Recommendation not implemented: Denied promotion to Full Professor at the University of Malta
Published October 05, 2023
Pursuant to Article 22(4) of the Ombudsman Act, the Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Education have forwarded the Final Opinion on a complaint to the House of Representatives. The complaint was about the denial of promotion to full Professor to an Associate Professor at the University of Malta.
The Case
An Associate Professor at the University of Malta filed a complaint after being denied promotion to full Professor. The denial was based on not meeting the tenure criteria specified in the Collective Agreement, despite the complainant’s significant contributions to the university, society, and the international community.
The Investigation
The Ombudsman investigated, reviewing the Promotions Board’s meetings and speaking with a board member. The investigation revealed that the board primarily considered tenure as the eligibility criterion for promotion, overlooking the Collective Agreement’s provisions for compensatory criteria based on contributions to society and the international community.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The complaint was upheld, citing a failure to consider all relevant criteria and to provide adequate reasoning for the decision, violating the Ombudsman Act. The Ombudsman recommended a re-examination of the application by a new Promotions Board, with specific attention to the compensatory criteria, and that the decision, whether favourable or not, include cogent reasons communicated to the complainant.
