The University of Cambridge is planning to formalise its teaching-only posts in a move that one academic has branded a ¡°huge change¡± for the institution.

Cambridge¡¯s general board has recommended that two new university ¡°offices¡± ¨C or academic posts ¨C be established for the small but growing number of teaching-only staff on open-ended contracts.

Gill Evans, emeritus professor in medieval theology at the institution, said that the creation of the new titles may reflect a shift towards the current trend in higher education of ¡°identifying teaching-only powers¡±.

Writing in the 16 July issue of the Cambridge Reporter, the university¡¯s general board says that the current set-up for teaching provision has developed in a ¡°piecemeal fashion¡± with staff subject to a variety of terms and conditions, which is ¡°unsatisfactory and poses risks for the university¡±.

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It recommends that new offices of lecturer (teaching) and senior lecturer (teaching) be established to provide a clear structure for appointments and promotions.

Traditionally, the academic career structure at Cambridge has been based on university offices that include both teaching and research. Professor Evans said: ¡°It [has been] absolutely fundamental since 1877 that Cambridge academics [are] there to do research as well as teach. So it is a huge change in that respect.

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¡°This looks a bit like Cambridge going with the trend of identifying teaching-only powers.¡±

The general board says that combined teaching and research offices will provide the main career structure for permanent academic posts.

It adds that the new teaching-only offices should be used sparingly because of the ¡°university¡¯s critical dependence on maintaining high-quality research¡±.

A spokesman for Cambridge stressed that the creation of the new offices is currently a recommendation.

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holly.else@tsleducation.com