Lack of transparency and unclear career paths

MAASTRICHT. The Recognition & Rewards programme has so far had little impact on the careers of many academics at Maastricht University, according to a study by the Maastricht Young Academy (MYA) among over one hundred respondents. There is a lack of transparency regarding assessment criteria and uncertainty about career paths. Various respondents point out that the programme has not yet put an end to academic nepotism.

Respondents are familiar with the Recognition & Rewards (R&R) programme. They fully support its underlying idea – less emphasis on academic publications and grant acquisition, and more recognition of other factors such as teaching, leadership, contributions to team science and social impact. But that’s about as far as the positive feedback goes. “The problem isn’t with the programme itself, but with the implementation by the faculties”, adds Costas Papadopoulos, speaking to Observant. He is an associate professor at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) and chair of the MYA Recognition & Rewards group, which conducted the quantitative and qualitative research.

Older, white professors

The report highlights concerns about transparency and fairness in the assessment process, as there are no clear assessment criteria. According to an assistant professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), “There is nothing specifically discussed as to what will be recognised and, more importantly, how precisely ‘good’ academic labour will be rewarded.” A FASoS faculty member adds, “Unfortunately, the R&R initiative appears to make it easier for the friends of Faculty Board members and department chairs to get promoted. The rest of the colleagues struggle.” And according to a lecturer at the School of Business and Economics, “Many things are subjective and related to a ‘club’ of mostly older, white full professors who decide who gets a promotion based on who they like.”

Although R&R aims to diversify academic career paths, respondents feel the focus is still overwhelmingly on research and teaching – the former in particular.

Mindset

Moreover, the R&R programme has led to more forms and documentation, increasing individual academics’ workloads. Implementation also varies greatly from one faculty to another. “Each faculty applies the criteria in its own way”, according to Papadopoulos. Another point of criticism is that managers often lack the necessary knowledge to assess employees. According to an FSE faculty member, there is “misalignment at various levels about implementation”. A Law faculty member states, “It’s a bad joke. My line manager is younger than I am at the faculty. He knows nothing about R&R.” As Papadopoulos explains, “Assessments used to be based on the number of articles someone had published and journal impact factors. Now, managers have to consider many other aspects as well, which requires a different mindset.”

One of MYA’s recommendations is mandatory training (at the moment only on a voluntary basis) for all managers, which the report identifies as a prerequisite for cultural change. Clear assessment criteria and promotion frameworks (when does someone qualify to take the next step in their career, whether vertically or horizontally?) are also essential, as are simpler procedures and effective communication. “Make it clear that R&R does not automatically lead to promotion, but it can influence it”, the report advises.

If Maastricht University successfully makes these changes, the report states, R&R could “grow into a powerful tool for fair recognition, inclusive career paths and academic quality”. But failure to do so will further erode trust.

The report has been presented to the Executive Board.