Article 1: Introductory provisions

The aim of this directive is to create conditions for the professional growth of academic staff, researchers, and lecturers at the Faculty of Humanities of Charles University, to establish a systematic structure for supporting their scientific and pedagogical development and advancement in academic work, and to set up a transparent framework for the systematic evaluation of their activities. The directive is based on the Framework principles of career development at the Charles University¹ and other applicable superior, generally binding and internal legal regulations.

Article 2: Career development

1. Career development refers primarily to the promotion of an employee to a higher job position (e.g., from AP2 to AP3) or a change in their classification and transition to a different career path (e.g., from L2 to AP2).

2. The faculty creates conditions for positive career development, especially through a system of creative leave, support for grant and publication activities, developing habilitation mentoring (i.e. collegial consultations and sharing of experience in the preparation of the habilitation process), developing pedagogical competences, consistent application of the principle of equal opportunities, supporting male and female employees in specific life situations, ensuring a safe environment, and creating a friendly and collegial atmosphere within the faculty community. The Faculty encourages an individual approach in career development.

3. Career advancement occurs when an employee has obtained an appropriate academic degree and fulfils the requirements and duties imposed by the faculty, particularly in the employee's job description and individual career development plan. The condition for career change is that the employee shows results in the activities required for career change (scientific in the case of a move to the position of VP or pedagogical in the case of a move to the position of L), has an appropriate academic degree and at the same time everything is in accordance with the concept of the functioning of the relevant department and its staffing possibilities, which must be approved by the Dean or the Dean on the basis of a proposal from the Head of Department. The regular evaluation of academic and scientific staff and lecturers at FH CU is typically used to assess whether the conditions for promotion or change are met.

4. Typical career progression paths and career changes are set out in Annex RD No. 28/2021 Career Framework Principles.

   
   

Article 3: Positions and work activities

1. 1. The Career Code distinguishes three groups of staff, which include job roles:

   a.	assistant professor, associate professor, and professor (collectively, "academic staff");
   b.	researcher;
   c.	lecturer.

2. The basic requirements that the faculty imposes on the employees in a given position adhere to the superior, generally binding and internal legal regulations, in particular RD No. 56/2021 Catalogues of work and job positions for CU employees and RD No. 28/2021 Framework principles of career development of academic and scientific staff and lecturers at the CU². The individual activity requirements of specific employees are further set out in their employment contracts and job descriptions, or in their individual career development plan or in the conclusions of their evaluation by the evaluation committee.

   
   

Article 4: Career progression of academic staff (AP1 - AP4)

1. Assistant (grade AP1):

   a.	The first employment contract with a new employee is concluded for a fixed term, for a maximum of 3 years, with the possibility of two extensions.
   b.	Each extension of the contract is possible again for a maximum of 3 years. A positive result is a prerequisite for extending the contract without an open competition.
   c.	The length of stay can be up to 9 years (until completion of the PhD), but should normally be shorter.

2. Assistant Professor (AP2 grade):

   a.	The employment contract with AP2 is usually concluded for a fixed term of maximum 3 years with the possibility of renewal twice thereafter. Each extension of the contract is possible again for a maximum of 3 years. A positive evaluation result is a prerequisite for the extension of the contract. A period of 9 years of full-time employment without interruption should be sufficient to meet the requirements for the habilitation procedure. A period of interruption (e.g. due to long-term sick leave, maternity and parental leave) will adequately extend this period.
   b.	This period is usually the preparation phase for habilitation, which is a prerequisite for promotion to AP3. At the same time, the transition from AP2 to AP3 typically corresponds to a change of contract from a fixed-term to an open-ended contract.
   c.	If the staff member does not meet the requirements for starting the habilitation procedure in 9 years, but the periodic evaluation is positive and shows that the staff member can soon meet the criteria needed to start the habilitation procedure, the evaluation committee may recommend an indefinite extension of the staff member's contract, with further tasks to be set to lead to meeting the requirements for starting the habilitation within 3 years.
   d.	If the staff member does not meet the requirements to start the habilitation process in 9 years and the regular evaluation shows that he/she does not sufficiently meet the criteria needed to start the habilitation process, then the existing contract will not be extended. In very exceptional cases, the employment contract may be continued indefinitely if the needs of the faculty so require. This decision is subject to the approval of the Dean or Dean of the Faculty. In addition, staff members are assigned work tasks, the fulfilment of which is verified in the context of regular appraisals.

3. Associate Professor (AP3 grade):

   a.	To qualify for the AP3 salary grade, a scientific and pedagogical title of associate professor or attainment of comparable status is required.
   b.	The employment contract of associate professors and assistant professors is usually concluded for an indefinite period. However, if the employee is new to the University, a fixed-term contract is typically concluded first. Subsequently, after an initial evaluation in which he/she demonstrates his/her qualities and competences, the staff member may be given a contract of indefinite duration.

4. Professor (salary grade AP4):

   a.	To qualify for the AP4 salary grade, a research and teaching title of Professor, appointment as an Associate Professor, or attainment of comparable status is required.
   b.	The employment contract of professors is usually concluded for an indefinite period. However, in the case of a new employee at the University, a fixed-term contract may be concluded first in justified cases. Subsequently, after an initial evaluation in which he/she demonstrates his/her qualities and competences, he/she may be given a contract of indefinite duration.

5. Postdoc:

   a.	A specific category is postdoctoral fellows. These are junior academic or research staff who are employed on a fixed-term (1-3 years) basis and who have attained their Ph.D. degree or equivalent no more than eight years ago.
   b.	Postdoctoral fellows are classified in the AP2 or VP2 pay grades. Depending on whether or not they perform teaching activities in addition to research activities, they are classified as academic staff.
   c.	Postdoctoral positions are filled by candidates who have obtained a Ph.D. according to the Regulations of the Selection Procedure of Charles University, or according to the specific conditions of the project for which the postdoctoral student is recruited.
   d.	An employee who, after defending his or her Ph.D., remains at the same workplace where he or she worked during the Ph.D. studies is not considered a postdoctoral fellow.

Article 5: Career progression of researchers (VP1 - VP3)

1. Researchers are usually recruited to work on scientific projects, with research as their primary activity. A Master's degree is required for classification in the VP1 salary grade, a Ph.D. or equivalent degree is required for VP2, and an appointment as Associate Professor or Professor or attainment of comparable status abroad is required for classification in the VP3 salary grade.

2. The employment contract is usually concluded for a fixed period in relation to the needs and duration of the projects. A fixed-term contract for a maximum of 3 years can be renewed twice, each time for a maximum of 3 years. If the specific nature of the projects makes this necessary, several fixed-term contracts may be chained together.

   
   

Article 6: Career progression of lecturers (L1 - L2)

1. The filling of lecturer positions is possible only in cases worthy of special consideration and after discussing the staffing situation and the development concept of the relevant department with the faculty management.

2. The primary activity of lecturers and lecturers³ is pedagogical activity in study programmes and CŽV programmes. An L1 staff member has only teaching activities in his/her job description. An L2 staff member is mainly involved in teaching activities, but also in the operation of the department and, to a small extent, in research and publication activities.

3. The first employment contract is usually for a fixed term (maximum 3 years) with the possibility of two subsequent extensions. Each extension of the contract is possible again for a maximum of 3 years. For employees in the L1 and L2 grades who have demonstrated their qualities and competences, the contract may be concluded for an indefinite period.

   
   

Article 7: Individual career development plan

1. An individual career development plan helps employees plan their careers and motivates them to grow professionally. It also enables managers to provide more specific support and assistance to help them achieve their career goals and provides a basis for monitoring their performance.

2. An individual career development plan is not provided in the case of:

   a.	employees with less than 0.5 hours;
   b.	those staff recruited on a fixed-term basis who have no prospect of remaining at the University (e.g. postdoctoral fellows);
   c.	researchers with fixed-term contracts who are employed on a specific research project;
   d.	the dean while in office.

3. The Individual Career Development Plan also applies to employees who are close to the retirement pension threshold. The aim is to plan and facilitate their involvement in a differentiated and appropriate manner, both with regard to their capabilities and with regard to the staffing needs of the study programmes and other activities of the Faculty.

4. The Dean of the FH CU may grant the status of Emeritus Academician of the FH CU to retired employees who have contributed to the development of the study programme or science at the Faculty and have been employees of the FH CU for at least 20 years. The status expresses affiliation with the Faculty and allows participation in its activities without employment obligations, with specific forms of affiliation to be specified by agreement. The status is proposed by the supervisor, the evaluation committee or a member of the Dean's College and is granted by the Dean or Dean's College after discussion in the Dean's College.

5. The individual career development plan is based on the typical work activity of the position, the job description in the contract of the specific employee and the criteria for employee evaluation (see Annex 1 of this directive), while reflecting the needs of the employee and the faculty.

6. The plan covers the period until the next periodic review. That is to say, it covers a period of normally three years for AP1, AP2, L1, L2 or five years for AP3 and AP4, unless the period of the next evaluation is shortened (see Article 12(2)). In the case of fixed-term contract staff, this is the period for which the contract of employment is concluded. However, in the case of assistant professors, the longer-term outlook for research activities is normally an important part of the plan, so that they can start the habilitation procedure.

7. The plan is drawn up or updated as a rule:

   a.	at the start of the employment relationship;
   b.	as part of the regular staff appraisal (see part two);
   c.	after reaching the retirement threshold.
   d.	It may also be updated after a long break from work (e.g. after maternity or parental leave, unpaid leave or sick leave), after a long stay abroad, and at the request of the employee or manager.

8. The employee is obliged to prepare a draft career development plan within 6 weeks of starting employment or within 30 calendar days of being invited to do so (as part of an evaluation or after a long break). In it, he or she shall set out his or her career development plans and what he or she would like to achieve in those areas of activity which are relevant to his or her job description, i.e. for AP, in particular

   a.	pedagogical activity;
   b.	scientific and creative activities;
   c.	other activities, especially service activities at the faculty, university and academic bodies.

9. Based on the employee's proposal and a personal interview with him/her, the manager prepares a proposal for an individual career development plan. In doing so, the supervisor always consults the content of the plan with the guarantor of the study programme where the staff member provides or guarantees compulsory courses. Where the individual plan is drawn up or updated as part of the regular appraisal of staff, the appraisal committee may recommend changes to it (see Article 12(2)).

10. The final individual career development plan is binding on the employee and is part of his or her personnel file. This plan should therefore be formulated in a more general way and leave the employee creative freedom and flexibility. Only if the staff appraisal has shown that the employee is not fulfilling the requirements of his or her position or the previous individual career development plan will the tasks be made more specific.

Article 8: Basic principles of evaluation

1. The assessment must take into account the amount of time worked as well as any long-term incapacity for work, maternity or parental leave, care for a member, a stay , taking creative leave and other circumstances worthy of special consideration.

2. Employee evaluations aim to provide employees with regular feedback on their work and motivate them to develop professionally. Last but not least, the aim is to provide the heads of departments and the faculty management with one of the bases for the development of employees, their remuneration and for the extension or termination of their employment.

3. Employee evaluations involve the Dean or Dean of the Faculty, the Dean's College, the evaluation committee, the employee being evaluated, and his or her supervisor, who is typically the Department Head (hereinafter "Head"). Administratively, the evaluation is handled by the Career Development and Quality Education Department, where an evaluation coordinator is appointed, in close coordination with the Faculty's Human Resources and Payroll Department.

4. The regular evaluation applies to all academic and scientific staff and lecturers who have agreed weekly working hours in excess of 16 hours.

5. Exceptions are:

   a.	the Dean at the time of appointment;
   b.	Employees with a fixed-term contract whose employment is due to end while they are on maternity or parental leave, unpaid leave immediately following parental leave or during a period of long-term sick leave, provided that the employment relationship is to be extended again for a fixed period4;
   c.	researchers on fixed-term contracts, provided that the staff member's employment is to be renewed for a fixed period and their performance is evaluated on an ongoing basis in relation to the projects in which they are involved;
   d.	employees who are not interested in extending their employment relationship or whose employment relationship is not to be extended on the basis of a proposal by the head of department.

6. For employees with a fixed-term contract who wish to continue their employment, the evaluation will normally start 6 months before the end of the contract. For associate professors and professors with an open-ended contract, the evaluation shall normally take place every 5 years, and for other staff with an open-ended contract, normally every 3 years. The start of the period for the next appraisal shall be calculated from the start of the previous appraisal.

7. The evaluation may be carried out during the course of the employment relationship at a time other than the regular deadline at the request of the employee being evaluated, his/her supervisor or the faculty management, or if a shorter evaluation period results from the conclusions of a previous evaluation. Appointment as associate professor or professor replaces the evaluation process that the staff member would have had to undergo at a similar time and starts a new evaluation period.

   
   

Article 9: Evaluation criteria and evaluation period

1. Performance and job performance are evaluated as they result from the requirements of the job, the employment contract, and/or the individual career development plan, if one is developed.

2. Depending on the specific position, the activities of male and female employees include all or some of the three basic components:

   a.	pedagogical activity;
   b.	scientific and other creative activities;
   c.	other activities, especially service activities at the faculty, university and academic bodies.

3. The evaluation of all new employees in the AP1, AP2, L1 and L2 pay grades includes completion of the Basic Course of Pedagogical Competence at FH CU.⁵

4. Language skills⁶ and the soft skills of male and female staff are also taken into account in the evaluation. A specific description of the areas assessed is given in Annex 1 to this directive.

5. Managers are also assessed in management skills. However, this assessment is carried out under a different, usually annual, assessment regime (see more detail in Article 11 below).

   
   

Article 10: Evaluation committee

1. The evaluation committee and its chairperson are appointed by the dean or the dean of the faculty. The chair of the committee cannot be the immediate supervisor of the employee being evaluated.

2. The evaluation committee shall have a minimum of three members, but may have more in justified cases, but must always have an odd number of members. As a rule, the evaluation committee shall comprise:

   a.	at least 1 member of the Dean's College (usually the Vice-Dean for Research and Creative Activities and/or the Vice-Dean for Academic Qualifications and Quality of Education);
   b.	the head of the department where the employee works.
   c.	Other members of the committee may be appointed from among the faculty staff, who are either a member of the board of the Cooperatio programme area to which the employee belongs, or the guarantor of the study programme where the employee teaches compulsory courses (in the case of concurrent teaching in several programmes, it is usually the guarantor of the programme where the employee teaches the most compulsory courses), or members of the FH CU Scientific .

3. The dean is not a member of the evaluation committee. At the same time, in justified cases, he or she may determine that other relevant persons from the academic community of the faculty will participate in the evaluation committee with an advisory vote (i.e. without participating in the voting on the conclusions of the evaluation).

4. The evaluation committee carries out the evaluation of employees without their personal presence. However, the employee being evaluated may request a personal interview. Such a request should be addressed in writing to the Faculty Evaluation Coordinator and to the head of his/her department at the same time as the submission of the completed self-evaluation.

5. The meeting of the evaluation committee is closed to the public. In addition to the attendance mode, the evaluation committee may meet remotely (i.e. by means of remote communication that allows participation in the meeting in the present time) and hybridly, i.e. by a combination of attendance and remote participation. The Chair of the Evaluation Committee may call for a vote outside the meeting of the Evaluation Committee ('per rollam vote'). The Evaluation Committee shall decide on the overall outcome of the evaluation and any recommendations by a simple majority of all members. The members of the evaluation committee shall be obliged to maintain the confidentiality of the facts which have come to their knowledge in the course of or in connection with duties as members of the evaluation committee.

   
   

Article 11: Evaluation process

1. The evaluation is carried out in an electronic evaluation application that uses data from information systems (in particular OBD and SIS). The application contains the necessary forms and instructions for filling them in. If the application is not available, the evaluation is carried out outside the application using forms supplied by the Career Development and Quality of Education Department of FH CU.

2. The employee is obliged to prepare a self-assessment and a proposal for his/her individual career development plan within 30 calendar days of receiving the invitation. The Head of Department is entitled to return the self-assessment report to the employee for completion. The staff member must make such completion without delay.

3. The department head shall comment on the employee's self-evaluation within 30 calendar days of the employee's submission of the forms. The Head of Department will also prepare an individual career plan, based on the employee's proposal, a personal interview with the employee and consultation with the supervisor of the study programme where the employee teaches (see more detail in Article 7 above).

4. In justified cases, the head of the department has the possibility to propose a change in the content of the employment contract, either in the form of a transfer to another position or in the form of a reduction in the employee's working hours. If he/she does so, he/she shall inform the employee and invite him/her to comment on the proposed change. In this case, the evaluation will be carried out according to the evaluation criteria for the staff member's current position. The Evaluation Committee will discuss the proposal to amend the content of the contract.

5. The evaluation panel will normally carry out the evaluation within 60 calendar days of the date on which the complete evaluation is uploaded.

6. The chair of the evaluation committee is authorized to return the forms to the employee or department head for completion. The employee is obliged to make the additions within 10 calendar days, the Head of Department within 7 calendar .

7. Based on the materials submitted, the evaluation committee will assess the extent to which the requirements of the job and/or the existing individual career development plan have been met. The panel will make an overall assessment and make recommendations where appropriate (see Article 12 below).

   
   

Article 12: Evaluation results

1. The result of the evaluation is a non-public evaluation report, which is accessible through the application to the employee being evaluated, the head of the department, employees of the administrative apparatus of the faculty whose participation is required during the evaluation, the chair of the evaluation committee and the dean or dean of the faculty. If the application is not available, the evaluation report will be sent to the participants by the Career Development and Quality Education Officer; the evaluation report is filed in the Human Resources and Payroll Office.

2. The evaluation report may recommend adjustments to the individual career development plan, including work goals and objectives, and possibly shorten the time period set for the start of the next evaluation.

3. The evaluation report includes an overall rating on a five-point scale:

   a.	excellent - the employee has met and significantly exceeded the requirements of his or her individual career development plan and description;
   b.	very good - the employee has met and exceeded the requirements of his or her individual career development plan or description;
   c.	adequate - the employee has met the requirements of his or her individual career development plan description;
   d.	Adequate with reservations - the employee has partially failed to meet the requirements of his or her individual career development plan or description;
   e.	inadequate - the employee has not substantially met the requirements of his/her individual career development plan or description.

4. The evaluation report may also include recommendations of an employment law:

   a.	a proposal to extend the employment of an employee with a fixed or indefinite employment contract;
   b.	a proposal not to extend the employment of an employee with a contract;
   c.	a proposal to issue a challenge to address unsatisfactory performance, including the formulation of binding performance targets (work tasks) with a deadline for completion;
   d.	a proposal for reassignment;
   e.	Proposal for adjustments to the amount of time;
   f.	a proposal for an increase or decrease in personal remuneration7;
   g.	a proposal for termination of employment in the event of failure to meet mandatory work tasks or to remedy unsatisfactory performance imposed at the last periodic appraisal.

5. The proposals contained in the evaluation report may only be implemented in accordance with and in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Labour Code.

6. The employee is entitled to object to the evaluation report and/or request a discussion of his/her evaluation with the evaluation committee within 14 calendar days of being informed of the evaluation report. The employee shall address the objection and/or request for a hearing to the Dean or Dean of the Faculty and a copy to the Assessment Coordinator. He/she may invite the department chair or his/her designee to attend the hearing.

7. The dean or dean's office is required to grant the request for a hearing and to hold the hearing within 30 calendar days of the request. The dean or dean may invite the chair of the evaluation committee to the hearing. If written objections are submitted, the dean or provost must address the objections in writing. The decision of the Dean or Dean's Office after the hearing and/or settlement of objections is final.

8. After the expiry of the deadline for objections or requests for hearing, the evaluation is closed.

   
   

Article 13: Call for remedy of unsatisfactory performance and additional evaluation

1. If the evaluation committee recommends that the employee be called upon to remedy unsatisfactory performance, the Dean or Dean of the Faculty shall decide within 30 calendar days that:

   a.	the employee will not be asked to remedy unsatisfactory performance, in which case the Dean or Dean of the Faculty may change the overall evaluation and set a deadline for the commencement of the next evaluation;
   b.	the employee will be required to remedy unsatisfactory within a predetermined period of time.

2. If an employee is asked to remedy unsatisfactory performance, he or she will also receive a list of work tasks, called mandatory performance targets (hereinafter referred to as "targets"), which he or she must complete within a specified time period. At the end of the time limit, an additional evaluation will take place, at which the evaluation committee will check whether the objectives have been met.

3. If the objectives have been met, the evaluation committee will propose a date for further evaluation. If the failure to meet the objectives persists, the Dean or the Dean, after discussion in the College, shall decide on further action, which may be of an employment .

   
   

Article 14: Evaluation of senior staff

1. A staff member in a senior position here means the head of the department. His or her scientific and teaching activities are evaluated in the regular evaluation as any other faculty employee. The subject of this article is only the evaluation of the managerial activities of senior staff.

2. The position of Head of Department is subject to the minimum qualification requirements expected for AP2-AP4 positions at Charles University. The Head of the Department is appointed to the position by the Dean or the Dean on the basis of a selection proceedings and for a limited period of 4 years. The maximum number of consecutive terms for a Head of Department is two (8 years in total). After the expiry of the first term, the position may be extended for a second term on the basis of a positive evaluation of his or her managerial performance, which takes place at least 3 months before the end of the term as Head of Department.

3. The managerial performance of department chairs is evaluated in a separate interview with the immediate supervisor, i.e., the dean or deans designee. These interviews are normally held at the end of each year in .

4. The interview is initiated in writing by the dean or the dean's designee. The supervisor will then prepare and submit a written self-evaluation covering the areas listed below (a-e) as a basis within 30 calendar days. In it, he/she shall describe and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of his/her leadership activities, and, where appropriate, describe the problems and obstacles he/she perceives in his/her leadership activities and propose solutions to them.

5. As part of the basis for the evaluation, the Dean may solicit feedback from members of the department (e.g., an anonymous survey, the results of which are not public and are used for the evaluative purposes of these interviews).

6. Heads of Departments are evaluated with respect to these activities (taking into account that for some of them they are not the only responsible persons and act only within their competences given by the faculty):

   a.	Ensuring quality educational activities in cooperation with guarantors of study programmes and other departments;
   b.	creating conditions for the conceptual and professional development of the Institute, especially the development of the relevant scientific field;
   c.	monitoring and supporting the professional development and qualification growth of the department's staff;
   d.	Regular evaluation of the department's male and female staff;
   e.	Competent leadership of the team in the workplace and ensuring adequate and even workload for all members of the department.

7. The outcome of the evaluation of department heads according to Article 14 is the provision of feedback and support for improving their activities, or joint reflection on problems and obstacles to leadership and possible solutions. In the event of an inadequate evaluation result, the Dean may suggest steps for improvement or remove the Head of Department after discussion in the College.

Article 15: Transitional provisions

1. Existing staff who do not have an individual career development plan will propose one at their next appraisal. Assistance in developing individual career development plans is provided by the Career Development and Quality Education Department to staff and heads of departments.

2. Employees (AP1, AP2, L1, L2) newly employed at FH CU with a salary level of 0.5 and above, whose employment relationship commenced on 1 September 2024, are obliged to attend the basic pedagogical skills course, preferably within 12 months of commencing employment, unless otherwise specified in their individual career development plan. Existing employees shall attend the course according to their needs and their individual career development plans.

3. Evaluations initiated by 30 November 2024 will be carried out in accordance with the rules of the Dean of FH CU directive No. 9/2022.

   
   

Article 16: Final provisions

1. This directive shall enter into force on the date of signature.

2. This directive shall enter into force on 1 January 2025.

3. This directive repeals Dean's directive No. 9/2022 on the date of its entry into force.

Prague, 28 November 2024

doc. Věra Sokolová, M.A., Ph.D.

Dean