1. General rules

‘Docent’ is a title that indicates a level of qualification and not a position. The Faculty Board is entitled to confer the rank of ‘Docent’ if this is considered to be to the benefit of the research and educational activities of the Faculty. The rank of ‘Docent’ concerns a specific subject, as defined by Faculty Board. It may be the subject for doctoral studies (or the subject of the Applicant’s dissertation) or the field determined by the Applicant’s position in the Faculty.

Anyone who has defended a doctoral dissertation, and whose scientific skill and teaching ability is sufficient according to the demands of the Faculty Board, may apply to be admitted to the rank of ‘Docent’.

Primarily referred hereby are applicants affiliated with Stockholm University through their positions. Applicants that have been awarded a doctoral degree at a Department of the Faculty of Humanities, but currently are not engaged as scholars or teachers there, may also be conferred the title of ‘Docent’. Thirdly, applicants without direct affiliation of these types should demonstrate in their applications other means of affiliation, such as research collaboration, or engagement as a teacher or supervisor, at one of the Departments of the Faculty.

2. Content and Disposition of the Application

A researcher wishing to be granted the title of ‘Docent’ should consult the Professor or Professors of the relevant subject in order to get a preliminary idea of whether he/she is justified to apply.

The Applicant has to state in which subject or field he/she wishes to be conferred the title, and what type of affiliation he/she holds with the Faculty of Humanities at Stockholm University.

The application is to be submitted to:
The Registrar’s Office
Stockholm University
SE-106 91 Stockholm
Sweden

Do not submit publications together with the application! Works and publications the applicant wishes to be evaluated are to be sent directly to the assessors (See 5.4.).

2.1. Curriculum Vitae

The CV is to consist of personal data, exhaustive information regarding university degrees (year, subject, university), and details of current and former employments. Attach a signed copy of the Ph.D. Diploma!

2.2. Chronological Listing of Selected Publications

The Applicant selects a number of those publications that he/she cites in support of the application, with respect to his/her scientific skills, as well as teaching proficiency. The selection is to be justified in brief. Always list your doctoral thesis!

Should the Applicant refer to works of which he/she is co-author, then he/she has to state clearly and coherently the type of cooperation involved, preferably with attestations from the co-authors.

If the contents of the selected publications are similar or identical, then this should be transparent from the listing.

The works in the publication list are to have been completed, and at least submitted for editing, at the time of submitting the application. In the latter case, an Attestation from the Editor together with a publishing plan has to be attached.

2.3. Account of Research Experience and Extensive Publication List

A short presentation of the Applicant’s experience of scientific research, clearly stating the individual contribution (about 2000 words).

Track record of further academic activities [Memberships in Scholar Societies, Honorary Tasks, etc.]

An extensive publication list, complete with full source references and naming of co-authors.

2.4. Account of Teaching Experience

A short presentation of the Applicant’s experience of teaching (about 500 words). The Applicant’s teaching experience must be demonstrated through Attestation from the Head of Department or the Director of Studies. Further, information of the Applicant’s teacher training must be attached. If applicable, adhere Copies of certificates pertaining to approved Supervisor and/or University Teacher Training!

A brief summary of the Applicant’s experience of supervision (about 250 words).

The Applicant should indicate the number of degree projects that he/she has supervised on undergraduate and graduate levels. As for supervised doctoral theses, state the name of doctoral student (and possible co-supervisors), year of his/her admission to doctoral studies, and the title of the dissertation. Regarding postgraduate students, also state the year that the doctoral degree was awarded.

3. Assignment of Assessors

The Assessors should submit their report to the Faculty Board no later than four months after the reception of the application.

The Assessors should clarify in their reports their relation, if any, to the Applicant.

The Assessors must carefully consider when evaluating the application, the selected published works, and the further track record, whether the Applicant meets the demands of the Faculty for scientific skill and teaching ability. The Assessors are to develop a line of argument (about 2500-3000 words) regarding the Applicant’s qualifications, in which the reasons for their conclusions are to be explicitly stated. The evaluating report is to be concluded with a suggestion, whether the Applicant should be admitted as ‘Docent’ or not.

The Faculty of Humanities pays a fee to the Assessors for their evaluations.

3.1. Assessment of Scientific Skill

From a quantitative perspective, the publication record is expected to include a comprehensive monographic work, or a number of papers of comparable extent. The dissertation is primarily not to be evaluated, but rather to be used as a assessment reference to the applicant’s publication record outside of the doctoral thesis. All other published works that the Applicant cites to support his/her application, are to be assessed.

From a qualitative perspective, the applicant’s publication record should be considerably superior to the minimum demands for the doctoral dissertation. Criteria to be considered include: theoretical and methodological competence, capacity for innovation and independent research leading to important results, and ability to present a scientific issue.

3.2. Assessment regarding teaching ability

The teaching proficiency is to be evaluated by criteria such as experience of teaching and supervision, as well as a demonstrated production of study material and popular science.

The Assessors should overtly state in their reports whether they consider the Applicant’s ability to teach the subject to already be sufficiently demonstrated in terms of quality, as well as quantity, or if the Applicant should give a trial lecture.

4. Trial Lectures

If the ‘Docent’ Appointments Board deduces that the teaching proficiency is not validated, the treatment of the application is tabled until the Applicant has held a trial lecture. The quality of the trial lecture is assessed by the Board that decides whether or not to approve the trial.

The appropriate department arranges the trial lecture as a public lecture in association with the Applicant. The lecture shall be held within the department’s regular curriculum.

The purpose of the trial lecture is to demonstrate the lecturer’s ability to present a scientific issue to students on undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. The main focus is however on the Applicant’s teaching proficiency. Importance is paid to the Applicant’s ability to present a scientific issue, to test it on concrete material and to lead it towards a clear result. This includes the ability to make the audience aware of the lecturer’s intentions, and to arrange that the trial lecture should not exceed the required time of three quarters of an hour. The lecture does not need to present new scientific material, since what is at stake is primarily teaching ability,

5. Treatment of Applications and Assessment Procedures

5.1. The Faculty receives the Application

The clerk in charge checks the Applicant’s relation to Stockholm University and the Faculty of Humanities, and that the Application is entire. The Applicant will otherwise be contacted for additional information.

5.2. The Faculty requests a Nomination of Two Assessors

The Head of Department will be requested to confer with the Professors in the pertinent research field before nominating two Assessors. The Head of Department must give a statement to the Faculty after conferring with the professor(s) of the subject.
The statement must contain:

• A suggestion of two assessors of which one must be external i.e. from another university. The assessors must have the rank of professor.
• A support or rejection of the application, with a brief reasoning as to why the conferring of the title ‘Docent’ to the Applicant would benefit the research and education in the Faculty.

5.3. Decision of Appointing Two Assessors

The Assistant Dean appoints two Assessors, both nominated by the Head of the Department.

5.4. Informing the Applicant and the Assessors regarding the Further Procedures

After the appointment of the Assessors, the Faculty Clerk furnishes the Applicant and the Assessors
with the pertinent documents. At that point, the applicant should send the works and publications that
he/she refers to in the application to the Assessors.

5.5. The ‘Docent’ Appointments Board

When the Assessors have submitted their reports, the ‘Docent’ Appointments Board will consider the Application.

The ‘Docent’ Appointments Board will propose to the Faculty Board, in light of the Application, the statement of the Head of Department, and the Assessors’ reports, to decide according to theses alternatives: (1) to confer the title ‘Docent’ on the Applicant, (2) to postpone the decision in wanting of additional information or reports (3) to reject the Application.

The reviewers must explicitly mention any previous contacts between them and the applicant, for instance whether the applicant is a former student.

After the Faculty Office receives the reports, the application is considered by the ‘Docent’ Appointments Board, to which only the application, the report of the Head of Department and the reviewers’ report are submitted. After considering the expert’s report, the ‘Docent’ Appointments Board submits its  recommendation to the Faculty Board. If the ‘Docent’ Appointments Board considers the teaching ability not to be sufficiently demonstrated, the decision is postponed until the applicant has held a trial lecture.

5.3. Decision of Conferring the Title of ‘Docent’

The Dean decides (on authority delegated from the Faculty Board) to grant the applicant the title of ‘Docent’. After the decision is taken, the applicant will receive a certificate of this conferral, and those who are concerned in this matter will be informed of this.