre on his or her superannuation.

For promotion under the CAS, the OM says that an applicant teacher must be in the role and in active service of the college on the date of consideration by the Selection Committee.

The Director of Higher Education, Assam, will issue an order after obtaining approval of the Department of Higher Education upon recommendation of the Assam College Services Recruitment Board or Departmental Promotion Committee in due concurrence with the related government rules and notifications issued from time to time.

Upon attainment of the promotion threshold, maintaining the level of Associate Professorship will be subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions based on the Annual Performance Appraisal Index (APAI), as provided below, which will be subject to review by the government and the Assam College Teachers Recruitment Board.

APAI will be assessed based on certain quantifiable performance indicators provided below: 1. Annual Academic Performance Audit and Research Output; 2. Annual Teaching-Learning and Mentorship Report with feedback from stakeholders; 3. Annual participation in the corporate life of the college; 4. Annual Community Outreach with a quantifiable outcome or results; 5. Annual participation and successful completion of at least one capacity-building programme or professional development program by UGC-HRDC or ARPIT (Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching) or Teaching Learning Centers or Faculty Development Centres under the Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers Training scheme.

However, the OM stated that in the event of non-fulfillment of the above-mentioned conditions and receipt of a non-satisfactory performance analysis, their position as associate professor may be reconsidered for further review. Accordingly, the matter will be placed before the Assam College Services Recruitment Board for necessary follow-up procedures, as decided by the government from time to time.

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