A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya

77

April 2015

Following ten years of teacher assessment, AQU's Tenure-track Lecturer and Collaborating Lecturer Commission and the Research Assessment Commission has now approved a change in the system for the issuing and sending of assessment references, which can be submitted in the accreditation procedure for university teaching staff.

Up until now, references had to be printed and signed, with the assessment reference form for tenure-track lecturers having a specific format, while the form for the accreditation of research and advanced research consisted of an open letter.

AQU Catalunya's IT unit has developed an application software that will considerably ease the work of sending references just as securely as with print-out references. The procedure is as follows: using the application form on the on-line applications website (Oficina Virtual de Tràmits), applicants will be able to give up to three e.mail addresses of academics of recognised standing who can issue reference reports. These people will receive an e.mail with a link to an online form where they can enter and send the contents of the reference. Once a reference has been sent, it will automatically load in the applicant's file.

In addition to making it easier for those issuing references, this new system, which is to be introduced in the next call for applications in 2015 for tenure-track lecturers, will also substantially simplify this procedure for applicants and in terms of administration.