Toolkit 5: Appointment Guidelines for Part-time Lecturers, Tutors and Demonstrators

Part-time Lecturers, Tutors and Demonstrators may be engaged to meet legitimate organisational requirements for the following reasons, (subject to funding and the normal approval requirements):

• To provide cover for colleagues availing of particular leave arrangements including long term sick leave, maternity leave or Sabbatical leave etc. 

• To ensure particular expertise is available for defined periods where such expertise is not available from within the University in the short-term.  

• To support work related to one-off events or programmes where specific skills are required. 

• To provide exposure to industry/practitioner expertise and enabling connections by faculty and students with employers. 

• Address gaps arising from certain peaks in the academic cycle such as exams, assessments, graduation, registration

• To support research active colleagues with buy-out for teaching subject to approval by Head of School / Executive Dean e.g. research buy-out

These part-time roles are not designed to reduce the teaching workload of existing full time staff unless they relate to the reasons outlined above.   

All hiring managers should be cognisant of the following when recruiting and appointing part-time Lectures, Tutors and Demonstrators.     

• All appointments are subject to funding and the approval of the Head of School, Executive Dean, Finance and HR.

• Appointments should not be permanent in nature unless established and approved through the normal channels of the University Resource Committee.

• All appointments shall be made in line with the agreed University Recruitment and Selection procedures.

• All proposed candidates must meet the minimum qualification and experience requirements of the role (see role descriptors)

• All appointed staff are required to carry out roles consistent with the role descriptors and responsibilities outlined in these guidelines.   Particular attention should be given to the activities that are not applicable to the role.  

• The part-time contract must comply with the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.

• Given the casual nature of these contracts, the overall quantum of hours should not exceed on average of 200 hours per annum. 

Responsibility for the recruitment and appointment of part-time Lecturers, Tutors and Demonstrators is managed locally at a Faculty of School level by the Executive Dean / Head of School in conjunction with the relevant hiring manager.    

The rates of pay for Part-time Lecturers, Tutors and Demonstrators is available HERE  

Payment for these part-time roles is managed by the DCU Payroll Office.   Full details of the claiming process are available HERE : 

IMPORTANT - DCU Accounts. The DCU Account of all part-time staff will cease at the end of the day the staff member’s contract ends eg.@dcu.ie email, Googledrive and all other Google Services associated the account as well as Microsoft office and OneDrive, their University Zoom account, Eduroam wifi and on-line resources from the DCU Library).   Therefore, please note the following:      

• In advance of the last day of employment, employees must submit any outstanding claims including part-time claims and expenses via  Core Portal on/before their leaving date.

• Access to view payslips via the Core portal will be available for 4 weeks only after the contract end date.

• Employees should review and complete the steps outlined in the ISS Leavers FAQ’s in advance of their leaving date.  

• Part-time Lecturers who are returning to work in DCU within 90 days of their contract ending will need to contact ISS to reactivate their DCU Account. After the 90 day period, the data attached to accounts will no longer be available.

IMPORTANT - Date of Commencement:  Where a part-time staff member is contracted across multiple appointments, the proposed start date for the new contract must run concurrently with the commencement date of the first contract or follow it.  Revenue restrictions will not permit the University to process payments if a contract commencement date predates the first live appointment that was registered with Revenue for that employee.   

Hiring managers should therefore clarify with the employee and/or DCU People (before raising the SRA) if the proposed new part-time staff member has any other  part-time appointments with DCU.   

IMPORTANT - Contract Duration

Where the part-time employee is undertaking work in Semester 1 and Semester 2, one contract to cover the work should be generated and issued.   

The following outlines the key activities attached to the part-time role of Lecturer, Tutor and Demonstrator roles.  Activities which are not applicable and should not be carried out by these roles are also highlighted.    

Part-time Lecturer

Responsibilities may include the following:

• Preparation of lecture content and delivering lecturers under the supervision of academic staff members, such as Module Co-ordinators or Heads of School.  

• Setting and grading assessments, assignments and scripts where appropriate and under the guidance of an Assistant Professor/Module Coordinator

• Responsible for the preparation of tutoring and lab materials. 

Responsibilities which are not applicable to this role:

• Responsibility for modules or attending Programme/exam boards or meetings.

• Undertaking research or administration activities. 

• Attending School/Faculty meetings.  

Qualifications & Experience:

• The minimum academic qualification for appointment as a Part Time Lecturer is a primary degree at Honours level (NFQ Level 8) in a relevant area, or equivalent.  Ideally a part time lecturer will be qualified to a post-graduate level in a relevant discipline. 

• A minimum of 3 years relevant experience post qualification. 
  Part-time Tutor

Responsibilities may include the following:

• Delivering tutorials, seminars, workshops, or focused classes to smaller groups of students under the supervision of an Assistant Professor.

• Supporting the provision of advice and guidance to students in a relevant subject matter. 

• Assisting with materials preparation under the direction of an Assistant Professor/ Lecturer/Module Coordinator.

• Correcting assessments and scripts under the direction of Assistant Professors or higher.

Responsibilities which are not applicable to this role:

• Responsibility for the creation of content or attending Programme/exam boards or meetings.

• Undertaking research or administration activities. 

• Attending School/Faculty meetings.  

Qualifications and Experience:

• Applicants for the post must hold an honours degree and should ideally be qualified to a postgraduate level, preferably in a specialised field.

• At undergraduate level, the post holder must hold an Honours Degree and be pursuing a post-graduate qualification in the relevant field. 

• At postgraduate level,  the post holder must hold a Masters degree in the relevant field.   

Part-time Demonstrator

Responsibilities may include the following:

• Providing lab assistance and demonstration of equipment or concepts under the overall supervision of the Assistant Professor/Lecturer or Module Coordinator.

• Working in conjunction with Modular Co-ordinators to support activities.

• Providing support to students/technicians completing experiments in laboratories.  

Responsibilities which are not applicable under the role:

• Demonstrators provide practical support and do not normally deliver content. 

  
  Qualifications and experience required:

• At undergraduate level, the postholder is required to hold an Honours  Degree.

At postgraduate, the postholder is required to hold a Masters degree.  

The following outlines the key responsibilities of all those involved in the appointment process of part-time academic staff.  

Hiring / Line Managers 

• Responsible for the recruitment and selection process of part-time Lecturers, Tutors and Demonstrators consistent with the principles of the University recruitment and selection policy.

• Ensure the individual meets the criteria for the role and is suited to the role requirements.

• Ensure the SRA is submitted correctly in a timely manner prior to an employee's start date (and with a CV attached). 

• Ensure the start date of the proposed new appointment does not predate any existing live appointment for that employee by liaising with the individual and /or DCU People to confirm.  

• Where required, liaise with DCU People to ensure all pre-employment checks of work permits, Garda-vetting, references and qualifications are completed in advance of the work commencing.

• Approve part-time claims submitted by the employee through the Core system. 

• Ensure the activities of the role are consistent with the responsibilities outlined in these guidelines

• Liaise with DCU People (or with the employee directly) to ensure the start date of the proposed new appointment does not predate any existing live appointment for that employee.

Employees 

• Undertaking the role in line with the role descriptor and as directed by the Line Manager/ Head of School. 

• Responsible for claiming their part time hours through the Core Portal in line with the payroll deadlines and procedures.  Further information is available under https://www.dcu.ie/finance/payroll-part-time-hourly-claims. 

• Abiding by the relevant policies and procedures of the University.

DCU People

• Supporting the hiring manager in the appointments process of part-time Lecturers, Tutors and Demonstrators.  

• Where required, complete all pre-employment checks for work permits, Garda-vetting, references and qualifications in advance of the work commencing.

• Ensure that the successful candidates meet the qualifications and experience requirements outlined in these guidelines.  

• Issue the Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment 

Payroll

• Responsible for processing approved claims for part time casual hours in accordance with payroll deadlines as outlined https://www.dcu.ie/finance/payroll-deadlines-and-pay-dates. 

• The following link outlines the Part time casual employees payroll process.

• The following link outlines the steps involved in submitting a claim via the Core Timesheet system.