Classification type and level

The classification of a member of staff in terms of whether they are academic staff or non‑academic staff, and their level:

Academic classification

A category which is used to identify members of staff who are either:

  1. People for whom salaries are the subject of determinations which are made in respect of 'academic and related staff', and including Vice‑chancellors, Deputy Vice‑chancellors, Principals and Deputy Principals.
  2. People of the type referred to in Section 12A(1) of the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 (namely those appointed wholly or principally to undertake a teaching only function or a research only function or a teaching‑and‑research function in a higher education provider, or those appointed by a higher education provider to be responsible for such people), and who are funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council or other bodies.
  3. People employed on a contract basis to perform the function of teaching‑only, research‑only or teaching‑and‑research.

If a member of staff is not one of the three types referred to above, they are not to be classed as having an academic classification. This convention applies even if the member of staff has a salary which is related to or tied to those of staff in an academic classification (which may occur, for instance, for registrars and librarians).

Excludes members of staff appointed wholly or principally to support the three types of members of staff referred to above.

For the purposes of Staff Work Level Code (E408), members of staff in academic classifications are to be coded within one of the following levels, although not all levels are applicable to all higher education providers:

  • Vice‑chancellor
  • Deputy vice‑chancellor
  • Deputy vice‑chancellor
  • Professor, Head of school, College fellow and other academic staff in the Level E salary classification
  • Associate Professor, Principal lecturer and other academic staff in the Level D salary classification
  • Senior lecturer and other academic staff in the Level C salary classification
  • Lecturer and other academic staff in the Level B Salary classification
  • Below Lecturer and other academic staff in the Level A salary classification
  • Where a local designation or a designation of a body such as the National Health and Medical Research Council is used, it is to be translated into an appropriate category, with the primary basis for the translation being salary.

A member of staff may be elected to, or appointed to, a job or position referred to by a title such as "Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor", "Dean" or "Head of Department". While this may involve a change in function, their classification type and level (and term) will remain unchanged in respect of their substantive appointment and their current duties.

Non‑academic classification

A category which is used to identify members of staff other than those of the three types specified above for the academic classification.

If a member of staff is not one of the three types specified for the academic classification, they are to be classed as having a non‑academic classification. This convention applies even if the member of staff has a salary which is related to or tied to those of academic staff (which may occur, for instance, for registrars and librarians).

PIR staff classifications in TCSI

Classification levels formerly reported in HEPCAT for the PIR staff collection can be mapped to TCSI values using the TCSI mapping table for PIR staff collection.

Application of glossary term:
  • Casual staff (HE)
  • Full-time staff (HE)