ASSOCIATE PROFESSORSHIP. If you are aiming for an academic career, you should plan to apply for a docentship as soon as possible after defending your doctoral thesis. This advice comes from Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen, chair of Sahlgrenska Academy’s docentship committee.
An associate professorship (docentship) is a non-salaried title at the University. The Swedish docent status corresponds approximately to, for example, the following titles or positions in academic systems outside Sweden: Reader in the UK, Associate Professor in the US and Privatdozent in Germany. The title indicates that the individual has a higher level of scholarly qualifications than when they were just a doctor and represents an important step in their academic career. Associate professorships are required to supervise doctoral students and other responsibilities and, for most people, also mean a salary increase. Sahlgrenska Academy has many associate professors, well represented across subjects.
“Our associate professors meet very high standards, and all of our associate professors should be very proud of this achievement,” says Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen.
She is a professor of rehabilitation medicine and has led the work of the docentship committee for the past six years.
“I enjoy reading the applications, and I also find it interesting to gain insight into the different activities and fields within the faculty,” she Stibrant Sunnerhagen.
The information on how to become an associate professor is available on the Staff Portal. Read the instructions carefully, and make sure to use the latest application form from this webpage: https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/sahlgrenskaacademy/employment-hr/Docentship/
Discussing fundamental issues
The Docentship Committee consists of 18 people from all the institutes at Sahlgrenska Academy. Thomas Kvist, Institute of Odontology, serves as vice chair. Members handle the day-to-day work of reviewing applications by email. The committee’s meetings, on the other hand, deal with more fundamental issues.
“The Faculty Board recently asked us to review the model for teaching subjects. There are a limited number of subject areas in which you can teaching and research in, and these are the subjects in which individuals with PhDs can become associate professors. Once you become a professor, the range of subjects is broader,” says Stibrant Sunnerhagen.
Document teaching experience from the start
The requirements to become an associate professor at Sahlgrenska Academy are high. In addition to being affiliated with the faculty, your associate professorship needs to be viewed as beneficial to our research and education. There are also formal educational requirements consisting of training in teaching in higher education and supervisor training. These skills can be acquired through courses at the Unit for Pedagogical Development and Interactive Learning (PIL).
In addition, 14 to 16 published articles are required. The articles are to be of high scholarly quality and should demonstrate your independence from your previous supervisor assignments. You should also have completed about 120 teaching hours in the subject area or a related subject.
“As soon as you start teaching–and right after the defense of your doctoral thesis–it is a good idea to create an Excel sheet where you record all your supervision and teaching experience. This will make it much easier for you when you eventually fill in your application to become associate professor,” says Stibrant Sunnerhagen.
More detailed information on the teaching hours requirement is available on the Staff Portal. The rules are regularly updated. Make sure you read the current version when applying for a docentship. (link https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/sahlgrenskaacademy/employment-hr/Docentship/Rules+for+docentship/)
Apply for a PIL course well in advance
“One way of acquiring the required qualification in teaching in higher education is through two courses offered by PIL. Try to complete both courses as soon as possible. You could even attend the first one while you are still a doctoral student,” says Stibrant Sunnerhagen.
“These courses teach you how to be a good teacher and supervisor, useful knowledge at every stage of an academic career. You can take the courses several years before applying for an associate professorship. It is also a good idea to apply for the courses well in advance since there is no guarantee you will be admitted the first couple of times you apply.”
The educational courses at PIL include the courses PIL101, PIL102, and PIL103. For the supervisor training, you need to pass the course PIL201.
Time-consuming process
The process of becoming an associate professor involves many steps, which can impact how long it takes. The length of the process can vary greatly. This process is described on the Staff Portal.
In brief, the process starts with a review of the certificates and information in the application by the Docentship Committee. If the applicant meets the formal requirements, a review by external experts follows. The Docentship Committee then makes a final assessment, and the Dean decides whether the applicant will be become an associate professor.
The title no longer expires
Sahlgrenska Academy removed the previous expiration for associate professorships in 2019. Associate professors now retain this academic title as long as they maintain a clear affiliation with Sahlgrenska Academy. Associate professors appointed before 2019 do not need to apply for renewal of the title. This occurs automatically. If you need a new associate professor certificate issued, contact docent@sahlgrenska.gu.se.
More information on how to become an associate professor at Sahlgrenska Academy, as well as relevant forms, can be found on the Staff Portal: https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/sahlgrenskaacademy/employment-hr/Docentship/
BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM
