In November 2023 Senate approved changes to academic job titles at Sussex. This work has been part of a wider project that has included updating the academic promotions process.
We are now introducing these new job titles, and we will write to all impacted academics this month to advise of the intended changes with details of how this affects them.
The University sees this as a positive change, both for academic colleagues whose job titles are now more internationally recognisable, and also for the University as an institution.
For colleagues on the Education and Scholarship or Education and Research pathways the job title changes are as follows:
Existing job title New job title
Grade 7 Lecturer A Assistant Professor A
Grade 8 Lecturer B Assistant Professor B
Grade 9 Senior Lecturer Reader Associate Professor
Grade 10* Professor Professor
*There is no change to job titles at this grade
For colleagues on the Research pathway the job title changes are as follows:
Existing job title New job title
Grade 7 Research Fellow A Research Fellow
Grade 8 Research Fellow B Senior Research Fellow
Grade 9 Senior Research Fellow Principal Research Fellow
Grade 10* Research Professor Research Professor
*There is no change to job titles at this grade
The new job titles will take effect from 1 January 2025, although there may be a short delay in the University’s systems reflecting this change.
All current staff will be given the option to retain their current job title if they would prefer to do so, however all new appointments and promotions will be made using the new titles.
If you have any questions about these changes, please speak to your line manager in the first instance.