For many academics, promotion is one of the most significant milestones in an academic career. Yet for culturally and racially marginalised academics, navigating the process can be particularly complex.
Demystifying the academic promotion process
The Diversity Council Australia describes culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) people as those who cannot be racialised as white. This group includes people who are Black, Brown, Asian, or any other non-white group, who face marginalisation due to their race. The term “culturally” is added because it recognises that people may also face discrimination due to their culture or background.
While promotion criteria may appear equitable on paper, many CARM academics continue to encounter barriers such as exclusion from informal networks, cultural norms around self-promotion, unconscious bias, limited access to mentoring and sponsorship, and the challenge of making invisible contributions visible within traditional measures of academic success.
To address this issue, the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion presented a Demystifying the Academic Promotion Process event hosted with the UTS Multicultural Women’s Network. The event was prompted by university data showing that while the gender promotion gap has been reduced, academics from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds continue to experience lower promotion success rates at the most senior levels.
Speakers
Joining to share practical advice and personal insights to help demystify the promotion journey were:
- Professor Ramona Vijeyarasa, a Professor of Law at UTS
- Professor Ian Menz, Head of the School of Life Sciences at UTS
- Dr Rebecca Addo, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Economics, Research and Evaluation.
The session was facilitated by Dr Kumi de Silva, UTS Gender Equity Programs Manager.
Think about promotion early
Panel members agreed that promotion should be viewed as a long-term career strategy, not a quick application prepared over a short period.
Ian encouraged academics to regularly reflect on their goals and create a plan for progression.
“It's all about the plan. It's about having that conversation, setting a plan, and coming back to it at every point during your reflection of your career. Then refining that plan as your career evolves,” he said.
It's all about the plan. It's about having that conversation, setting a plan, and coming back to it at every point during your reflection of your career. Then refining that plan as your career evolves.
Rebecca found that participating in a promotion boot camp helped her identify gaps early, giving her time to build experience and evidence well before applying.
Your narrative matters as much as your achievements
The discussion covered how promotion panels are not only interested in what you have done. They want to understand the significance and impact of your work.
Ramona reflected on how her experience in international development and women's rights became an asset in her promotion applications rather than something separate from her academic career.
“Your narrative is everything. It was very appropriate for me to talk about what I brought to UTS in terms of legitimacy in my research and my experience outside academia. That became a key part of my story,” Ramona said.
Panel members encouraged academics to embrace their diverse cultural, professional and international experiences and clearly articulate how those experiences contribute to leadership, innovation and impact.
Your narrative is everything. It was very appropriate for me to talk about what I brought to UTS in terms of legitimacy in my research and my experience outside academia.
Find people who believe in you
Mentoring emerged as one of the strongest themes of the discussion. Rebecca spoke about balancing career progression with significant family responsibilities and periods of self-doubt. Support from supervisors helped her recognise her achievements and continue pursuing promotion.
“At some point I felt that I'm not ready. I've had so much disruption; I don't even know what I've done. But that belief, that trust that my supervisor had in me, spurred me on,” explained Rebecca.
Ramona also highlighted the importance of finding mentors who can provide honest feedback about readiness and progression. Panel members encouraged academics to build networks beyond their immediate teams and seek out mentors, sponsors and trusted colleagues who can advocate for them and provide constructive advice.
Turn difference into strength
A powerful part of the event involved the sharing of a composite CARM academic persona, developed from interviews with academics who described barriers including accent bias, cultural knowledge gaps, exclusion from informal networks and inconsistent career support.
Rather than viewing these experiences solely as barriers, panellists encouraged academics to recognise the value of their lived experiences. Cultural knowledge, international perspectives and the ability to create belonging for diverse student communities can all be powerful evidence of impact.
Ian also reminded attendees to clearly explain the effects of barriers and interruptions in promotion applications.
“People often tell you what happened, but they don't tell you the impact. The impact is what's important for the panel to understand when considering your circumstances and achievements,” he said.
Don't wait for perfection
Many academics delay applying because they feel they need one more publication, one more grant or one more achievement before they are ready. Ramona encouraged academics to be strategic but not perfectionistic, noting that small opportunities can lead to significant career outcomes.
“Don't discount those small grants, like the UTS Social Impact Grants. They're key to proving that you can apply for funding successfully, manage it, report on it and take it to the next level. Sometimes something unexpected can start with a small opportunity,” Ramona said, adding that her own experience demonstrates how early opportunities, mentoring and a willingness to back herself contributed to her progression through the academic ranks.
Don't discount those small grants, like the UTS Social Impact Grants. They're key to proving that you can apply for funding successfully, manage it, report on it and take it to the next level. Sometimes something unexpected can start with a small opportunity.
Moving forward
The strongest message from the discussion was that promotion is about understanding your impact, telling your story with confidence and building the networks that support career progression. As panellists emphasised, meaningful progress will come not only from helping CARM academics navigate the system, but also from continuing to improve the system itself.